St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-27
PROJECTED ON PAPER.
A Gigantic Railway Scheme
Inspired by the Pan-Amer-
lean Congress.
The Columbia Railway and
Navigation Company and
Its Aims.
Virginians Plan to Build a
Long Line in South
America.
Secretary Noble Renders a
Decision of Vast Import
ance to MinnesotianS.

view of its great Importance as growing
out of the feeling that inspired the Pan
American congress and of its gigantic
proportions as a railway enterprise tho
recently incorporated Columbia Rail-
way and Navigation company at Rich
mOnd. Va. is likely to prove sensa-
ton in commercial circles. The follow
ing explanation of the plan as gained
from parties directly interested. but
who have heretofore refused TO
give out any information for
publication, will appear in to-
mOrrow's Wheeling Intelligencer:
1t is authoritative. The purpose of the
company is to cOntruct railroads in
South America. steamship lines connect
ing these railroads with points in the
United States, and incidentally every
thing necessary to properly carry on
such business. The company's capi-
tai is to be 500, 100000. and Capt. II. G.
Parsons. of Virginia. is at the head of it.
Very shortly the other steps necessary
to complete the organization will be
taken, and at no distant day the plans,
which have been carefully matured by
some of the leading capitalists and most
PRA ACTlCAL RAILROAD MEN
of this country will be in readiness for
application. Briefly the aims of the
Columbia Railway and Navigation COM
pany are as follows: To construct a
line of railroad from some point near
the mouth of The Magdalena river,
which empties into the Caribbean sea
in the United States of Columbia. south
ward; thence along the eastern flank of
the Andes and the headwaterS of the
Amazon to points in Peru. there to con-
meet with the Peruvian and Argentlnian
systems of railroads. at present in
operation or under construction. From
the mouth of the Magdalena river
steamships will run to the southern
point of Florida aud to New Or
leans; from whence will extend
railroad connections to all parts of
This country. The vaStneSS of the en-
terprise contemplated is thus apparent
at a moments glance. A continent,
probably the richest in material re-
sources of all the continents in the
world. and yet practically unknown. is
to be opened mp to the purposes of COM
merce, of immigration and civilization; !;
its products and people are to be brought
into easy communication with the rest
of the world; and. best of all, the. direct
and lasting benefit of these purposes
accrues to the United States, and espe-
cialIy to the Southern states. Capt. Ii.
C.. Parsons. whose home is now at
Natural Bridge, Va, but who was for.
merly a resident of Charleston and
Huntington, w. Va, is the originator
and controlling
SPIRIT OF THE ENTERPRISE.
1t is by no means the first difficult and
hazardous undertaking in the railroad
line that he has been engaged in, though
the others were as nothing compared
with this. He made the contract with
Huntington for the Chesapeake & Ohio
line from CUvIngtOn, KY, to the Ohio
river, constructed the Kanawha & Ohio
from Charleston to Pt. Pleasant. in
West Virginia, and finally bav-
ing purchased the right and priv
ileges of the old James River
and Kanawha Canal Company built
the Richmond q Alleghany rail-
road from Richmond to Clifton Forge,
Va, 250 miles, III fourteen months,
under penalty of s50O.0O0. For fifteen
years Capt. Parsons has given the sub
ject of north and south line of rail-
road in South America his attention.
He has Travelled and investigated. eX-
amined surveys of the country and
uldllOll vi ali uiflll
he has demonstrated the feasibility
of his great project and at last
brought it to the point of reali-
cation. In order to obtain a more
thorough organization and secure a
heaItier cooperation, incOrporatOrs
have been selected, and will shortly be
named in all the Southern states. When
this has been done and the organization
completed by the election of officers.
etc., tue subscription books will be
opened and the practical work of max
ing surveys and estimates inaugurated
at once. The portion of South America
through which
THIS LINE WILL PENETRATE
particularly the great area traverSed by
the net work of rivers forming the head
waters of the Amazon. in fact, the
whole of the eastern side of the Andes
mountains is terra incognita to the aver
age person, nevertheless, with the eX-
ception of small part, it is possible to
obtain an amount of data which goes to
show that the proposed route is not
likely TO present such engineering OBJ
stacles as were successfully overcome
in the construction of such roads as the
Canadian Pacific and the Denver d r o
Grande. Many noted travellers and Scien-
fists, Humboldt and OrtOn, for in
stance, have studied and expiti-
ated upon the wonders of this region
so that the only part of the route which
remains to-day entirely unknown and
uneXplOred is that between the sources
of the Magdallna and Napa rivers over
the dividing ridge of the COrdilIera, in
Ecuador, some so to 100 miles in extent.
1t is here that the only real difficulties
of construction will he met with. a
mountain chain must be crossed in Or
der to pass from the valley of one river
to that of another. and in addition to the
natural obstacles are those of fierce and
inhospitable savage tribes, who have
hitherto rendered all attempts to eX-
plore their country Intellectual. 1t will
probably be necessary to make the pre-
Iiminary surveys through this mountain
chain under the protection of an armed
escort, but once this is accomplished it
is believed there
WILL BE LITTLE TO FEAR
from the natives. The northern termi-
nus as now proposed will be the port of
Carthagena on the Caribbean sea: the
southern terminus will be CuZco and
CerrOpascO, in Peru, the distance be-
tween them approximately 1900 miles,
oIe-half of which distance is along
streams nayigable for such steamers as
ply on the Ohio river, and all, with the
exception of the 80 to 100 miles above
mentioned, rs Along water COURSES or
across pampas or level plains. The
port Of Carthagena, though now
almost abandoned, is one of
the nOblest harbors In the world
Upon Its wharves, canals and other
works, the Spaniards spent SIS, 900, 600,
and during their OccupancY of II car