The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-08
MOUNTAIN.cLIMBINd RAILWAYS
Great Difficulties Surmounted In the
Mountainous Regions OF Peru.

Peru, of all countries Of the earth, has, |
strange to say, the two most wonderful |
mountain -climb bing railways. The Gen.
trail Railway, which starts from Callao tn
cross the Andes, has rise of nearly $1,000
feet above the sea level, while the South
err Railway of Peru, which leaves the
coast at Mollendo, climbs to a height of
only Q little loss than 1900 feet. The
terminus of tho latter line at Puno, on
tho shores of Lake Titicsca, 10 ~ high
above the ocean as the summit OF the
loftiest 81 the Apennines il above the
Mediterranean. The locomotives on these
Peruvian railways are very heavy engines
OF the usual kind.
What il In some respects, perhaps, an
even more marvellous instance OF a noun
tain -clim bing railway 10 that which at
the present time IL being constructed
with considerable rapidity from Schei-
degg, round the greet glacier OF the
EiRer. past the Monch, MP to the very top
almost of the Jungfrsu-the height OF the
station near the summit being 13. 60S feet
above the level of the sea. This line, 1t
may be safely said, viii not only make ac-
cessible some Of the grandest scenery, out
Will be in itself one of tho greatest OF
modern engineering achievements.
During the past season travellers have
been able to get from Intsrlsksn to Schei-
| deRR by rack railways already In exist
enoe, one Of these leaving the adhesion
| road at Zwei Lutschinen, the other ct
| Lautsr tsrbrunnen. The new railway will,
| when completed, take passengers 1000 feet
above Sohiedogg. After leaving this
| stoppinR place the roadbed 10 laid In the
open for distance OF mile and half;
then 1t strikes to the mountain, the face
of which 10 almost tperpendicular, and BY .
tunnel nearly mile In length reaches the
.out side of the Eiger. Then, continu-
inr In : southwesteriy direction, the line
strikes the Monch, the grade thus far
rising 25 per cent Next It follows the
ridge between Monch and Jungfrau, Dip
ming down to 10 to IL per cent gradient,
10 presently rise again until Il nscepds to
a,point some 800 feet below the summit Of
the Junpfrau, which 10 finally reached BY
means of an elevator from the station.
The locomotives to be used on the line
are TO have cog wheels fitting into Z
rack, the openings in which correspond
"a he teeth OF the wheels, the rack being
u,aced between two steel rails OF ths
ordinary adhesion pattern. The motive
mower is to be supplied BY electricity
while tho tunnels and galleries will
throug hout be lighted by incandsscsn'
electric Tampa. 1t 10 expected that thu
! line will be in operation to the top of thu
: Iunofrau In three or four years. and 1T
total cost IL estimated at 100000.
Il There are now . considerable numbe
! NJ rack railways, such rs that ascending
) the Jungfrau. In other parts OF SwitEer
+. land. The Rigi Railway 10 probably tn
hest known, a. II has been In existenc
, Tor more than twenty years. That u
Mount Pilatus, however. is distinguishes
= by having the steepsst and most tsrrify
: ing gradient on any line In the world-l
5 per cent.
: IA that devised by Riggenbach, the rae
,. resem bling nothing 30 much ss narrow
/, far r-continu ued ladder. The system who
has been in operation on Pilatus sine
1885 was designed by Colonel Lechsr
Zurich, and the rack which 10 its speoi'
feature has rounded teeth set on eac
aide of q central rail. Perhaps the mot