The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-12

Pacific coaE states Of Spsfa America 81.
e<pstng Chssev whose eAIef cnaS scwnx
Anfasagassa. Valparaiso aai yaidsvsa, wssl
se connected with the trank Hire ey hxaast,
roa-s already Ia operation or nesrsr ccn-
rs<sed- BeD< 81 the maes lEpaFsans trade
eentsrs tn every state 81 61usa America
viii be Joined by rail TO The main ltrse one
Of tie longest ef thexe erxncae~ VIII No.
that between Aeieilin ard yaieneia. where
IL Win unite with the railroad row a,exu,sne
between The latter point and Caracas the
capstai az ysnezuela- The scheme also In
ei0des an extension acress the ia. country
Of eastern Bolivia 20 Ub~rAhs shs most
northwestern town OF Brazil - railroad
connection with RIO de Jarsetra and the
eeaPori Of Santos IL 10 proposed by an
other branch lire from BOLIVIA fn.sawsrx
the course of the Piscsnayo and PARAGUAY
rivers. 20 reach Asunesam. the capital Of
Paraguay, and b~yossd that pcsns 50 I'll the
gap Ia she existing railroads Sc as - give
MontsTideo, the capital Of Uruguay
through connection vita the trunk Hire
The entire Argentine system OF rxilroa Is
viii be united - the trunk line ey building
q stseFf ssne from Huanchsez 30 Jas,sy 4
part Of shis section may require march en-
xinscrtng skill 10 uve-aame the Aemvy
grade. As The descent from the high plain
OF Eslfv.a 20 the sanpas Of Argentine In
wolves y difference ia level OF sssls feet in
q distance OF Is miles
The commission estimates thar the tota2
length OF the ali-ral roure from yew York
city ia Buenos Ayres will be 10 2.Aas miles
Os this e. ssi-ss miles are already built .eay-
ing s.EsAiS miles 90 be constructed The
estimated cost fer grading. masonry and
bridges On The road Ia be huilt - $S74 2sn-
Ssi- This estimate DOES not Include the
branch lines. but only she trunk route 10
Busaos Ayres. nor does II include any ex-
IL
the rails. Tae commission. however, Is of
the opinion that future studies viii reduce
the length and lessen the cost here given.
BY far the greater par. AZ the cost will be
sn the Ardine regions If Colombia, Ecua-
dor ard Peru. where the mileage is esti-
mated a. s,sis.si and the estimated eoss a.
sizs. -. ae5. 81 the estimated cost of building
al the ether sections Of tne trunk line be-
ing So. 80. $40
Through the Andes. aiong the proposed
route, there Is a eons.dera bic proportion Of
steep grades. never exceeding, o. courss
the maximum allowable gradient Of per
cent. Some OF the valleys followed are
very fertile and contain Towns Of consider
able Importance. In Peru the survey parry
found IL preferable 10 follow the usually
travelled plateau routes Instead Of the val
ley of the Rio Maranan, The upper part Of
the Amazon, lift.e further east. as sae
commission believes the valley of the Mar
amen may yet be found 20 be preferable
The question is No, only one of comparative
advantages in railroad construction, but
also OF comparative commercial advan-
,a1es, and throughout the surveys the lat
ter consideration had due weight III deter
minln. the route recommended, Even II 1t
is found practicable To extend toe line
through the Maranon valley. better
Ir ulzSv s.s 10 ha.
fore deciding as 10 its availability. while
the plateau region west 81 the valley Is we.l
known 10 be rich in precious mesaS and
coal, factors that tend TO make IL a desir-
able route for the intsrcont.aenfal line.
Small sections OF the proposed route
through Peru are extremely .ortuous In
ore stretch the proposed Tine Is about thirty
miles long in horizontal distance OF about
six miles; in others. the length Of the rail-
road Is 10 be seyenty-fonr miles In a hori-
sontAi distance OF twenty-five and one-helf
ns.lea Heavy grades ard numerous tun-
nsls many OK the spiral form, will greatly
increase the cost OF the roadbe3 through
Peru The total distance across Peru Is
i.7S.sl miles of railroad. OF which ISL
miles are in operation. having isss-s miles
10 he CONSTRUCTED. Six short stretches Of
The route. all IN Peru. are at elevations ex-
ceeling ii,eso feet
Up 10 September last year the cernmis-
sion expended So. sss which includes the
ccst Of printing the report. except one yoi-
ume All further expenses were Ia be paid
out of the small balance then on hand TIE
United States had contributed szs5,op 10 The
total fund; Brazil. sSi,10, Colombia 3s.nac.
Guatemala, s.. soc. Chile. s,2.S: Ecuador.
S. one; Costa Rica. x2.fsa, ard Bolivia. 8, s97.
Argentina declined 20 contribute 70 tsse ex-
pense os The preliminary survey, hGt prom
ised 10 connect her railroad system with the
proposed trunk Tine