The times., 1901-06-23
A VENEZUELAN JOURNEY.
Accidents UnlSnoss on the Line
From Caracas ta La Guayra.


range lies between Caracas and La Quay
ra, so that the train runs over some
thirty miles of rails in, a single trip from
the seaport to the capital.
When viewed from the sea this noun
tain range seems to rise straight up from
the waters edge. The houses of the town
straggle along the first slope of the
range. with the outlying huts lifted high
above the beach. clinging to the side of
the mountain. AS the captain expressed
it; "If you gave one of those houses
kick it would roll plumb down into the
ocean, The crest of the range draws
a high. strong outline against the pale
blue background of the sky.
And the railroad has never had an ac-
cident You are first acquainted OF TINS
fact bv the chief custom house official,
who wears a kind Of naval uniform OF
white duck, who has Teglected to shave
for several days and who welcomes you
mast profusely on your first stepping
ashore by asking you how you like the
country, bowling politely at every other
vsord and lifting his hat at every possible
opportunity.
Then in your journey from the wharf
through the custom house to the station
you are told the same story by the cab
mar who wants you to drive the nun
dred yards in his ricketty vehicle; by the
official v:ho examines the trunks and
spills cigarette ashes on the shirts; and
by the railway porter who carries the
trunk to the station, and desires tip
for telling you.
Fine tracks, explains the porter.
big engines Never smash"
Like all mountain railways. this road Is
regarded by the people who live in its
vicinity as one of the greatest feats of
engineering skill in existence. Scarcely
two feet of the track are level; hardly
two feet lie in a straight line. Swinging
around the lateral buttresses which wrtn-
kIe the face of the range, running into
the deep gullies between the buttresses;
now shooting outward as if it would dive
into the sea. now rushing into valley
with the evident intention of plunging
into the great wall of the mountains; first
headed straight for Caracas, then turning
in the opposite direction to the north. or
to the east or the west, but ever climb
ing steadily upward to the crest the train
puffs and rumbles through the still hot
sunlight which shines down upon the
mountains and the sea The train in it's
course resembles the antics of an infe-
rior skater trying to execute the outer
edge"
For the first two miles after leaving the
station the train runs partly through the
main street of the town, where the lines
of pack donkeys plod through the thick
dust unmindful of the rafting engine, and
partly along the stone sea wall. with the
spray from the breaking combers leaping
up into the wind and spattering against
the windows of the cars. The train
stopped at the first station at a small
village, where stands a church with
grotto attached
Down over the rocks of this grotto there
flows a small stream of water which con-
tains the same power of healing the SICK
as is held In the water at Lourdes. At the
time when we Travelled over the railway
| the three days pilgrimage to this grotto
was in progress. The station platform
was crowded with people dressed in fes-
tival attire Some of them spoke through
| the windows to the friends in the train.
on either side of the broad street. leading
up to the church, q number of temporary
booths had been erected, where cakes ana
ali kinds of drinks were sold. The irces-
SAINT talk of the crowd, broken now and
again by loud laughter, the shrieks OF the
children calling TO one another. the white
dresses of the women with gay rlDDons
and flowers in their hats, above all the
constant slow movement of the crowds
an expression of liStleSS en1oyment-Sug
gested more Sunday scene at Cohey ISL
| and than pilgrimage of the hat ana the
blind.
The train pulled away from the station
with the crowd of pilgrims gazing from
the platform in lazy curiosity; e.,.
Hope they don't think We II be NJ SUD
iects for that water tomorrow, remark
ed a fat. perspiring man in the opposite
seat who came from Illinois 1t gets
pretty ticklish later on. But you Kho"
> b.rr va q a
Presently the train commenced TO SWING
! round a sharp curve, the putting OF the
engine came in heavy coughs, ana tLe
woodwork of the cars creaked oHiihousIy'
We had begun TO climb over the range.
Gradually the houses of La Guayra re-
ceded behind the cloud of White dust
which cIung to the rear OF the tram. Dur
ing the quarters OF an hour the
omen windows afforded a broad view OF
the Caribbean. Far below, between the
base of the mountains and the beach, lay
a harrow plain, dotted here and there
with thin groves Of palm trees. You couId
see the waves breaking on the shore, but
no sound could be heard, ana IN the sun
! light abreast of the train three NuItuTtS
circled laZily round and round against
the sky The vast expanse of water
reached outward TO the mist-dimmed hori-
zon AT one place stood small chapel
surrounded by the white stones OF
graveyard. There were no houses near.
| The chapel was alone in the empty plain
facing the sea.
q
| other train wandering over the face OF the
! range That other train was just above
| us and moving in the same direction on
| It's way down to La GuayTa, yet quarter
| of an hour had elapsed before we came to
! the halfway house, where the two trains
meet
| Immediately all the passengers gathered
! in the space between the cars. where, with
much patting on the back and loud talk
and gesticulations, they told each other
| how glad they were TO see them, and each
| assured the other of his great friendship
! and undying affection. After this had
! continued for some time, interspersed
( with several trips to the station bar for
/ thought 1t was about time 10 proceed, for
! the two warning whistles blew simuitan-
| eously, and with a final burst of patting
! on the back and expressions or mutual
/ esteem the passengers clambered on board
! again and the two trains pulled out on
! their separate ways.
| No sooner was the halfway house out
/ Of hearing than the people in the car be-
J gan to jabber rapidly.
| DO you know what they re saying
| asked the man from Illinois. w ell,
| they're roasting that other gang to beat
| the cars, and it's an even bet that the
| other gang are roa sting these fellowS;
| They're just like a pack of old maids.
The plain seemed TO be dropping down
lower and lower, and the ocean to be eX-
| tending its horizon to the far beyond,
| when the train dove into tunnel, TO
/ emerge into daylight onrthe narrow edge
run ahead to Caracas. i
Look down there said the man from
| Illinois. IT'S just as well they have
| never had an accident "-+Guy II. Scull. in
| the New York Commercial Advertiser.
| ----
| Fighting Mosquitoes With Kerosene.
(From the Army and Navy JournaL)
1 sTv,at h,tI Io. aJ