Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-12-03
BIG RAILROAD PROJECT
sourH AMEncA sPANrsD ~
oReAY sfEEL HIGHWAY.
Structure, Whieh 10 Second Only In
ImpereaWoo - poNsma Canal. 10
Oslna OuOlt ~ Yankee Pluck
IKE and Brains.

Yankee brains and pluck are now
engaged IN building the connecting
link OF Q great tsanscontinental high
way OF commerce across South Amer
ioa. claimed 70 b. second only in I'm
portance to the Panama canal % the
great construction project Of the pres
ent day In the western hemisphere.
% Il win Eve IN outlet to tho mar.
velously rich rubber and timber lands
Of Brasil and Bolivia.
ETA Z. Van Sickle. a young civil en-
g1neer, 10 home In Uniontowh on . Va.
cation after 10 months on that work.
Gays Q correspondent Of the Pittsburo
Dispatch. beang located at Porto Vel
10. In The viIas Of Brazil. $500 miles
from Pennsylvania. About 200 high
salaried and skilled men from the
United States and 5000 laborers are
on the project. working for the Ma
deira-Mamore company. an immense
concern. Of which Mr.. Farouhar OF
Paris. France. 10 president. The con
tractors and directing heads Of the
work are Yankees.
made to build this road by Philadel'
phia contractors. who found the health
conditions and natural surroundings
obstacles too big to overcome.
Later . French company worked in
the same field, and now the Madeira.
Mamore company IL prepared to carry
the work to completion. Mr.. Van
Sickle said:
with the power and sanction OF the
Brazilian government behind this big
undertaking. and with millions of dol
lars Of capital to carry 1t forward. sue
cess IL assured. The object is to build
railroad around six falls to connect
the Madeira river with the Mamora
river. Above these falls the Mamore
river 10 navigable for small steamers
clear into Bolivia.
when completed, there will be 1872
miles Of road. Track has already been
laid for 81 miles. with 30 more under
construction. and in the course Of two
years more tho entire distance will be
covered. Then the big engineering
feat OF bridging the Mamore river will
be undertaken to get over In Bolivia
This latter country will then build q
road to meet the Brazilian road. and
eventually rivers and railroads will
unite in a great transcontinental route
across South America. Hitherto Inn
penetrabIs forsetsy and jungles will be
opened up and their products sent out
to the markets. of the world. And to q
v>,,, 1..~> >-<>u< VanA>> hvaSna md
capital are carrying forward this prot
cot, which means % much 70 South
America. - well q the world 1t large.
American contractors. May. Jekyll
q Randolph. are doing the work for
the Madeira-Mamore company, and the
machinery 10 shipped there from the
United States. This firm built the
Cuba eastern road In Cuba. which waa
completed in 1906. Baldwin locomo
tives from Philadelphia and steel rails
from France are used. Those engaged
IN the work subsist largely on canned
goods imported from Uncle Sans do.
main.
1.-TWO thousand miles from the
mouth Of the Amazon. In the great
wilds Of Brasil 10. Porto ,velho, the
headquarters Of this great railroad
project. Starting in 1900 with q few
tents, Il has grown In three years TO
porhaps the most wonderful station OF
the kind ever established 70 Tar from
civilization.
Great structures have bsen erect
"a foe poemanent use and omces are
fitted up With an elegance to compare
With the average ofices Of big cor.
porat1ons IN New York city. Some OF
The worlds best talent hes besn drawn
there ana somo salaries reach % high
% $4,000 per year. PAYABLE n the
equivalent Of gold.
"Porto velho has modern ONCE
buildings and resiasnces for the ON.
cials, Ane hospital With physicians
Of the highest skill. complete sewer.
ags system. immense car barn, plan
Ing mill, machine shop. factory 70 re-
pair boilers. ice plant. sawmill. laun'
dry, commissary store and wireless
telegraph station. All buildings are
On ooncrste foundations. All water
used there 10 boiled ana Uttered and
sanitary precautions Of all kinds are
taken.