The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-09


also three avalanche sneds OF unusnAl
lsaxth.
In carrying the road up TO The actual level
of she sumbre tunnel q great saving OF tirnN
and money wus achieved a. compared with
the original sketch plans Of the Clark brot n
err and the Swiss engineer schwartzman In
the ,iOs and 800. Their proposal was 20 drive
o tunnel about mine miles long through the
mountain. starting from Juncal ON the Pacihc
side ~ q height OF about ?,,so meters This
would have been. no doubt. a very costly
proce--, but many critics believe that u
would have been the cheaper plan In the
long run IL would have minimixed In the
hrst place the obstruction Of the road oy
snow in the winter and u would have AVOIDED
practically all danger from avalanches. to
which the highest section is now exposed
Finally. It would have obvtated just half
the cog wheel distance on the Chilean side
and would a..s completely eliminated that
device on the Atlantic slope.
The actual distance from so to sea by this
route Ia given as about l. $50 kilometers. or
appro ximAtely $40 miles. II takes mini
mum OF thirty eight hours to cover this
distance on through trains II 10 necessary
to change cars twice on account Of differ"
enee Of gauge. The Chilean and Argentine
railroads use the spanish standard. which is
about feet Q inches between rails For
n
meter. or about thirty nine inches. has been
adopted. The transfers are made at Men
doka and los Andes. and there also tho
custom house examinations are conducted.
The total loss of time at the two points 10
about three hours, The service Ia not a. yet
very lavish. An international train starts
from each terminus in the early morning
Of every second day. and IL is supposed 10
reach its destination late In the evening OF
A. = I'll 49,
ton has been more than sufficient
IL 10 likely TO remain 80. accordinR tn
French critics. until the fares are reduced
AZ least one half One writer for a Paris
paper says that the concesaionary company
seems to aim at giving a monopoly In the
Use OF the road to Chilean millionairea,
Only such a traveller is likely TO be willing
to pay $50 francs isasI for a ride across the
continent from Santiago 20 Buenos Ayres.
a distance OF .&37 kilometers. This In the
first class fare. and the accommodation Ia
described as excellent. The other class.
however. the so-called second class. Ia put
down a. far inferior to the third In Europe.
The fare for IL IL 2' francs. or ss3. -. The
fret clAss rate figures out at the rate OF
about - confines the kilometer. or about
9 cents n mile. the second class a. IS confines
a kilometsr. or cents a mile. There IL
besides q heavy charge for baggage As a
posterous. and the financial success OF me
com pany. At 10 prophesied. can never be
realized until they are cut so per cent.
With moderate changes. on the other hand.
he road might become. at least until IL
became hackn~yed. q favori'e touris, route.
The mountain scenery IL Of un~uualled
" idnesa and majesty The frat day and
night from Buenos Ayres are consumed in
reaching Mendoza. The start from there
r made in the dawn 81 the second morning.
40 that the high contain section Ia trav-
.rsed by daylight First the route lies
through country rich in fruit and vine
culture. Narrow valleys. carefully irrigated
and planted. are full Of verdurs
The mountain region 10 reached AZ an eleo
sation n i..o meters or about a.2So feet
Down tho visras Of the valleys. snowciad
s'~n RISING above the barren rocks The
air IL 10 clear that the peaks s-sm hardly !
4 mile away. though some Of them are twenty
n thirty mile~ DIS ant The thin atmo.-
phers produces a sort Of eXhilaraiion in
.hos' VINO breathe It string at res, in the
rain. and the brillian"y o. the light gives
he scenery an extraordinary charm A.
'Ien'e del Inca n wonderful natural rock .
bridge over mountain torrent Is passed .
] hen the cog road begins and the long tun-
ael IL spon reached
Deacer ding on the Chilern side i- trial /
wen to strong nerves Tho tr lin seems TO
,ang n the side Of the Gins over immeas-
irahle depths. Sometimes the streams
melt M from the glaciers far above dish
own the 9ulie- in awful cstaracts. from
which p.nnacles OF rock tower in fsnt latic
hape- The train. though held carefully
n che'k by the cog and rack apparatus.
Gems to 30 at headlong speed. and at times
ppslrs to be d1shinx inevitable over the
ire ipice 90 de>truct on when the line W inds