The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-05-12

The first inter-oceanic railroad
across South America. which will
unite the Atlantic and Pacific, and
Buenos Ayres and Valparaiso. Is now
rapidly approaching completion. and
the entire line will be opened to pas
sengers and public traffic not later
than the spring of 1911. The final
construction of the highest tunnel.
which will be 9,941 feet long. through
the Cumbre or Uspallata pass Of the
COrdillera of the Andes. has now
progressed SO far that In the Chilean
section 2.S4S feet have been perfO-
rated, while from the Argentine side
the total perforation is 1871 feet. ma
king the entire length on both sides
1859 feet of heading already bored.
During 1908 the second section on
the Chilean side was opened and now
reaches a place called POrtillO. liz
miles nearer to the Argentine frontier.
This reduces the time occupied by the
through journey by more than an
hour; passengers starting from
Buenos Ayres at $50 a. m. one day
will arrive at Valparaiso at 1879 p.
m. on the following day-in all about
50 hours.
The completion and opening. after
81 years of vicissitudes. of what is
generally known as THE Transandine
Railway" will be an event of trans
cendent importance in the Industrial
and commercial evolution of the
world. This line, together with its
two links, the BuenOs Ayres & Pa
cific and the Argentine Great West
ern, will unite the metropolis Of the
Argentine Republic with that of Chile
by means of a highway of steel SsS
miles long. which will traverse the
extensive wheat fields of the Argen-
tine pampas or prairies. pass through
the thriving vineyards of western Ar
gentina, and, starting from Mendoza
City, in the Argentine Republic. con-
tinue for the first 12k miles westward
through the vineyards and orchards
of Mendoza province. Gradually the
low shrubs and trees characteristic of
the slopes of the mountains appear
and are followed by 40 miles of the
sublime and lofty Cordillera of the
Andes as far as the Chilean town of
Los Andes, whence, conveying the
traveller over a distance of IS miles
through the smiling and fertile val
leys of Chile, the western terminal at
Valparaiso on the Pacific is reached.
1t is a self-evident fact that the
realization of this project, the dream
of half century. will be of the great
est practical utility. Even in its pres
ent uncompleted state it has already
reduced the time required for the jour
new between BuenOs Ayres and Val.
paraiso and vice versa, to a matter of
less than 40 hours. which time it is to
be hoped will ultimately be reduced
to 90. The rapidity of transportation
by this new route will be better under |
stood when one bears in mind that
the voyage between Valparaiso and |
Buenos Ayres, via the Strait of Magei
Ian, by steamer, requires ten days.
While the Transandine railroad
route will be of inestimable benefit to
the sister republics of Chile and Ar |
eentina in promoting their intercon- !
tinental and overland domestic COM |
merce. still greater benefits will &C
crue to both countries as regards their |
international relations. The railway |
will shorten the distance between |
western Europe and Australia by
about 1000 miles and effect saving