The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-08
COAL MINES OF PERU
A CONCESSION WHICH AMERICAN
MONEY IS DEVELOPING.
Surveying "a Railway Route over the
Andes, and Expect to supply the
Pacific Coast with Coal.
ANTHRACITE OF THE ANDES
A POSSIBLE COALING STATION ON
THE PACIFIC FOR UNCLE SAM.
Sugar Estates Cultivated by Steam
and Huge Factories Filled with
American Machinery.
Copyright, 1898, by Frank c. car2enter.)

Copyright 1885, by Frank G. Car2enter.)
PASCAMAYO, April 6.--I find the Ameri-
cans very much in evidence in Peru. 1 came
from New York to Panama with party of
miners who we're on their way here to the
Carabayo gold regions, in the southern part
of the country. l met further south a Mr.
Forbes, who told me that he had just Sc
cured a concession for John Searles, of
New York, for the right to build electric
street railways in and about Lima, and here
at Pacasmayo corps of American civil en-
gineers are laying out the route for the Pa
cific Company to valuable coal mines in the
interior. This company has leased the pier
here of the Peruvian government for the
term of ten years, and it is the idea to
make this the terminus of the railroad.
The American party at Pacasmayo con-
sists of Mr. G. Clinton Gardner, formerly
superintendent of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road, and the builder of the Mexican Ma
tionai, who is the general manager of the
company; Maj. William M. Phillips, of Phil
adelphia, another well-known Pennsylvania
railroad man. who is acting as chief en-
gineer; Mr.. F. s. Rock, of New York, and
Mr.. B. H. Kaufman and son, who have
for many years been in business in South
America and who now do the chief ship
ping and import business of this part of
Peru. In addition to these men there is an
English engineer, Mr.. F. Herbert Wood,
and also several Peruvians. The surveying
party has been in the mountains for the
past three months. 1t returned the night
before landed, and l am able to give the
latest and fullest news from my talks with
the engineers.
But first let me tell you something about
the concession which this company has and
its probable effect on South American ar
fairs. If the scheme be carried out as is
now contemplated it will result in putting
America to the front in Peru, and it will,
1 believe, make some Americans rich. The
Pacific Company has an authorized capital
Of $20.000,000 and number of the leading
business men of New York, Philadelphia
and Lima are interested in it. 1t has con-
cessions for valuable coal mines, which lie
up In the Andes at distance of from
seventy-five to one hundre lind twenty-five
miles back from the coast and has the
exclusive right to build and operate rail-
roads running to these mines. It's conces-
sion was granted in 1892 to Cuthbert B.
Jones, and lasts for twenty years. The
country covered by it, and in which it can
have no competitors, runs for about one
hundred miles along the coast, and is about
as big as the State of Maryland. The COM
pany is, 1 am told, prosecuting it's work
with its own means, and it is said that
there is plenty of money behind It.
COAL MINES OF THE ANDES.
These American coal mines of the Andes,
with a good railroad, would be more valu-
able than gold mines. There is practically
no good coal on the west Pacific coast OF
South America. OF the 300O,0Oo tons used
England, Japan and British Columbia.
Chile has some mines, but none that are
very good. The coal sold on the coast
brings all the way from 81 to $40 a ton,
and the demand will extend as far north as
San Francisco, which buys much of
its fuel from Australia. Indeed, it is said
that the largest fleet on the Pacific ocean
is the coal fleet. Mr.. Gardner tells me that
when this road is completed he will be able
to mine and land coal at the coast at a
cost of 81 a ton, and that he sees no reason
why he should not supply 100000 tons u
year. He hopes to extend the road later
on to the Maranon river, navigable branch
of the Amazon, which compares to it as the
Missouri does to the Mississippi This, he
says, will require less than three hundred
miles of additional road building, and will
bring the steamers of the Amazon to with
in about four hundred miles of the Pacific
coast. BY this extension the great Amazon
country, with its thousands of miles Of
navigable waters will be reached. and the
Andean coal will be furnished to the eastern
coast of South America.
The coal fields of the Andes include both
anthracite and Ignite coal. The company
now owns about forty anthracite properties
The anthracite is practically unlimited, and
ii has been tested and found to be as good
as that of the famous Lehigh valley. There
is some soft coal on the west slope of the
mountains, but the anthracite lies on the
east slope, about fifteen hundred or two
thousand feet below the divide, and it will
have TO be lifted that height on the railroad
before it can take it's long shoot down the
Andes to the Pacific. The Andes are you
know, nowhere very low, and the railroad
to the top will be expensive, but the civil
engineers tell me entirely practical. The
road will have to climb up the Andes to an
altitude of fourteen thousand feet, and it
will at that point not be more than seventy
five miles in straight line from the coast.
1t will probably cost more than any similar
mileage in the United Ststes, but Mr. Gard
ner says it will pay almost from the start.
Leaving the Pacific 1t will go up a river
valley which is sunken in among the sands
of the Peruvian desert. This valley has
number of sugar estates and other planta-
tions, and there are other valleys which
could be tapped later on The road winds
about like a snake on its way up the noun
tains. Crossing the Andes the railroad will
reach number Of good-sized towns and
some rich agricultural country
THE CITY OF CAJAMALCA.
A branch will extend to Cajamalca, the
city where Pizarro held the Inca King, Alta
hualpa, in prison. and where he later on
had him put to death. You remember the
story AtahuaIpa was the EULER of the
whole western coast Of South America. He
mad. It is estimated, about 100000 people
subject to him. and this region had then q.
higher state OF civilization than IL has to-
day. When the Spanish freebooter Pfzarro
entered the country with handful of SOL
diers and few horses he was met at Ca
jamaica by Atahualpa and kindly treated.
Pizarro asked him TO dine with him. and
when. unarmed. he came into the house or
palace which Pizarro, by his favor. was oc-
cupying. he captured him and the Spanish
soldiers slaughtered his attendants. The
person Of the Inca King was SO sacred that