The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-13

for Uruguay, Mr. Francisco A.
LAMA; for Venezuela, Mr.. Louis ]. Blan-
co, and for the United States, Messrs.
Alexander j. Cassatt, of Philadelphia,
road; ex-senator Henry &. Davis, of Ell
kns W. Va, and Richard c.
Kerens, of st. Louis Mo. Mr. Cassatt
was chosen president; MI Blanco, first
vice president; Mr.. Leme, second vice
president, and Capt. Edgar L. Steever,
U. S. A, secretary and engineer The
commission operated under the patronage
OF our state department, and after map
ping out the scope Of their work sent
three technical surveying parties into
the field with instructions to shape their
surveys so as to utilize, so far as prac-
ticable, the already existing railway sys-
TENS OF Mexico, Peru, Chile, Brazil and
Argentina, and to connect with the larg-
er cities In the vicinity of the general
route. Funds were contributed Jointly
on basis Of population, the United
States, as the big brother of the south.
ern republics, contributing the lions
share. The total fund was S2SS, $50, and
of this the United States gave SPAS, 900;
Brazil, $4,000; Colombia, $4,000; Guate-
mala, $1,000; Chile, $3,02S; Ecuador, 81. 900;
Costa Rica, $1,000, and Bolivia $1,000
WORK OF ENGINEERING CORPS
The first corps, under Lieut.. M M Ma
comb, U. S. A, began their line at Ayut.
la, on the northern frontier of Guatema-
la, near the terminus Of the Mexican
system Of railways, and made a contin-
uous survey from that point southeast
wardly through the republics of Guate-
mala, Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua ard
Costa RIGA, by way Of Retalhuleu, Es-
qumt1a, Chinandega, Managua, Rivas,
Liberia and Punta Arenas to the Rio
SaVegre. Two years were devoted to the
survey and exploration of this section of
the route, and construction there will be
comparatively cheap and easy
The second corps, under Civil Engineer
William F. Skunk, of Harrisburg Pa
went to Quito, Ecuador, and from that
point surveyed northward through a Part
of Ecuador, Colombia and the fsthmus
to the Rio Savegre, thus connecting with
the first corps. The route laid down was
through Ibarra, Tulcan, Paste and Popa-
yam, to the head Of the Cauca river, and
thence through the Cauca valley to Cali
Carriage, and Antioquia, whence an as
cent was made via Canas Gordas across
the western Cordillera to the River Su-
clio; thence down that stream to its iunc-
ton with the Atrato, through the Atrato
basin, and across the ridges to Yavisa,
at the head of San MIGUEL bay, and
along the coast, via Panama and David.
to the Rio SaYegre. A branch line was
- 49, y St " Ndt leaSSIldy On the Car
ibbean sea. This section, particularly
that portion between Quito and Popa-
yam, will be expensive to construct, as 1t
lies in the heart of the Andes.
The third corps, under Civil Engineer
William D. Kelley, Of Philadelphia, start
ed likewise at Quito, but worked south
ward instead of northward, through low
er Ecuador and Peru to the confines of
Bolivia, via Cuenca, Lola, Cajamarca
Caraz, Cerro de Pasco and Cusco, to Lake
Titicaca. Certain parts of this section
also would be expensive to build owing
to the deep canyons and heavy grades, but
in the main the line would run along
the central plateau between the eastern
and western Cordilleras Of the Andes.
SURVEYS FROM MOUNTAIN PEAKS.
The first corps line measures 800 miles.
the second s measures LOO, and the third
1,734, not counting the extra branches
surveyed tributary to the main line.
Lieut.. Macombs party was obliged to
climb a number Of high volcanoes in
Guatemala and Salvador to make OBJ
servations. One of the most remarkable
objects found in Salvador was the vol
ca1Ior Isaico,4tquite a modern eruption,
known - as the lighthouse Of South
America ii a subdivision of this corps,