Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-11-15
~ s0UrH AMERIcAs wiLDs.
A Letter From n WiImingtOnfau
Describing His Trip and the
&lanrtfry.

| a ie.ter from James N. Conwell, F. ho
| accompanied his father, NJ. 4 Co4wel,
| formerly chief engineer of the survey
| ing department of this city, to 5ou,L
| America, where the latter is in charge OF
the construction of railroad building
by the government of the United States
Of Colombia gives an interesting dsscrip-
tion OF the trip and the country in
letter dated Puerto Berrio, Uct0bsr 18Th,
written to a friend residing here. b.
ginning with the voyage to Aspinwatl,
which is characterized as q pleasant nine
days trip, the city itaelt ia dssis snsted as
the most filthy and unhealthy place in
the world. Diseases Of all kinds in their
most malignant forms are prevailing
there, and the Panama Canal Company,
according to the writer, keeps gang OF
men at work carrying its sick employees
to the hospitals aud burying the dead.
Thirty-six hours by steamer from Aspin-
wall brought them 10 Baranquilla, where
come days were spent viewing the sites
of the town and Visiting the ruins of
what were magnificent Spanish castles
The town SPREADS over as much oround
as Wilmington, but its podulation is
smaller Its streets are wide and clean,
and the houses of one story built Of cane
aud dashed with mud, are rooted with
tile or thatched. The natives are not
haDped with surplus of clothing, theif
costumes bsing OF such e trifiipg nature
that they are referred 10 very briefly.
Leaving Baranquilla July 31s., the
party went by steamer ia six days up
the Madgalena river to Puerto Bsrrio, on |
the right bank of the stream $50 miles |
from its mouth. At this place Mr.. Con.
we'll ia located, terminus OF the |
railroad. A view of work already done |
on the line was made, and it WAS ascer
tanned that since 1875, 20 of the 1875 |
miles of the road had been built. Tie
inspection discovered the work already |
performed to be Of the poorest character.
The people are described aa being very
slow, and the implements OF the rail
readers inferior. Since NJ. c. Conwell
has been in charge of the road two miles
have been built, and the work is being
pushed forward more rapidly than ever
before. Puerto Berrio is written Of as a
village of ~ houses, and 100 inhabitants
a few of whom are Americans. The
writer gives as the reason for there
being no more of his countIymen In The
place that they are too smart to
leave home. The town ia in the
midst of the alligator district, where the
huge monsters are found in hundreds, and
surrounded by forests whion abound in
pumss, several of which have shown
themselves to the Wilmngtonians,
Wild hogs also abound in the forests and
are frequently seen in immenee herds.
Wild turkeys and all kinds OF game can
be taken in large quantities, which leads
ths writer TO say lit ia a hunters para
disc, but beside this vast, dense wilder
ness, which one does not realize until too
late."
The thunder storms are most violent,
the lightning being intensely vivid and
seemingly in continuous sheet, illumi
mating the night sufficiently to read a
paper. A slight earthquake shock fur
nished additional novelty for the party,
but the peculiar sensation was not much
enjoyed. The natives are never i'll
hurry, take their breakfast at 10 O'Clock,
aud begin work, which they do without
any indication of energy. An engineer
to the train upon which the writer made
a short trip stopped bis locomotive to kill
a 15-ioot snake, a. d gave his passengers
time to embark from the cars to shoot
wild turkies. The natives speak the
Spanish OF Castilian language, and under
stand and can be understood with
difficulty. AT dance in the town day
or two before the letter was written, .
Cuban in fight with this police fatally
stabbed three men and the chief OF police
who appeared on the SCENE TO arrest the
assassin shot and mortslly wounded an
innocent by stand,r. The health of the
party save annoying attacks of fever is
to be good.