The Republican journal., 1904-02-25
CROSSING THE ANDES.
poutes of Travel Between the South Amer
,can Republics. Overland from Chilli to
AroentiQe,


Argentine.
special Correspondence of The Journal
SANTA Rosa DE CHILL, Jan. 18th, 1904
...ue from Chilli to the Argentine Repub-
-... ci to any other point on the eastern side
. south America, the traveller may choose
a.-Nreu several routes. He can sail or
.ntm "a the wake of the ancient mariners,
AVA, around Cape Horn; or take the much
orarer and pleasanter sea-path through
SMITHS channel into the Straits of Magel-
,a and SO on into the Atlantic; or he may
.,,- The mighty Andes by the oldest route
of i on trails that were well worn before
White mans ship had eyer rounded the
..u the hemisphere.
lo first named route is the least desir-
. because of ceaSeleSs storms, excessive
.I aud the length of time it requires; yet
majority OF globe trotterS take it in
'omings and gOings between these
nd Europe, and even between New
and the western coast of South Amer
.4 he passage through SmythS chan
fpugh one of the most picturesque in
world, is yet comparatively little known.
narrow and tortuous, between in
m,jble islands, each island a mountain,
.t. liter many disasters. no vessels now
jat way except those built expressly
.le purpose, and but one line of steam
German carry passengers on regular
those who enjoy mountain scenery
mUle-back transit the journey over the
leraS is a glorious one, if taken in
time-or rather in the depth of
-I as You reckon the seasons on the
bern side of the Equator; but, unfortu-
4. the passes are closed during more
u half the year by trackless SHOWS and
~ gales that neither man nor beast
.u withstand, From about the 18th of
,guber to the list of April one may cross
ntH comparative ease, barring the usual
G8n1~rs and difficulties incident to pene-
-lH- the Land of the Sky; but to I'M
AXE ii one week sooner or later than
ateS ment Toned would be extremely haz-
pAs, We had hoped that the passage
t.-Ht be now available and that we might
hat way into the Argentine country
ri word comes at the eleventh hour that a
cent heavy snowfall has blocked the trail
81 than ever, and that for ladies to at
.rnpt it for weeks to come would be simple
hardness. Therefore, being long since
cs- IN the other side of the continent, " e
Ut take the next Southward-going steamer
nugh the channel and straits, consolirg
selves with the knowledge that the
upseS of Patagonia and Terra del FuegO
Der obtained by the latter course will
NHre than make up for what will be lost
icing compelled to give mp the proposed
tr Besides, mountain climbing above
Slain attitudes is about the same thing
world over, During our years of zig
-fn- in South America, we have crossed
Andes many times. in many places
though we may never traverse in the
HAT famous UStallata Pass between
Ia Rosa and Mendoza, it requires 10
stretch Uf imagination to see it cleaI =
Vie "miud eye" having scaled several
her passes d little farther northward
.t same magnificent Cordilela In OF
t' tell you all | can about it from actual
walton. we have made an especial trip
anita Rosa, the end of the government
N1y ON the CHILEAN side of the Andes,
mule-back transit for the upper
-lt, begins; and later we viii come
m bueuos Ayres on the Atlantic coast,
$ the boundleSs pampus by the new
-rutlue railroad to its western terminus,
5'i city OF Mendoza, which lies close to
nut of the mountains
'e distance across country between
'-aso and BuenOs Ayres (the capitals Of
ALLAN aud the Argentine republics is
1860 miles. For many years overland
WPunication was kept up between the
Countries only by couriers, bred to the
t-l4esS as an exclusive occupation, who
lently made the entire journey in
eu days, carrying the mails, travelling
an average IL miles ii day OF course
could not be accomplished on mule
and all along the route p0st-houses
established where horses were kept
onStant readiness, the supplies being
Itained from countless wild droves that
n the pampaS of Argentina and Pata-
mia. For the ordinary traveller to make
Journey required many weeks, and, as
re mentioned, it could not be made at
Except at certain times of the year.
these days of progress all things are
n5ed. Now one may come at ease from
'IeI direction in parlor car close to the
-" OF the Andes, and even some distance
,her sides, and ''change carS' for the
antc or the Pacific by trip in the
lie Of from three to six days duration,
riding to ones power of endurance and
state of the weather On the Argen-
side, the distance between Mendoza
i Buenos Ayres is about the same as be.
''een New York and st. Louis. 1t takes a
|Ie less than four days to traverse it by
al, and being in familiar Pullman, one
5ht easily imagine oneself in the United
>'tseS were it not for the slowness of travel
'l- strange villages en- route, droves of
sd horses and glimpses of long-legged
t"nohes scudding across the plains. The
t.way is a government affair, completed
re twenty years ago and christened by a
.and celebration in which both Chill and
-entine participated. The CHILEAN gov
ment line is being gradually extended
meet it, and by and by, if revolutions per
,l, the two roads will meet somewhere il
heart of the Andes and furnish an un