Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-07
IN TOUCH WITH THE WORLD
Vast Territory Finding an Outlet
Through the Amazon.
RAILWAY ABOVE THE RAPIDS
Results Expected From the Construc-
ton of Railways-Effect of Open
ing Up Coal Field.
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
s,eriyl ,rresnondcnce Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.


NEW YORK June 4. 1907.
DIR Elmer l.. Corthell, the famous civil |
engineer. has again invaded South Amer |
ica H.. is no stranger there. however. Ills |
services have been sought by several ma /
tious He built the harbOr of Tampico |
Mexico. he assisted in building the Tehuan- |
tepcC rlflroad: he built the docks at Buehos |
Aires and has recently undertaken severai
important engineering works in Brazil. lie |
Is chief engineer of the port of Para con-
Casslunaire and chief engineer of the port
and BarIa work of Rio Grande do Sui. ana
lessee of the Donna Theresa Christina rail- |
way of Brazil. He has also proposed sew
eral other important projects IN that great
country. and is enthusiastic over its pros
poets Or. CortheN grows eloquent when
he talks about his work and when he de-
scribee the rapid material development in
that part of the world,
Dawn of a New Era.
"A now era has dawncd upon Brazil and
its neighboring republics" he said the
other day. land an area larger than that
OF the United States is now feeling the
thrill of a new life While Brazil is chiefly
affected at present. the contagion of en-
terprise is spreading TO all the adjacent
countries especially TO those in which the
numberless tributaries of the Amazon have
their sources In fact. from the SUBMITS
of the Andean range eastward TO the AT
IantiC a new life and wonderful develop
ment have begun, the end of which no man
can predict 1t is a natural reaction from
the unnatural conditions of three centuries
during which Spain compelled commerce
to seek the eastern slope of the Andes by
a most CrcuitOus and expensive route over
the Isthmus of Darien from Cadlz, then py
the long voyage down the west coast 30
CalIao or Valparaiso or other Pacihc
ports and then the burdensome journey on
the backs of poems and burros up the slopes
of the mountains to height of ov 12,oo
feet and down again to the people dwelling
on the eastern slopes, whose navigable
waters flow directly to Para and the Al
lantic Even Buenos Aires received its
goods and dispa tched them by this long and
costly route-except those goods which by
contrahandage secretly reached the city
by the natural route across and down the
Atlantic.
Outlets Through the Amazon.
Now the eastern slope and vast areas
of Colombia, Ecuador. Peru and Bolivia are
seeking outlets via the Amazon. The world
and it is a great world by itself-is coming
to Para world whose chief product is
greater i'm value than the coffee Of Brazil,
and veritable gold mine-the vast prod
ucts of India rubber one OF the latest. but
one of the greatest wants of the civilized
world. 1t was not until this valuable prod
uct began to enrich the country where 1t is
IL
that the question of boundaries. so. long
dorma Mt. brought about acute controversies.
and contentious between Brazil and her
neighbOrs. particularly .eru and Bolivia.
These contentious were so strong that war
was narrowly averted between Bolivia and
Brazil. but wisdom and friendship prevailed
and treaty was cordially entered into. the
conditions of which will be of immense ad-
vantage TO both countries
BOLIVIA" said DIR. Corthell. has relin-
quished all claims TO the valuable area in
a-r.. ri
tory called Acre have been definitely agreed
upon. II is now. since three years. a terri
tory Of Brazil and is one of the most i'm
portaut sources of the best grades of India
rubber in the world. Bolivia, however. has
gained much by the treaty, for Brazil has
given her 100000 for internal develop
ments. and has agreed to build the pro-
jeCted Madeira and Marmore railway, about
go miles In length, around the impossible
rapids of the Amazon. This will serve the
same purpose as the Congo railway, which
tanks the Stanley Falls in Africa and
brings into connection with the rest of the
world the vast areas above the falls and the
immense waterways there.
Larger Than Mississippi Valley.
Look AT the map of Brazil" continued
DIR. CorthelI. land you will see above the
Madeira rapids tract of land nearly 800
900 square miles in extent-two-thrds of
Bolivia and half of the state of Matte
Crosse. which is threaded with great rivers.
all pouring their volumes northeastward
toward the Amazon valley The rapids.
about 80 miles in extent not naviga-
BILE but above them the Guapore. the Benz
and the Madre de Dios rivers are deep and
long and have tributaries comprising many
hundreds of miles of navigable waterways.
The Amazon valley comprises 2,t22,VO
square miles-the Mississippi valley / .253 900
square miles. the La Plata valley l,19S, 900
square miles. and the Orinoco 3645Oo square
miles.
The estimated maximum discharge of
the Amazon Is 3 2gI 600 cubic feet OF water
per second. the La Plata 100000 cubic
feet the Mississippi less than that The
Madeira alone has annual discharge as
great the Mississippi and is 3.125 miles
long, 200 OF which, between the main Anna
ION and the rapids Is deep enough for ocean
vessels. The distance from Para to San An
tonic at the foot of the rapids is .ts;5 miles
The city Of Manaos is 924 miles above Para
or about "A thousand miles from the ocean.
From Para to lQuitos in Peru 1t is 2O16
miles To Santa Isabel by the River Negro
1917 miles: to Marary, on the Jurua. 2.O17
miles to AnajeZ the Purus. 2 361 miles
There are many other large waterways but
these are selected the principal ones TO
show the extent of the navigation. which Is
Immense all the above-named rivers.
Railroad Around the Rapids.
In 1877 American citizen. Col. George
Earl Church, obtained a concession DR.
ganiZed a company and financed the prof.