Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-08-17

w + YOU follow up the course of the
Amazon and Madeira rivers on the
map two-thirds across South
q America you will finally come to
San Antonio. from which black
line marked "R. r. under con-
struction" stretches southwest for
2l0 miles. Thirty years ago that
black line was put on the map at the
price of the lives of more than two
hundred United States citizens and of
millions of dollars. The commercial
life of a nation hangs on the building
of this railroad. but three times the fe-
vers of the district have killed or dis
persed expeditions which have tried to
build it. For fifty years this 210 miles
OF tropical forest has stood of man
kind. But at last the railroad builders
ar" about TO conquer IT, and 1t is fit
ting that these men who are succeed
ing are from the United States. for
from first TO last the United States has
played a prominent part IN the attack
pn this stubborn district
II 1852 Lieutenant Gardner Gibbon,
". S. ~, advocated the building OF
this railroad for commercial and dip
tomato reasons. After much CORE
Ppondence. in 1878 an expedition I'M
der Col George Church Earl set sail
from New York. The main contribu-
tors to the work were p. and T. Col
Inns. and It was known as The Collins
expedition. The construction gang was
rsp 10 ha
six are in the graveyard there now.
War is child's play to what these men
encountered They went in ships If
teen hundred miles out Of sight of the
pea and landed In the feyerridden
town Of San Antonio, on the upper
Madeira in Brazil. Insects and reptiles
plagued them by day and night They
pushed their grading into the forests,
md men began to die. Reinforcements
sent from New York were wrecked off
Hatteras and nearly all drowned. 9th.
ers followed. the scum Of the cities. 1t5
strong. When they reached San An
tonic they struck STOLE and murdered,
adding only trouble to those already
| there. Then the fight for the mastery
of the country failed. Men left their
tools and engines I'm the forests; left
nnburied dead where the construction
camps had worked; left lfty.six of
their number In the little graveyard
of San Antonio; and even this was not
all, for OF those who tried to escape
into Bolivia seventy.fiye died on the
trail.
The products of a great and fertile
country lie blocked up behind these
200 miles of stubborn swamp and for
est. This Is why. after the awful de-
feat In the seventies. and after the
two later attempts had failed work
ers are again at work south of San
Antonio. building the Madelra-Mamore
railroad
In the treaty OF Petropolls between
Bolivia and Brazil. in 1903, the latter
agreed TO build the railroad. The con-
tract was given to a New York firm.
So far shis tempt follows The Col
Inns effort. but no further, The pre-.
liminary party sent by the contractor
wac made up of doctors and engineers.
They studied the health conditions
with the same care that was bestowed
upon the topography.
Next. preparatory force Of work.
ers went to Porto Velho, point on
the Madeira about seven hundred
miles from the Amazon and six miles
from San Antonio. which had been
chosen as the base OF operations. The
land about Porto Velho is covered
with dense forests and rank under
growth and the bottoms" OF the ada
cent river breed feyer-bearing mos.
quitoes by the millions The ground
was cleared and drained. swampy
spots were filled In. and the riverside
vegetation that sheltered the mos
quitoes was destroyed for more than
a mile. The site OF the little town was
severed. a filtered running water sup
ply was established. and an electric
light plant installed and furnished H.
Elimination for streets and structures
Houses for the men and the executive
staff we're built. and club quarters
alzo The structures were designed