Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-23

to Lake Titicaca The Investigations of
this party also show the p-acticability OF
constructing railroad along the central
plateau lying between the Eastern ana
Western Cordilleras of the Andes and con-
Meeting most of the important towns and
mining centers in the interior or these TWO
republics. In certain stretches the build
ing of the line would be expensive. owing to
various deep canons and heavy grades ma
tural to SO mountainous country; but IN
other parts construction would be inexpen-
sive In some localities, indeed, more popu-
lous and more level, railroad would be
inexpensive. In some localities, indeed,
more populous and more level. railroad
would prove decidedly remurerative from
the local traffic alone.
Their Work Summed Up.
Summing up, corps No. l surveyed
stretch of 500 miles; corps No. carried the
line on LOO miles further south. land corps
No. extended 1t ON to Cuzco. the ancient
capital of Peru, distance Of 1,i34 miles
the three sections together measuring Aba
miles, not counting the extra branch from
Medelln in Colombia to Cartagena, or the
remaining little links below Titicaca.
The successive steps which have resulted
in this preliminary survey may be related
in few words The survey was recon-
n ended by tire Pan-American conference
of 1883, in the belief that a railroad con-
Meeting all or majority of the nations
represented in the conference would greatly
aid in the material and commercial devel-
cI.ment of all concerned. and at the in
stance of a committee on railway communi-
cations the interccntinental railway COM
mission was created to blaze the way for
the work. BY appointment of their respec-
tive governments the membership of the
commission was thus constituted: For the
Argentine Republic, Messr5. Carlos Agote,
Julio Krause and Miguel Tedin; for Brazil.
Messrs. Pedro Betimpaes Leme. Francisco
de Monleyade and Francisco Leite LobO
for f'Olnp1hfa ra1-
erico Parraga. Julio Renfigo and Climaco
Cal1eron; for Ecuador and Peru. Mr.. Lef-
fert l.. Buck; for Guatemala, Mr.. Antonio
Ratres: for Mexico, Mr.. Leandro Fernan-
dez; for Paraguay, Mr.. John Stuart: for
Salvador. Mr.. Benjamin Milina Guirola; for
Uruguay, Mr.. Francisco A. LAMA for Ven
ezuela, Mr.. Louis ]. Blanco; and for the
United States of America, Messrs A. j.
Cassatt of Philadelphia, II. @. Davis of
EiSins, W. Va, and K. c. Kerens of St.
Louis.
The commission first met and organized
IN Waslington. under the patronage of
our stale Department, on December L.
1880. and remained in session until April
- 1871. The scope of the work was care
fully mapped out, and the surveying par
ties sent into the field as above recited
with instructions TO shape their surveys so
as 70 utilize as far as practicable the al
ready existing railway systems OF Mexico,
Peru. Chile. Brazil and Argentina, and to
connect with the larger cities i'm the yicjn
ity OF the route in the general project of
establishing complete chain of railroads
from our northern boundaries down to Ar
gentina. Funds were contributed by the
several governments Interested the United
states as the strong elder brother of the
southern republics furnishing the larger
snare Up to date the United States has
contributed, in three installments. sl0J ono.
brazil has given $4,000; Colombia. $1,000:
Guatemala, 5000; Chile. $3,0oS: Ecuador
S5,oO; Costa Rica. $1,000, and BOLIVIA
Sl'59'. making S24262j in all.
The Mexican Trunk Lines
The Mexican trunk lines connecting with
the trunk lines in the United States rum
ming southeast, south and southwest from
san Francisco. st. Louis. Chicago and Bos-
ton. through New York. Philadelphia. At
lanta and New Orleans, would be avatled
OF to supply connection between the north
ern terminus of the proposed route while
from Lake Titicaca, the southern end. con-
nection can be had with a Peruvian rail-
ROAD and by new link southeastward to
La Paz. where it would join a road al
ready running south to Huanchaca, in west
ern Bolivia. From This point there is now
a railroad running west and southwest
through Chile to Antofagasta, on the Pa