The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-10
a ROAD OVER THE ANDES
PROPOSED CHILEAN RAILWAY LINE
:. no MEET ARGENTINE ROAD.
when This system Is Completed Cars
Can he Run from New York TO Ar
gentine Republics Capital.
New York Letter in Philadelphia Press.


among other interesting things that Chile
has decided to complete its national railway
by building section over the Andes. The
construction of this transcontinental high
way in the southern hemisphere will in
evitably bring the United States and South
America into closer tire 1e relations and
hasten the time when that perfect reci-
procity which is both statutory and COM
mercial will be established between the ma
items of South America, of Central America
and the United States.
Ten years ago it seemed probable that the
first Of the railways to cross the Andes
would be the one which Henry Meigs under
took to build from Lima, Peru, over the
snow-tipped peaks to the uplands and
prafries which stretch away for hundreds of
miles from the eastern slopes of the Andes.
Before Meigs undertook this gigantic feat
of railway engineering he had attempted
something of similar kind in Chile. To that
country he went after he had lived his
meteorlike career in California. He had,
before he went to California, made some
display of his great energy and unusual
talents while in business in New York.
Meigs's attempt to build a transAndes
railway from Lima was brought to an alb
rupt termination. He failed magnificently
in Peru as he had failed dazzlingly i'll Chile
and sensationally in California. But al
though his enterprise was brought to sud
den end, yet his plans, his daring engineer
ing conceptions, his proposed piercing OF
mountains and conquests of precipitous
slopes by sinuous curves and double curves
remained a memorial to his ability, for
these plans were accepted afterward and
We're almost identically followed, when, by
means of American and European capital
combined, that railway was carried to the
Hottest height attained by any steel rails
in the world, and even extended few miles
along the watershed whose springs trickle
into the headwaters of the Amazon river.
Ten years ago Michael p. Grace, broth
er of William r. Grace, of this city,
financed in Great Britain the obligations of
Peru and as a part of that transaction was
authorized to complete this railway. but
Peru is stagnant almost a dead republic,
and not until new and progressive lnnuences
are predominant there, so that its enormous
natural resources can be developed Will 1t
be worth while to continue this railway,
Meanwhile Chile, whose people are called
the Yankees of South America, undertook
to complete the railway when MelgS pc
gan. On the other side of the Andes the
Argentine Republic, in which statesman
ship and progressive influences have been
spIendidly stimulated in the past ten years,
believed it to be essential to the prosperity
Of that republic that it's railway system eX-
tend northwesterly through South America
and directly west to the Chilean boundary.
This work was rapidly pusnea ana diic Tii9 ta on
of carrying its railway over the ANDES, Win
the intention of meeting upon the eastern
side of them at the boundary line, tne al"
gentine Railway.
NORTH AMERICAN CAPITAL
For some time it was deemed probable
that the link which remained to be built
would be constructed by the financial inter-
ests represented by ex-Mayor Grace in this
city, and his brother in London. Not only
was American capital to be employed IN
the construction of these remaining hundred
miles but American machinery, rails and
locomotives were to be used in maintaining
and operating the system. This is one OF
the features of the plan which viii be OF
special interest to the Merchants anu
Manufacturers Association which is to
meet here next week. . .
Political and possibly some unsatstac-
tory financial guarantees made 1T mex
pedient for the GraceS to undertake the
contract, although until WITHIN lew
weeks this was not finally determined Inc Inc
Chile has undertaken to complete the road,
and if that government is as energetic IN
this direction as it has been in so many
others it is probable that there Will be a
railway stretching from the Pacific at Val.
paraiso to the Atlantic at Buenos Ayres,
and crossing the Andes mountains on It's
| way between the two oceans.
AS an engineering feat it can only be
| compared with the Andes-climbing railway
| in Peru. But the Peruvian road ends no
where. and has practically no business;
whereas, this transcontinental system, con-
Meeting as it will the Atlantic and the Pa
| cific passing through country that only
awaits transportation facilities for high de-
velopment, must greatly increase the trade
and commerce of South America and in
some measure increase these things that
the United States will receive some share
of the benefits
Almost co-incidentalIy with the dispatch
from Chile announcing that the Chilean
government intends to complete this re-
naming link comes the report that the gov
ernments in the northwestern corner of
South America are in earnest in their pur-
pose to establish a railway system which
will bisect these little republics and bring
them within railway communication of the
iSthmus
These governments are prepared properly
TO substitute the roads and to extend credit
in such manner as to make it possible TO
raise the capital with which to build them.
The understanding here is that these pro-
posed roads, or rather. this proposed Sys
tenn, will follow in a general way that sur
gineers whose appointment was due to the
statesmanlike interest Mr.. Blaine felt in
bringing the United States and the South
American nation into very close trade and
commercial relation.
A GREAT SYSTEM
With the construction of this railway,
which will extend in a southeasterly direc-
ton through Ecuador and the United States
of Columbia toward the boundaries of Peru.
there win remain only the Peruvian link to
make a vast intercontinental system
stretching from the Tsthmus of Panama in
a general southeasterly direction to the
capital of the Argentine Republic
Such a railway system that will open
up the vast. but yet undeveloped natural
resources of that magnificent country which
lies upon the eastern slope of the Andes
The Argentine government has extended it's
system into Bolivia and the Bolivian gov
eminent is rapidly pushing that system
across its territory toward the southern
boundary of Peru. Thus, from the iSthmus
southeriy and from Buenos Ayres northerly
the links in this great international system
are being constructed and when they
finished there is no doubt that the Peruvian
link will also be completed
With the completion of this north and
south line through Western South America,
the Peruvian Railway over the Andes will
probably be extended to make con-
rection with this line just as the Chilean
Railway will probably within the present
year make connection with it.
The experts who have been sent to South
America have made reports almost as fas-
cinating as those which reached Spain in
the time of Pizarro. The mineral wealth
has not been exaggerated although we
learn that in some places where gold exists
in the richest deposits there are climatic
conditions which might appal any one but
a gold seeker.
But extremes of climate have no terrors
for those who hunt for gold as an expert
puce fhrOuvh which he world fS now mass