New-York tribune., 1890-05-21
ALONG A RAlNLESS COAST.
crIypsES OF SOUTHERN PERU.
V.

oRI1G ,rtoN~ ASSUMED nv TIM boNp
HOLDERS THE LAND or rut lN'NN
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES nv rur rrurvsi
vollendo. Feb 1e-This is The port created ~
,he terminus Of one ~ the most ambitious "i me
veigps railways WHY % was selected -
r,,stcrv "A impeucirahlc - the secrets of The
cyclopcan architecture thc remains of which are
found AZ Cuyco aud ON tie ISLANDS "l Lake
1ri,aca II has no harhor for thc a'c"mm"da-
,ion of SHINING \ high surf Is always hfc1 KING
over the rocks and what captain GerSeu. oi the
Aconcaann Describes with marked emphasis -
"a very nasty swell" seriously ini'ri"f"s WIN
The loading and unloading Of cafg"cs 10y means
Of lighters \ short distance mp thc coast 'her"
ia A better harlpr ~ Quilca. With tl\ei ned
with water IN it.nn unusual phenomenon "h lhls
coast Why that port WAS not CHOSEN IN prefer
.,co o. Nolicn,ln or why the old harhor of IsluN
was not retained, snrpasscs human know
The distance from Awqupo "ond not have
been much grcstrr to Puilca, and the necessity
for supplying the port with water by costly
souednc, would have been ohvialed Mollcudo
was chosen apparently for the sake Of The inherent
difficulties to be overcome II had neither
water supply nor harhor The water Wns fur
niShed hy the construction OF an iron aqucduct
: 600 feet above the Sra. The harhor j. still
lacking. hut Mr. Nciegs probably expected 10
SCOOP one out of the rocky lodges on the coast.
and 30 protect % with outer walls The
motto of hls extraordinary career was that "i
another American sam Patch. who succlncily
remarked that some things could be- done a. we'll
~ others Mr. Ncggs had ruling passion for
undertaking what seemed impossible. and over
coming al obstacles hy lis udc\ihlc viii
II is only IS the terminus of The southern
Peruvian Railway system thai Mollcudo posS'ssrs
any importance. II lies ca the cdge of % desert
level. stretching inland toward the mountains
Of Arcquipa and fhc volcano of M>ti From
africa. where there is sharp turn in the trend
oi the coast there is marked change iu the
scenery Tho hchtcrraccd sea wall of Northern
thii gives place in southern Peru 70 sand,
hirrcns and low-l,inr clFs. with cnv mountains
s'oping easily ioNnrl Tho shore II II y bleak.
inho>wtahlc coa>' washed ~ hi-h ,uti. the
wider prospects which D. brings before tie etc
heLrg NisfaS OF desert. with here and there
river h0ttou of rank weed, and laugulsiln-
willows Nollcudo is laudIn- place. with
str g-lIng group of adobe cabins splendid
destiny wa, marked ont frr D. 3D., Nir Nci9gs. BIT
~ lss NOT entered upon i's promised c>tpt" li~
prominence as the coast base of a'mo>t thr ouiy
complcied railway in Porn secured fnr u dGHu-
'hc W. au c1f', rlel'a'iou from Chlnn marnud-
ire troops. and the v1uton ic,trlrtlo1 of c0-
siurcrng works aod fplI.n4.>tock Gcncai
Caerrcs who is now President of Peru. W., iu
ihc interior above A-cpIupa for a Doom. tm'
after ruc close ot The vaf. RESISTING tIr terms
of ilc i-u,miu.uas pc'oc which General I-Ie>4,
had negotiated 1hi, district We almost tuc last
o. h. p,cidcd. and tic railway was not r"opeocd
for O. hong period ~ Signs Of reuune'uFe
irafc are noV nc,iul Trains ruu intrcquenilv.
the DELIVERIES o. ncigh' aic ,mal'
The railway between Nollcndo aud Arcuuipt
leads through au ard waste for seventy miles.
and through fertile mountain valleys for ihrt}.
seven miles u Wos hc-Iu m l-'-. and wac
among the earliest Of Nr N'I-rss enterprise,
Arequipa is one of rlyauo.s cities. built of white
stone ~ an elevation Of 200 feet above the
ssa, with thc t"weung cone of the Misti ami
other Nndcan peaks behind ~. II Is thc centre Of
'hc agricultural l0duslrcs Of Southern Peru. ana
las population ~ 1913 900. sting maini, of
Indians and hlifrasie, Afcqupa. not"ithst'ni
ing thc ~ 1ecs Of fhc earthquake of 1865. which
dcsfro, cd fs hcaniitul cathedral aud ild 3D. hr4c
district boz ruins is thc most picturesque c.iy in
Ierr n .s not the tcrminu, of the Railway.
which was extended in ia 90 PIno ON Tiilcacs.
the sacred bake Of 'hc lncas. az disi1uoe of 2l-
miles Thi, railway. vhIlc crossing tle Andes 90
y height of i.Dtu tect. has "ri' one iruuel and
four bridges. thc mHNimum grade being per
cent and fhc crests reached ht long succession
of yir1a.s and ~nfpcn'inc curves THIS nnc Illus
,rated @, once Nlr Ncqlss geniuS and folly, II
was magnificent engineering work which dem
onstrafcd 900 advance re pactcahiiitN Of the
Alniue railways aud tunnels n WIS barren
business enterprise. since 90 hogan a. coast 500
h.c where there VAS mo- harhor. and ended 327
miles away iu lakc settlement Of possih', ,.ooo
Indians Ihese two railways were huili a.
contract price of S3t.ooo.ooo in bonds AZ a.
tempt has been made go open a trade ro1te viii
uoii,I. hy establishing line Of steamer, on IIti
caca ~ "a le.ci Of fe.joo feet above ihc SEA bui
T. Las welded barren returns onin- to the lack
~ r,pd communication between tie end Of thc
Ialc and Ia Pal Nr Mcigls designed third
RAILWAY between Juhaoa near Pn1". and 'urco.
q stance Of g,s miles Cuyco va, the capital Of
the Empire Of thc mcas and j. supposed Ia have
heen huilt - long ago 80 ihe eleventh century
Onlv small section Of this line has been com
e'cd Tie Sou'hrru railway system - ~ stands
doe, not tap any great producing districts II
runs through q sparsey populated country, offer
ing no mcltics for developing feauasrativc
transportation trade
Mr. MIIGGs's AMBITION.
Il was the ambition Of Henry Meegs 10 build
railways which would he esteemed marvels Of
engineering Ilc succeeded in producing two
great works 81 unparalleled magnitude - cngt
uesnng sch,c vemcn's and number of unfinished
coast railways connecting the lower Andcan val
leys with tho neefcs' ports The Oro,a and Ppno
railways viii always he monuments ~ HE genius
hut a. financial enterprises las schemes were IN
advance Of th" practical requirements of the
country They were costly. built with borrwed
capi'"l, aud premature 1hrse works were un
denaken under the stimulating effects of The
gnano spernla'ions upon which the Government
had entered. The public revenues had been
largely increased aud reckless expenditures were
Incurred under The false hope that the coast ma
nures and alkaline salts would prove ineN hausii
he sources Of national wealth Mr Mciggs WIS
L. q 1 ~ IL. Il LIZ.