Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-18
VENEzUELA'S CAPITAL
A Trip There by an American
Woman.
CARACAS AS A CITY
IT'S PEOPLE COURTEOUS AND
POLITE TO STRANGERS
Situated on Lofty Peak and Reached
by Railway Up the
Mountain.
Written for The Evening Star.

| Written for The Evening Star.
| Sailing, from New York on a cold, blus-
tering day in March, with the outlines of
the Brooklyn bridge and the statue of Lib
| erty peeping dimly through the haze of
mist and fog, it was a soothing, grateful
change to find ourselves after lapse of
| only thirty hours. in a balmy, spring like
atmosphere, steaming merriy along over
smooth sea and under perfectly cloudless,
sunlit sky.
On the fourth day out we arrived at the
port, or playa of Ponce, Porto Rico.
The city of Ponce is two miles distant from
the sea, but we were prevented from visit
ing 1t, as ship arrived six hours late
and we could only remain in the harbor one
hour. Although 1 felt certain pride in
seeing our flag floating in the breezes there
| the spectacle of our ensign Of liberty and
progress Tapping lazily in the soft, warm
air over narrow, dirty streets full of Span
| ish-looking people Of the more ignorant
sort, and awkward rumbing OK carts,
seemed tncongruous.
The American soldiers everywhere in
evidence, were always delighted to see the
faces of people from home" and all ex-
pressed a keen desire to get away from the
island and back into Gods country
The City Of La Guayra.
After this little peep into our first "ex--
pansion" we re-embarked on board the
Caracas and the city Of La Guayra, Vene-
zuela's principal seaport, was reached on
the eighth day after leaving New York
| Its approach from the sea is Impressive
and beautiful. The mountains seem to
| rise out of the water The highest of these
| La Silla (tha saodle) is said to present
| one of the sublimest spectacIes to be found
| upon the earch's surface, being the Hottest
| peak arising anywhere directly from the
| ocean.
The justly famed English railroad, con-
Meeting La Guayra with Caracas the capt.
| tai of Venezuela, Is certainly one Of the
| neering in the world. The famous Oroya
| railway of Peru and the Arequipa line
| (both built by our countryman, the in
domitable Henry Meigs). laid from the
| Peruvian coast to the interior of Bolivia,
| surpass 1t in some respects. perhaps do
| parts of our own railroads through the
| Rocky mountains, but the Caracas "ferro-
! carrif' is bewildering because of the con-
| summate skill shown in it's construction and
| unique in its scenic, panoramic effect.
Caracas, the Capital.
Caracas is tucked away 1900 feet above
| the level of the sea, and the railroad ap-
preaching it winds in and out of the noun
tain of La silla,' following the ancient
wagon road of the days of Drake and Piz-
| faro, and is carved almost entirely out of
! the solid rock.
The railway track is narrow gauge and
| for half the distance up the mountain side
| the ocean remains in sight. We looked down
| on tropical La Guayra, with it's wildly YER
| dant surroundings, and then gazed up at
| the bleak, cold towering mountain, and
| found 1t difficult to reconcile the two ex-
| tremes. CHANGING out of the car windows
| down 5000 feet below made Shudder at
| the thought of accident, but every possible
precaution was taken, and faithful track
! walkers, fagmen and switch inspectors
| constantly the alert, and, should the
az OIL prnJr hA lie
would be set automatically. This road is
| twenty-four miles long. but the distance be-
| tween La Guayra and Caracas, ''as the
crow flies is only six miles, and the gov
| eminent now contemplates boring a tunnel
| through the Andes to join these points. The
mule path over the mountain, nine miles
in length. was for centuries the only route
! of travel in this section.
Caracas lies in a small valley, marvel
| ousy rich, and greatly resembling Swtzer-
| land in the vicinity of Interlaken. The
| mountains rise 5000 feet on one side and
1000 on the south. Coffee plantations and
| great waving fields of bright green sugar
| cane surround the city. Beheld from the
| elevated suburb of lei Calyario the scene
| seems unrivaed
Caracas was settled in 1867 by Spaniards
| from CASTLE, who called it Santiago Leon
| de Caracas or "St. James, the Lion of
| Caracas" the latter being the name of
! once fourishing Indian tribe. According to
| Spanish-American custom, Caracas was
| planned in the most methodicaf manner
Will squares anu HdTTOW SlFStlS, Win COP
| BILE stones, and remains SO today. In the
center is Plaza Bolivar, adorned with a
magnificent bronze equestrian statue of the
patriot, Simon Bolivar, a native VeneZue-
| Ian, hailed as The Liberator'' throughout
South America On this plaza located
| the Presidents official residence, known
| Casa Amarillo" yellow House, the
| cathedral post office department, municipal
buildings and the hotels of the better class
The Palacio Federal.