The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1877-08-08
The South American Railway
King.

The papers announce that Henry Meiggs, |
q" the South American Ra.lSsy King" has Just |
made new contracts for public works in Peru |
aud some Of the most remarkable projects OF |
engineering IN the world are consequently to be |
pushed 10 completion. Perhaps you know little |
about them IN London. but the works. as well as !
their protector. deserve Transatlantic fame.
Meiggs Is one OF the most interesting specimens
OF American enterprise in existence. HIS life
is romance. Thirty years ago be vas re.
spectacle citizen OF New York, best Known
perhaps a. patron Of music. He went to Cali
foruia in the early days Of the gold excitement.
and made u fortune there not by digging, but
BY trading. lie became Il prosperous dealer iu
lumber, having saw mills in the back country
aud large establishment in the city of San
Francisco. where he was elected member of
the municipal Council. Great quantities of
heavy planking were used there as the city bs.
gan TO grow It was employed instead of pave
ment. and bought for the construction Of sewers
also, aud to pay Tor it, aud TOR the labor expeud-
ed on il, the city Government used TO issue
scrip in sums of one hundred. Eve hrudred one
thousand, and 1--WE thousand dollars. The scrip
was popular; 1t a fsyolte collateral for
loans, and SO the lumber business became one of
the great interests of San Francisco and the
foundation Of great many commercial fortunes
0ns morning, in 1854 or 1885. Meiggs was miss
ing. He bad gone aboard schooner Of his own
with his whole family. slowed the hold with
every fragment Of property that he could carry
away. stripping even the furniture from his
house, and the ornaments from his parlor man
tie, and, unsupported. dropped quietly down the
bay aud sailed for South America. He left be-
hind him about a million dollars of liabilities.
Then it was discovered that he had made use Of
his position as Il member of the City Council 10
ix-t, of ir,n
Vas adjudged forgery, but it vas not really
that; it was properly signed, but dishonesty
issued. There Was Of course, a panic, aud
series OF ailuras, lasting two years in the course
of which all the lumber dealers 10 San Francisco
went down.
Meanwhile the fugitive. carrying such luggage
as surely no sbsconding bankrupt ever took with
him before. WAS waited gaily over summer seas
and when the world next heard of hun hs wss
Que of the richest men Of Peru. He had en-
gagged. among other things, In improving the city
OF Lima, aud all that be touched prospered. The
city was surrounded BY ruined adobe wall. and
the wall was surrounded by huge mound of
6lth aud rubbish almosi as high rs tue rampart
itself. where long line Of uutidy generations
had deposited domestic refuse Meisgs under
took to clear all this away. IN consideration Of
receiving from the Government certain amount
OF the land thas redeemed In the place OF the
old wall and the dust heap be created park
seven and half miles 10 extent. with avenues
and shruboery, and on either side remained
valuable lots, OF which he found himself the for
tuuate possessor. Then he began to build rail-
ways for the Peruvian Government, aad We
heard that be was growing richer. He paid his
debts in San Francisco. He made such honest
Ieparations for his delinquencies that the Legis-
ature OF California passed special &C; to re-
heve him trou the Consequences OF his wrong
doiugs and il be chose so gu back there now
ne would be received with open arms. But the
| tales OF his fabulous wealth were greatly ex-
| aggerated, for it appears that he exhausted his
money in his railway enterprises. and about u
! year and half ago be was obliged to suspend
| the works for the want of means. Now, how
ever, he has formed company of Americans
/ and Peruylans 10 complete the undertakings ;
/ engluss, wagons, and 0yher material have been
| purchased 10 this country, and engineers aud
/ contractors are going out TO Peru at once. Mr.
| MeIggs had already completed four railRays, at
cost of about 55,000,000 dollars. and his pre-
| sent plans embrace three more, all of which are
under way. The most important and ieterest-
| ing is the great road which begins at CalIao on
the coast. FGns up to Luna, and then climbs
boldly across the Andes, with the Intention of
crossing both Cordilieras and reaching tae nayig
I
/ Amazon. There was already line irum CaIso
| 10 Lima, seven and half miles, when Meiggs
began; bat the owners charged him enormous
rates for transportation, so be buil another line
OF his own, and went On in comfort. During the
hrst torty-sIx miles the line climbs up 5000
feet. 10 the next sixty miles it mounts 10 600
feet more. Ii winds slOng the edsa of preci-
| pIcas; it leaps from cliff to cliff by bridges that
seem to hang 10 The air it pierces The noun
taias ey a series OF sixty-,hree tunnels at the
average distance Of two miles apart and at the
summit, 1855 feet above the sea, it cuts
through the rock by q tunnel Of nearly 1 900
feet The iron visduct of Aqua de Verrugas
springs $40 feet across chasm 253 feet deep
After ascending grade Of los to 2Il feet to the
mile for twenty three miles. the line reaches the
chasn of La InfsrnilIa, assure 1000 feet deep
with sides as smooth as mason work, and the
torrent Of the River Rimac at the bottom. The
railway crosses this gorge 200 feet above the
river oy bridge opening into q tunnel st each
/ end. In driving these tunnels the W0rkmen
were lowered Oy ropes from the top of the cliff
aud hanging in that way they hammered at the
face Of the rock until they had cut themselves
standing room. The rlils have now been laid
for eighty three miles, aud 4 great deal Of work
has been done for number Of miles further
beyond the summit ID fact-s0 that the grayesi
difficulties Of the enterprise have already been
/ overcome.
What does the road expect to reach Well
At tie distance OF 22e miles from CaIIao it will
reach the famous silver mine Of Cerro de Pasco
cae OF the richest in the World. nov flooded and
neglected owing to the impossibilisy Of reaching
it with heavy machinery, bat Supposed to con-
| tain 100000 900 dollars worth Of cre- Neiggs
! l. TO psrforate this silver mountain with great
tunnel to drain Of the water, and then be Is to
have the exclusive privilege Of working the
mines, the Govesume6t taking large percent
age OF the net p,ueesds. and gaarantssang inter
est % the capital invested 10 the works. The
terms OF the eO1tract seem to be very favorable
TO the euterpnsiRg American and Peruvian sd-
yeuturers, aud il they accomplish what their
engineers in this city promise for them the value
OF silver will no doubt be seriously affected To
raise funds Aeiggs has Issued over loo 0Od
dollars 10 his O~a notes, secured bY pledge oil
Government bonds and the property Of the con-
psny, and IN spite of the opposition OF the
foreign bankers At Lima his paper seems to Be
freely circulated All that | have said Of his
hopes and parposes il borrozed from the gIOz.
ing statements Of bis engineers, and you must
make the Necessary alloGanes Tor exAggsrztiOn-
Bat whatever nay be tho1ghi Of the Pecani2fy
prospects OF the great South American Rail
way King" his story seems to ne to be veil