Evening star., 1898-05-07

.Or JUnn SelrleS oil New 1OTh iOr fiSiit
to build electric street railways in and
about Lima, and here, at Pacasmayo.
corps of American civil engineers are lay
ing out the route for the Pacific 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
tional, who is the general manager of the
company; Major VIM. NJ. Phillips of Phil
adeiphia, another well-known Pennsyl-
vania railroad man, who is acting as chief
engineer; Mr.. F. S. Rook 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
EnghSh 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 1 landed, and 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
affairs. II the scheme be carried out as
is now contemplated. it will result in put
ting America to the front in Peru, and it
will, l believe. make some Americans rich.
The Pacific Company has an authorized
capital of $4,000 900, and a number of the
leading business men of New York, Phil
adelphia and Lima are interested in it,
1t has concessions for valuable coal mines
which lie up in the Andes at distance of
from 10 to 12J miles back from the coast
and has the exclusive right to build and
operate railroads running TO these mines.
ion fad in =,
bert B. Jones, and lasts for twenty years.
The country covered by it, and in which
1t can have no competitors. runs for about
one huadred miles along the coast, and is
about as big as the state of Maryland The
company is. am told prosecuting its work
with its own means. and it is said that
there is plenty of money behind it.
The Coal Mines of the Andes.
These American coal mines of the Andes,
with good railroad, would be more valu-
abs than gold mines There is practically
no good coal on the west Pacific coast of
South America. OF the 100000 tons used
every year the bulk comes from Australia,
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 $50 ton,
and the demand will extend as far north
as San Francisco. which now buys much of
Its fuel from Australia Indeed, il is said
thai the largest fleet on the Pacific ocean
- COSll UetI- MT. Gdr0ner tells
that when this road is completed he will be
abe to mine and land coal at the coast at
q cost OF 81 a ton. and that he sees no rea-
son why he sh 1uld not supply 100000 tons
year. He hopes 10 extend the road later
on to the Maranon river a navisable
branch of the Amazon, which compares to
II as the Missouri does to the Mississippi.
This, he says. will require less than 200
miles of additional road building and will
bring the steamers of the Amazon to with
In about 400 miles of the Pacific coast BY
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 proper
tes The anthracite is practically unimit-
Cd, and IL has been tested and found TO be
as good as that of the famous Iehigh Val
ley There is some soft coal on the west
slope OF the mountains, but the anthracite
Hes on the east slope, about $40 or 1000
feet below the divide, and it will have to
be lifted that height on the railroad before
IL can take its long shoot down the Andes
to the Pacific. The Andes are yo;i know
nowhere very low, and the railroad to the
top VIII he expensive, but the civil en-
gin sers tell me entirely practical The road
Viii have 10 climb up the Andes to an al
utuGe OF li,eDD feet, and il will at that poiut
not be more than seventy-five miles in a
straight line from the coast. IT will prob
ably COS more than any similar mileage in
S.l
Will pay almost from the start Lea aying
thC fIcific IL Will go up Il river valley which
Is sUnken in among the sands of the Peru
Wan desert This valley has a number OF
sugar estates and other plantations and
there are other valleys which could be tap
ped later on. The road winds about like a
snake on its way up the mountains. Cross
ing the Andes the railroad will reach a
number OF gocd-siZed towns and some rich
agricultural country.
The City of CnjamaIca.
A branch will extend to CajamaIca the
city where Pizarro held the Inca king Alta
hGalpa, In prison, and where he later on
had him put to death. You remember the
story. Atahualpa was the ruler of the
whole western coast of South America He
had, 1t IS estimated about 40,O00.O0a people
subject to him. and this region had then q
higher state OF civilization than It has to-
day. When the Spanish freebooter Pizarrc
entered the country with a handful of sol
diers and q few horses he was nleS at Ca
jamaica by Atahualpa and kindly treat I'd
Pizarro asked him to dine with him. and
when unarmed he came into the house OF
palace which Pizarro by his favor was oc
cupying, he captured him and the Spanish
soldiers slaughtered his attendants. ThC
person of the Inca king was so SACRED that
ftfS event paralYZcd the nation and nj A n