Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-03-14
CHARMING CARACAS,
Interesting Things to Be Seen in the
. Venezuela City,

In travelling in Venezuela it is not
enough to ask how far distant a place
is but also how far up or down, and
what hills and valleys have 10 be
crossed. Thus, says a writer in st.
Nicholas, it is not only necessary to
know that Caracas is six miles distant
in straight line from La Guayra. it's
seaport, but that it lies at an elevation
Of ,ncarly half mile above sea level,
and that to reach it one has to cross a
mountain wall rising far above the
clouds. This to the experienced
traveller means that he must prepare
for an entirely different climate.
There are, in all, four ways of reach
ing Caracas from La Guayra, but al
most every traveller, except 4 few ad-
venturous tourists, goes by. the rail-
road. This trip, indeed. seems peri
lous enough to those taking 1t for the
first time, as the train winds and
twists its way up thef mountain side
till one trcmblcs to look intO the dizzy
depth beneath him ana shudderS t"
think what might happen If the power
should fail or a car become detached
ana dash down the steep incline. AS
Il matter OF fact, however. the railroad
is orc Of the safest in the world, anu
so much care is taken by TIE manages
mcnt that rot one passenger has lost
his life during the twenty years that
the road has been operated. The dis
tance by rail is twenty-four miles. and
the Journey lasts two hours.
The scenery along the way is mag
nificent. Nowhere else on earth
even "encriffe not excerted--is such ii
mighty cliff to be found rising alb
ruptIy from the ocean. and when one
reaches a height of 1900 or 1000 feet
and takes his parting view Of La
Gua.'ra, it seems as if be were looking
down upon the town and the decks of
the vessels from another world.
The valley Of Caracas is simply
nocket situated high up among the hill
tops and the wonder is how Losada,
the Spanish knight who founded the
city. ever reached such an inaccessible
place. Indeed, fortunate would it
have been for succeeding generations
il he never had discovered 1t. though
the valley Is so beautiful md the
climate so cool and refreshing that one
is ut FIRST inclined to agree with Hum
boldt. the great traveller and scientist,
who declared il to be an IDEAL spot.
Nevertheless Humboldt knew from
the formation Of the land that Caracas
would always be i'm danger OF ,Icstruc-
ton by earthquake and the firsr full
flment Of his prophecy took place in
1872 when the entire city was reduced
10 ruins ard twelve. thousand people
wtrn killed.
t1ctwsen 1912 and 1900 only slight
Shocks were experienced: but in the
latter year the city was badly Shaken
and several lives; were lost.
They have no fires in Caracas. 50 that
the city has neither engine. hose reel
nor oven Il regular fireman. AS for
street cleaning department. the rainy
season attends to that. The streets
are never cleaned except by the deluge
which the skies occasonlly let loose.
Yet Caracas is a charming place to
spend n vacation in. One never tires
Of watching the pack trains arriving
with loads of coffee. cocoa or market
produce or setting out with all manner
or queer merchandise for the country
estates. Then there is the market
variety Of fruit or vegetable. no matter
how often he visits it. Even more in
tcrcSting are thc quaint houses which
seem ~ many centuries benind the
times an'l vet present such delightful
vistas rs one chances through their
e. 4