The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-12-27
FULL DETAILS OR The PLAN
Now Given to the Public for the
First Timely the Intelllgencer.
AUTHENTIC PUBLICATION
OrIutprnallOual IAterest-A West Vlr.
gilman al the Head Of the Movement.
Ouc OF The Results Of the Pan.
American COngr ss-Great Cap
ItalIsts Interested-COl.
Parsons Interviewed.

|
sDrial Dipdlth to he htellgeHoT.
WASHINGTON, D. O., Dec. 26.-During
the pust week mention has been made
through the press OF a bill introduced
into the Virginia Legislature TO incorpo.
rate u company styled "The Colombia
RiIway aud Navigation Company"
whose avowed purpose 1t was to con.
struct railIoads in South America, steam.
shin lines connecting these railroads
with points in tho United States and in.
cilrnlaIIy everything necessary to prop
erly carry on such a business. The
company'sCApltal was stated to be SlOO,,
OOOOOO, and Capt, H. O, Parsons, Of Vlr
pinIa, WAS said TO be at the head Of II,
But little idea could be given IN such
an outline Of the immensity OF the
schrne in which this act OF incorpora-
lion Is one Of the preliminary steps
Very shortly the other steps necessary
To complete the organization will be
taken, and at no distant day the plane,
which have been carefully matured by
some Of the leading capitalists and most
practical railroad men Of this country,
will be in readiness for application,
Bu, ly, the aims OF the Colombia Rail.
way and Navigation Company are as fol-
lows: To construct u line Of railroad
irOm souIe point neur the mouth Of the
Msvdtltna river, which empties into
thr Caribbean Sea in the United States
Of Colombia, sOuthwardly, along the
eastern Unk OF the Andes, and the
hpsdwattn Of the Amazon, To points
In Peru, there to connect with the Peru.
yian aud Argentinian system Of rail.
roads, at present in operation or under
construction. From the mouth OF the
Mapdtlina river steamships will be run
TO tle southern point OF Florida and 10
New Orleans; from whence will extend
railroad connections 10 all parts Of this
country.
VAST ENTERPRISE.
The vastness Of the enterprise con:
templated is thus apparent al q mo-
mpnts glance. A continent, probably
tile richest in material resources OF all
the continents In the world aud still
practically unknown, Is to be opened up
10 the pui poses Of commerce, OF imni.
grafton 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
lSSling benefit Of these purposes aCCrues
to the Uuited States, and especially to
the Southern States.
Asstaled Capt. II. @. Parsons, whose
home isnOw at Natural Bridge, Virginia,
but who was formerly resident Of
Charleston and Huntington, West Vlr'
ginia, ia the originator and controlling
spirit Of this enterprise. II is by no
means the tirst difficult and hazardous
undertaking In the railroad line that hG
has been engaged In, though the others
were as nothing when compared with
this. He made the contract with Hunt
iuyton Tor the Chesapeake d Ohio line
from COvinpton, KY, TO the Ohio river,
constructed the Kanawha & Ohio lrom
Charleston to Point Pleasant, in West
Virginia, and hually, having purchased
thrIighls und privileges Of the old james
River and KAuawhd Canal Company,
built ,hr Richmond & Allegheny rail
road, from Richmond to Clifton Forge,
Va, Two hundred aud fifty miles, In
inuIttru months, under a penalty o
S5VOOOO For fifteen years Capt. Par
sOnC has given the subject Of q North
and south line OF railroad In South
America his attention. He has travelled
aud Investigated, examined d surveys o
the county and collected Information
Of ull kinds, until he has demonstrated
the feasibility VI his great project and a
last brought IN the point Of realization
A COMPLkrR ORGANIZATION.
In order " obtain a more thorough
organization and secure a heartlef co
operation, inuorpOralors have been se
ltCltd aud will shortly be named In al
thu Southern States. When this ha
bptn nOue aud the organization compile
ted blythe election oi officers, &c, thI
Subsui Upton books will be opened ant
thr ular iual work OF making surveys
aud estimates inAugurated at once.
The pUItIon Of South America through
which this line Hill penetrate, pattiCu
larry TIC great area travttsed by the net
WUlk ul ilv.rs forming the head water
Oilhu AmpzUn, Ia fact the whole ot th'
eastern side Ot the Andes mOuntalnP u
terfu iacOgnitd TO the average person
Nevertheless, with the exception oil
SMAll part, II is possible to obtain 81
amount Oi data which RoeS 10 show thA
the proposed route Ia not likely to pre
sent such engineering obstacles as werl
successfully overcome In the construC
tiOn Of such roads aS tho Canadial
Pacific and the Denver & Rio Grande
Many noted ravelvls and scientists
HumbOll and OrtOn, for instance, hav
studied aud ex patiAted uponthe wonder
oI lhlS region. Several surveys, more o
less complete, have been made Of II b,
officers lrOnl thV United Statsg and VAR
onS European States, lattefly the north
cru And southern extremes have b,el
developed by mpanH Of railroads built b
tue Unipd States Of Colombia AM
Peru. NJ that the only part ot th
route wlirh remains to-day entirely I'm
known aud uncx plnted 10 that beLweeI
ihv sources VI the Magdelina aud Nap
rivers, over the dividing ridge oi III
COtdillRraS, In Ecuador, some fifty 10 on
hundred Rtilvs In extent, II ID here Thu
thg only real difficulties Of construction
will DO tnpL With.
AnAEAADOUH UNDERTAKING.
4 mountain chain must 10 crossed Il
order 10 pass from the valley ol one rive
70 THAT Oi another, and 10 addition /
the natural ObslaCleA are those Of AerC
and lnhOSpiAblB savage tfibps,Wh0 hay
hitherto rendered all attempts 10 exploI
their country Intellectual. II will ptOt
ably bO necessary 10 make the pf6llm
nary surveys through this nountal
chain under the protection Of An Armt
escort, but once thiB 10 accomplished II
believed there will be little 70 lear fro
the natives.
The nollhefn terminus, 40 now pr
posed, will bs the port VI Cafthagena,
The Caribbean seal the southern tern
nus will " CuIOo and CsitO Paac0
pnFn slhn ittlaNHn lta0Svnnfa than nhi3fa