Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-02-25
A PARADISE ON EARTH.
Nrnczucla'I Mountain Capital Near the
Equatorial Line.

NrncxuelaI Mountain Capital Near the
Equatorial Line.
If you want to get as near heaven a
possible in this disappointing world-aj
least so far as climate is coucerned--gt
half way up u mountain i'll the torrld
zone. that is, near enough to the Equa
tor to secure eternal summer time, witt
never hint of frost in the coldeH
breeze that lows, aud skyward faI
enough to escape excessive heat and
tropical diseases Greatly to our sur
prise We find that Venezuela's capita
combines these advantages in an eml
nent degree, Though barely ten degrees
removed from the equatorial line the
thermometer seldom falls below 60 deg
at midnight nor rises above rs ut noon
day aud there is always a fresh breeze
from the nearby oce IN on one side OF
the snow capped mountains on the
other.
Caracas oc 'upies the center of o
beautiful valley, which is, perhaps,
three miles long AMI tift Ell wi le, about
5000 feet above the level of the sea,
surrounded on all sides by mountuIns.
as by wall, from 5000 to 10000 feet
high. Standing in the streets of the
city, you hav to be shut in on every
hand by i'll ,ccessiole peaks; but if you
so to the top of u hill c.,lled "Calvery,
which used to be ceme' erv, but has
Lately been transformed into fashion
able promenade and public park, after
the manner of Santa Lucia, in Chile's
Capita al. you will see two roads leading
out of the val ey. each through mar
row pass, which the Indians traversed
centuries before the coming of Don
Diego da Lo>ado and his TO lowing OF
greeiy Spaniarls -Four sparkling
rivers traverse the valley-like the fou
rivers that wa ere,l the Garden of Eieu
as Nenezu lans. who are excessively
fond AMI proud of their Capital, are
sure to tell you. The city contains
about sixty thou and inhabitants. and
is laid ont with the precision of .
checker board, its thirty odd streets
which run east and west, crossed by as
many more running north and south,
forming "blocks a square as liue and
plummet could make them. The
louBu, uuoN Oh Il'iStS tl'tI chlcI On INC
valley are dark with forests to the
horizon, their foothills bright with en-.
erald grass, their lower slopes covered
with pale yellow sugar cane and dark
green coffee, cocoauut and orange
groves The houses are constructed i'll
the usual Spanish American style, their
thick walls of sun baked mud covered
with cement, that looks like marble.
many eluborAtely stucooed facades and
all with peaked tile covered roofs aud
court yards with trees growing i'll them
The city is we'll illuminated with gas
and electric lights. The clean, narrow
streets are paved with small sharp
cobbltstones and the sidewalks are OF
Portland cement. There are several
lines of narrow gauge tramway, with
queer little cars of English make, each
square box fitted with four benches
Though the war is some time over and
the triumphant revolutionists have es-
tab he'll Il semb'ence of order, the coun.
try is still in SO disturbed /. state that
soldiers patrol the town and guard all
the avenues of approach aud are very
particular concerning the business of
people who happen to be walking
abroad alter lamp lighting Corr.
Washington Star.