The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-07

best built in the world, and its ties, as well
as its rails, are made OF steel. This
road has already been completed to the
city of 0axaca. and it is being pushed
rapidly on to Tehuantepec, whence line
will go 10 Ayutla, in Guatemala, where
the Intercontinentai railway survey viii
begin. The Argentine Republic. at the
other terminus of the Intercontinental
railway, though In bad financial straits az
present, has q system of fine railroads, and
these are, 1t is said, paying well. About
5000 miles of road are in operation. and
the receipts of these IN 1890 were So. CO.,
600 and the roads themselves cost $50
000.000. In addition to these lines there
are nearly 5000 miles Of road under con-
struction, and this great country, which is
almost one-third as big as the United
States. and which has the richest of lands
and resources, viii be tapped by this line.
The South American countries through
which the Intercontinental line is being
surveyed are rich in resources. though
very poor in railroads. Chile and Peru
have the longest lines. Peru having 1,695
miles of road and Chile having I, 70QSsniles,
of which GO miles belong to the state.
Ecuador, where the two South American
parties have done the most of their sur
veying, has only fifty miles Of railway,
and its roads are bridIe-paths, and the
chief carrying trade is on steamers and
mules. Brazil has 5000 miles of railway
and something like :, 200 miles under con-
struction, and Colombia, where the Skunk
party is now, though il is one of the rich
est countries in the world, has only 2lS
miles of railroad. The country has no
means of communication whatever, with
the exception of its rivers and its mule
paths. Still it is one of the richest coun-
tries of South America, and it is nearly
ten times as big as the state OF New
York. IL has a population little less
than that of New York state. and It's capt.
tai, Bogota, towards which Mr.. Skunk IS
now moving with his surveying party. is
1900 feet above the sea Colombia has
some of the finest mines in South America,
and these will be opened up by this rail-
road. Since the sixteenth century II IS
estimated that S625, 100000 worth of gold
has been taken out of Colombia, and it has
vast areas of fine coffee lands.
Speaking of mineral regions, the second
South American party is now moving
down into Peru, and il will soon be in the
mineral regions of that country and will
be cutting its way through some of the
greatest mineral wealth of the world. 1t
started at Quito. the capital OF Ecuador,
on June 3, and in five months completed
507 miles OF careful surveying, and on
October 81, 1901, il was ut the bound
airy of Peru, and within few
months il must reach Cerro de Paseo. Ii
will be here ia the very midst OF the Pc
ruvian silver regions, and the road, If
built. will cause a great development in
mining. The mineral regions of Peru are
being rapidly opened up, and nearly 900
new mines have been worked since 1SS6,
and in 1850 about 900 mines were being
worked. The country produces vast guam
titles of gold and silver, and gold is found
In nearly every state.
This South American line. which will
run from the Isthmus of Panama down
through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
and Chile TO the Argentine system, runs
mainly on the plateau of the Andes
mountains. The Andes are during part
of the distance in three almost parallel
ranges with broken plateaus between
them, and It is between the two
western ranges that the road is
now being surveyed. The two parties of
civil engineers who started out on April
10, 1884, from New York sailed first for
Panama and then went on to Quito. in
Ecuador. From here one party, under
William L. Skunk, went northward
through the country into Colombia and
a
the other, under j I'm orie Miller, went
southwark toward Peru and Chile. Both
parties were radically effected by the high
altitude and by the ha.dships of carnp
life, and ]. Imbrie Miller. the head of the
second party, was so affi with dysen-
terry that he had to be carried on a litter to
the seacoast and was sent back home
HIS party is now under the command of
w. ID. Kelley. jr., and it Is doing excellent
work. 1t reports that there are no engi-
neering difficulties except high viaducts
over the many deep ravines along the
mountain slopes, and il gives the attitudes
at the various points along the lines and
the sizes of the towns. In 247 miles of
road they found twenty-five towns, rang
ing in size from 5000 to $4,000 population,
and these towns Were at attitudes ranging
from 1000 to 12,000 feet above the sea. The
road will run up and down from 5000 to
ii 900 feet above the sea, and the character
OF the country seems 10 be such that il
would be locally profitable.
The letters of Mr.. Miller concerning his
camp and camp lie are interesting. At
one place he says 1t takes torty-fve mules
10 move his camp, and he states that he
has seventeen men who are carving
extra provisions for use in Peru. The
country of Ecuador has shown itself very
friendly 10 the surveyors. but the people
among whom this second party now is
are uncivilized Indians and the country is
lean and stingy, and the people will
neither give nor sell. Ii is for this reason
that they have had to carry extra proyl-
sions. The camps are far away from the
mails or telegraphs, and the party will
have to go 100 miles or so 70 cash a draft.
1t Is reported that the country in which
they are now is going TO Ire very expen-
sivc one for the construction of a railway
The road will be 10000 or l., 600 feet above
the sea, between ranges Of high mountains
and over cross-mountalus. forming what's
called knot Of ts-e Andes.
The party under Mr.. Skunk has been
moving northward from Quito through
the Andes, and on the 10th of last Deem
Der II had surveyed 600 miles, and. though
IL was in The rainy season, was making
about three miles day. Mr. Skunk writes
that he can make about 100 miles per
year, and ms estimate is that il would cost
only So. 600 per mile for the sixty miles of
road north of Quito. He SAYS that the
building of the road over the county he
has passed Is entirely practicable. s4sH he
reports that the officials and the peopie are
very Kind 10 their party and are helping il
along IN every way they can. The party
has had many hardships. Like the other
surveying parties, they live in tents and
carry their camp from place 10 place on
mules. They have lot OF Indians 10 help
them, and the food IS 10y no means good.
In one letter received by Mr. Cassatt
shortly after Ar, Shunks party got into
Colombia, Mr.. Skunk writes:
The WORK here IS very hard The days are
Ions. aud the nights are from IL 1. There is
little iruit, and the only vegetables are potatoes
and beans. h The nature OF she satms.s Nc eat
entered into Us. we should utter hy this tirse
some nightmare cutlery be,wixt rruat. n Ian
and a osow, aEG have muscles like caigaL