Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1910-08-18

WF YOU follow up the course OF the
Amazon and Madeira rivers on the
map two-thirds across South
America you will finally come to
- San Antonio, from which a black
line marked ''R. r. under con-
struction" stretches southwest for
21O 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 Trees the fe-
vers of the district have killed or dis
persed expeditions which have tried to
build It. For fifty years this 21O miles
Of tropical forest has stood of man.
kind. But at last the railroad builders
are 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
on this stubborn district
II 1852 Lieutenant Gardner Gibbon,
U. s. N, advocated the building Of
this railroad for commercial and dip
lomatic reasons. After much CORE
spondence, 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
600 strong when 1t embarked. Fifty
six are in the graveyard there now.
War is child's play to what these men
encountered. They went in ships fif-
teen hundred miles out Of sight Of the
sea and landed in the fever-ridden
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.
and men began to die. Reinforcements
sent from NeE York were wrecked OF
Hatteras and nearly all drowned. 9th
ers followed, the scum Of the cities, 115
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 in the forests; left
unburied dead where the construction
camps had worked; left hfty-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-ive died on the
trail.
Twice after this, Brazil and Bolivia
tried to build the railroad, and now
another force from the United States
Is pushing steel rails into this deadly
forest. The reason for this persist
ence Is that this railroad will open up
the trade Of a nation. The northeast
ern half Of Bolivia is by far the most
productive part Of the country. yet
1t is out OF reach. North and east is
the unsettled, impossible Brazilian
hinterland. To the west the sea is not
far, but the Andes lie between. The
way south is open, but there is no
railroads and no navigable river for
hundreds Of miles. Except for the lit
tie trade which trickles over the noun
tains on muleback, Bolivia is cut OF
from the world. But there is one pos
sible outlet. From Para the Amazon
stretches across the map 800 miles to
the mouth Of the Madeira, and the
black line Of the Madeira reaches the
northeast corner Of Bolivia. This is
the thread which Is 10 connect Bolivia
with the world. for there is enough
Watsr for q 4,000-ton steamer all the
way from Para to San Antonio. From
San Antonio south for 200 miles are
rapids. Once the railroad rounds the
rapids, the products Of this land-locked
country can flow uninterruptedly to
the sea and across to Europe.
The products of q 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
era are again at work south Of San
Antonio, building the Madeira amore
railroad.
In the treaty Of Petropolis between
Bolivia and Brazil, in 1903, the latter
agreed to build the railroad. The con-
tract was given to New York firm.
SO far this attempt follows the Col
Inns effort, but no further. The pre-
liminary party sent BY the contractor
was made up Of doctors and engineers.
They studied the health conditions
with the same care that was bestowed
upon the topography.
Next, q preparatory force Of work
ers went to Porto velho. q point on
the Madeira about seven hundred
miles from the Amazon and SIX miles
from San Antonio. which had been
chosen as ihs base Of operations. Tho