St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-03
CAN THIS Be DONE !?
Parsons Wonderful Railroad Designed
to Develop South America.
EXPLORING NEW REGIONS.
8 Mountainous Country Filled With
Savages to Be Penetrated---What
the Road Will Do.


that white man has ever penetrated
1t. Away up in the mountains, where
the Cordilleras are projected eastward
from the Andes. bands of savages roam.
They have been driven there by the ad-
vance of civilization. They are rude
tribes with only rude instruments OF
warfare. They live by hunting and
fishing"
Col. H. c. Parsons, the proprietor OF
the hotels and property at the NaturaI
Bridge of Virginia, was the speaker:
On the wall hung an immense map OF
South America, and his finger pointed
to the region of Mount Tolima, in Co
lombia, which lifts its head 10000 feet
above the level of the Pacific ocean.
Fright in that knot of mountains lie
the only difficulties in the path OF
railroad from Carthagena, on the Carlb-
bean seacOast, to CuZcO, the ancient capl-
tai of the meas. That road would eX-
tend about 1000 miles and would de-
yelop the railroad system of Peru, Chill,
Argentine, Paraguay, Colombia, Ecua-
dor, Bolivia and other South American
countries. Those systems cover ll,O0Q
miles, and the proposed line would
bring the trade of South America TO
our very doors. Tampa, lensaeola,
Mobile and New 0rleauS are but three
DAYS by steamer from Carthagena, ana
Valparaiso can be reached IN Twelve
days. Can the railroad be oulit! III Is
known that it can be, with the eXcep-
tion of The uneXpIored country have
indicated. There may be engineering
impossibihtipS there, but that will be
ascertained before long"
Col. Parsons is very enthusiastic over
the scheme. 1t is a great one, but the
possibilities are simply wonderful. 1t
is impossible to build road near the
coast west of the Andes. 1t is impossi-
BILE TO build very far east OF the mount
aims. because the great South Amerl-
can rivers swell to mOnstrouS pronor-
tions, and no bridges could stand the
food. The many waterfalls must be
gotten rid of, and part of the railroad
would have to run at considerable eIe-
walton.
To fully understand the line of what
Col. Parsons hopes will be wonderful
railroad before many years start must
be made at Carthagena. Get your maps
OF South America and you will find 1t at
that point on the coast of Colombia
where the Caribbean sea almost breaks
into the Gulf of Darien. The great
MagJalena river. with the volume OF
the Mississippi, is navigable for $50
miles. Carthagena has an imposing
sea front, and can readily be turned
into grand port. Here American
steamers and sailing vessels will rem
devious for the rich cargOeS which the
railroad. if built, will bring to them.
From Carthagena the line may run
between the waters of the Magdalena
and the Sinu rivers to the mouth of the
Cauca, $50 miles. This is 1inely Guilt
waited country. Beyond this, until the
mountains are reached, there arc no
difficulties except heavy timber and
broad streams which can be Drldged.
The average level will be about 1000
feet. The unknown region Is the
knot in the Andes and CordilleraS IN
habited by the bands OF savages.
Absolutely nothing is known OF
the region, and it is right there
that the whole plan may terminate.
Tremendous difficulties have been over
come in these South American roads,
however, and it is probable that this UNI
known region, which is from $50 to 200
miles in extent, may he successfully
penetrated. The COrdilleras General
have been overcome at height OF
$4,000 feet, and railway engineering, has
conquered almost incOncelvable dill
cultieS.
If this unknown region shall be sue
cessfully surveyed the road will start
again at Nauta, in Ecuador. Bearing
south to the eastward of the Ucayali
river and the Napo, the road runs over
the pampas and reaches Cuzco, in Peru:
If this railroad is ever built it will
open an immense field for Amerl--
can trade. From Callao and Rio and
from more southern points railroads run
in an apparently aimless way. Four
roads are penetrating from the Pacltc
to the east of the Andes. In fact, the
greater part of South America is touched
with roads, all of which, with an addl-
ton here and there, can be made TO cen
ter in CuZcO. At CuZcO, then. can be
brought the products of country which
can be very richly developed. Coffee.
rice, sugar, cocoa, cotton and grain can
be grown in the highest state of cultiva-
ton, while the road from Carthagena to
CuZco will reach the gold mines of
Medellia and the silver mines OF PotoSi.
with great mining country NOT yet de-
veluped. The most valuable woods are
OIL the line of the road, and coal and
iron are III abundance.
The Pan-American delegates from the
countries interested in this road have
taken a great deal of interest in it. The
exploring party which is soon to be sent
out will be transported up the Magda-
lena river, and Peru will send a steamer
TO meet them when they shall have
passed through the exploring country.
Immense land grants are expected from
the South American countries, and the
beauty of the whole thing is that nearly
all the South American trade is bound
TO come to this country in American
vessels.
Col. Parsons explains the situation in
this way: 1.-The lire will connect with
q system of II 900 miles. With the eX-
ception of $50 miles it passes through
lands capable of perfect cultivation. 1t
tanks the gold and silver regions for
their entire length. In Colombia it will
pass tributary towns with over 2,O00,OO0
people. In Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia,
from the headwaterS of the Napo to
CuzcO and Santa Cruz, containing over
100000 square miles, there are not over
100000 people. The mines will produce
enormously, and when the line IS open
there is bound to be Il rush Of miners.
The overflow districts OF Maranon are
as rich as the plains of the Nile"
The distances are explained in this
way: For all lines west of the MiSSS-
sinpi the line through Mexico opens I'M
broken rail connection to the junction
of the Cauca. For all lines east the
ports of Tampa, Pensacola, Mobile and
New Orleans are within three days of
Carthagena. New York, Chicago and
st. Louis can be brought within five
days of Carthagena, within six days of
the mining district of Arequipa. within
eight of CuzcO. within nine of Lima
and within twelve of Valparaiso"
So far this is private enterprise. A
fund of $4,000 is in the process of for
nation, and Col. Parsons has divided
The shares among the different states
most directly affected. This fund is to
be used for the survey. A charter
has been obtained under the laws Of
Virginia, and before long an engineer
ing party will be sent out, which Col
Parsons will accompany. The party
will be equipped with Winchester rifles,
and although small in numbers, will be
loaded for bear. 1t will have to fight
and fight hard in the mountainous re-
giOns, but will be sworn in as military
or police in the various countries trav-