The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-02-25

The highest point attained by a railroad
in the United States Is in the Rocky Noun
tains, 9,O27 feet above the sea. Trains on
the Callao-O roya line In Peru are now as
cending to a height rs far above this great
elevation as the total height OF Mount
Washington. In other words. when n train
on the Oroya line enters the Galera tunnel
to cross from the western to tho eastern
slope Of the Cordilleras 1t Is moro thar n
mile higher above tho sea than the loltiest
bit OF railroad track In this country. some
| stretches OF track In Mexico are also higher
than my railroad in tho United States.
At present the Gnlera tunnc is the high
est elevation attained by any railroad in the
world. Some months ago The Sun reported
that this wonderful Oroya railroad had at
last crossed the Andes. 1t was on Sept. %
last that the first train from Callao passed
| through the tunnel to the eastern side OF
the mountains. Twenty years elapsed after
the line was started at the sea before the
Cordilleras were conquered; and trains have
scarcely q foot OF level grade for LOG miles
until they pull into the Galera tunnel, 1858
feet above the sea, and emerge upon the
eastern face Of the Andes.
II this were not the Hottest tunnel in the
world it would still be conspicuous as a
specimen of railroad construction. 1t was
driven through the rock a distance Of 1855
feet. II a train happens to stop in the tun-
mel. passengers can hear water from the
vaulted roof pattering on the car tops. The
melting snow that crowns the mountain
summit above it filters through to the ex-
cavation. Two channels are cut In the rock
to carry the water out OF the tunnel. One
OF them leads to the head stream Of an
Amazon tributary and tho Atlantic: the
other to the Rimac River and the Pacific.
1t is doubtful IL any other railroad for
general traffic will ever be carried to SO
great an elevation. The surveys for the
Pan-American Railroad do not thus far
indicate elevations Mt all approaching that
OF the Oroya line. 1t will be necessary here
and there to pass from one valley to an
other separated by mountain ranges. but
the highest points along the line will not be
over 1000 feet above the sea. II the results
Of the preliminary surveys hold good.
South America will always beat the rest
OF the world in elevated railroads. The
South Peruvian line from Mollendo to Lake
Titicaca attains a height Of l4.641 feet. only
997 feet lower than the Galera tunnel. The
remarkable Chilean Railroad. now nearing
completion. which. starting at Antofagasta.
runs hundreds OF miles northeast into b.
livia. has its highest point at Carcoto. 12.O Os
feet above the sea: n 1t is a noteworthy
coincidence that the Trans-South American
line from Buenos Ayres to Valparaiso is also
said to be just l2.OOs feet above the sea at
its highest point. These results have been
obtained by triangulation. but for ordinary
purposes it may be as we'll to lop Off tho
extra feet above 1000. just as some geog-
raphers do in the case OF Mt. Everest.
They say that tho figure %. 0o4 feet. given
rs the height OF thisl oftiest Of mountains.
implies a refinement Of accuracy in meas
urement to which it Is not entitled.