Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-18

which is secured by the collection of tax
of per cent gold on all imports into the
port. Contracts for the construction of the
works have been let to Messrs. s. Pearson
& Son, Ltd, of LONDON, who are engaged
also in building the Dover harbor works,
the four East River tunnels of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad, the Tehuantepec lsthmus
railroad and other great works. The con-
tract for the superstructure and most of the
freight facilities, electric cranes, ware
houses, electric plant for power and lighting
the coal handling plant, ETC., has been let
to Messrs Schneider (CreusoD of Paris.
France.
Para the Dividing Point.
There are at present at Para" continued
Mr.. CortheH, quite a number of small
piers with warehouses and sheds upon
them where most of the traffic is handled
by lighters from steamships anchored in
the estuary below the city: There is a
large transfer business between ocean ships
and steamboats, that ply on the various
rivers. They ascend the Amazon to Iquitos.
in Peru, and to the ports at the head of
navigation on many Of the tributaries.
Para is naturally the dividing point be-
tween deep-sea navigation and the Amazon
river traffic. The deepening of the chan
nels and the building of port for 10000
ton vessels, or greater IL the future requires
it, will be likely to make 1t still more i'm
portant. A large commerce, much beyond
existing traffic, is assured, not only by the
million registered tons in three years, due
to the exportable products of the country.
of which India rubber is by far the most
important and valuable, but by the increase
that always comes from furnishing to COM
merce improved facilities. 1t is interesting
to know that this important work Is
dertaken by North American interests and
is to be built by English and French con-
tractors in the South American republic of
Bra Zil-truly an international work.
THE next important project in order OF
latitude" said Dr. Corthell, lis at Pernam-
buco, where Messrs. Schneider of Paris
have the concession for building and oper-
ating a similar port with all modern ia
cilities. The work will no doubt be com
menced within the next year. At present
very few large ocean steamers can go any
where near the city. They stop outside and
the business is done by lighters and small
boats. Pernambuco has in front of 1t
coral reef straight as an arrow, on which
the Dutch, when they held possession of
that part of Brazil. built a masonry wall
which is still in fair state of preservation.
Between this reef and the city is mar
row channel where steamers of moderate
tonnage can enter. The new port will ac
commodate at the quay vessels of the
largest class and they will be perfectly
protected. The Great Western railway of
Brazil, an English company, has it's prin-
cipal terminal station at Pernambuco,
with other termini at Natal and Paranyba,
north of Pernambuco,r and at Maceio,
south of it. This enterprsing company
is constantly extending its lines into the
interior, which is fine sugar country.
Big Improvements Ahead.
Next in order Of latitude is Bahia. A
Brazilian company has the concession for
the port works there. The works are ex-
pected to be commenced in the near future
New York interests, the same as those
who have the Madeira and Marmore rail-
way and the port of Para, have bought
the light and power and gas concessions
and electric tramways. They now
installing gas engines to run these various
installations, and are planning to build
a hydro-electric power for which they
have acquired the property and rights
The same New York interests have a
concession for electric light and power
in Rio de Janeiro. and the works are well
advanced. The company has purchased
practically all the street car lines ex-
cepting one already electrified. 1t also
owns the telephone system, the gas works.
and the concession for lighting the city.
When 1t is known that Rio de Janeiro is a
lance Of the work being done by these in
terests will be appreciated. The existing
electric tramway line was built many
years ago by the former manager Of the
Blocker street horse car line of New York
city. and it is still horse line.
THE federal government is engaged
upon very important port works at Rio
de Janeiro that will cost at least s25OO0.-
way will cost as much as the port No
city of ancient or modern times has seen
more radical changes in a brief space of
time than Rio de Janeiro is now under
going-in the construction of broad ave-
nus, boulevards and drives and fine build
ings, where formerly and until now, ex-
isted-simply existed-an old Portu-
guese city, with crooked and narrow
streets and small, dingy buildings. The
engineers, from careful observation for
years. studied the direction of the winds
then, laying down scientifically and
methodically the resultant of the winds.
placed the straight edge upon 1t. drew a
line straight as arrow and said: Build
it there, and make it three meters wider
than the Avenida de Mayo in Buenos
Ayres, (hitherto the finest avenue in the
world and light It better than any other
avenue, and in the Islands in the center
set the choicest palms That goes beyond
the act of the ear who laid his straight
edge the map between st. Petersburg
and Moscow, and said: Build the rail-
road on that line
1.-THE Brazil Railway Company incor-
porated and organized under the laws of
the state of Maine and controlled by New
York interests has undertaken the extern
sion of the forty miles of railway already
built from the port of San Francisco on the
coast between the states of Parana ana
Santa Catherine. up the slope of the foot
hills and the valleys to the Sac Paulo and
Rio Grande railway, of which about 100
miles already constructed and in oper-
alton through the state of Parana in
Observation-Disclosures direction The Brazil
Railway Company which purchased the
Sac Paulo and Rio Grande, is now building
southwest through the state of Rio Grande
do Sui and will probably continue until il