The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-07-10
FROM LIMA TO CRIGLA.
A RIDE OVER THE oRoYA RAILROAD.
(Continued.)

(COntlnued.)
We stopped at Chosca about 9
O'Clock long enough to get cup of
coffee, or nip of something
stronger as the case might be, and
then were off again. Now, we
could begin TO see the mountains
and the road, and though not in the
wild part, it was still interesting
and novel. AS yet the valley of the
Rimac (through which by the way,
the road is built clear to the sum-
mit), was wide enough to allow
small fields, and we could see the
acequias or bitches for irrigation
along the mountain side. 1t is said
that the Incas had regular acque-
ducts, very well built, for convey
ing the water down the valley, but
no vestige remains. Every little
field is cultivated, and we could see
corn, and other grains growing
nicely.
At 10 o'clock, we had reached
San Bortolomi, AZ miles and 1919
feet (756 k. IN. and 800 metres)
which is the point where the dis
tinctive features of the Oroya road
begin. Thus far it has not differed
from ordinary mountain roads. Here
there is a switch and a turntable, for
you start out to go further, by ap-
parently going back, that is you are
pointed back, but you 90 up, up,
up all the time, with u grade of four
per cent, 211 feet to the mile GO
metres per kilometer.)
From the station at San BartOo-
mi, one readily sees up on the
mountain side, about a mile away,
and apparently two hundred feet
above the platform, the entrance to
tunnel. To get to it you must go over
about five hundred feet of the road,
which doubles or VS. on itself twice,
as the actual difference in height is
about 500 feet (244 metres.) This
way of winding and twisting about
is certainly new, and it seems at
times almost as if one hardly knew
which way he was going. Just be-
fore entering the tunnel, we look
back, and away below rs San Bar
tolomi looks very, very small.
Now that we are in the clear sun
shine, we can see the grand old
peaks of the mountains towering
above us in wild grandeur, on every
hand, and making the railroad
grand as it is, as a feat of engineer
ing, seem but tiny thread drawn
along the sides, and seeming to
threaten it with utter annihilation,
when some huge crag gets loose and
rolls down upon it.
Next we reach the Nerrugas
Bridge, one of the great sights OF
the road, at q height of $500 feet,
(1760 metres.) To get a good idea
of it, we walked across, and felt
very small in comparison with every
thing else around.
The bridge is nearly 600 feet long
and is supported on three iron piers,
the largest and center one being
252 feet (76S metres.) Each pier
is trussed from four cylindrical
corner struts, SO that great strength
and rigidity are secured with light
ness. The whole effect, like that of
the Brooklyn Bridge, or the new
cantilerer bridge at Niagara is that
of great lightness, which is here
much increased by the towering
masses of the mountains on every
hand.
On the other side we mount again
into the coupe OF La Fayorita, and
are off. Our next stop is at Surco,
where our engineer, who it will be
remembered, is train dispatcher,
goes to telegraph about the move
ments of the down passenger, and
the up-freight train. On we go
again until at II O'Clock, we arrive
at Matucara, 1888 ft. (237l metres),
above sea level, and 63 miles, (l0l4
k. M from Callao.
Here we stopped for lunch at the
clean and neat hotel adjoining the
railway station, and it is interesting
to know that we have just left al
Surco, the upper boundary of ter
ritory, San Bartolomi being the
lower, which was terribly fatal tC
the workmen of the road,
1t appears that if one spends
much time in this region, he is at,
tackled with terrible malady called
the Oroya fever, Nothing exactly
like it occurs elsewhere very for
tunately-but it causes great suffer
ing with aches and pains all over
the body. If death does not ensue,
what is called the Verrugas, next
attacks the sufferer, and seems to
save him, though it as loathsome as
can be, as the patient breaks out
with huge bleeding warts about an
inch long all over the body. 1t is
not known exactly what causes the
trouble, but it seems to be some