River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-08-11

Up F YOU follow up the course of the
81 Amazon and Madeira rivers on the
map two-thirds across South
"a America you will finally come to
an San Antonio, from which a black
line marked "R R. under con-
struction" stretches southwest for
210 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 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 off man
kind. But at last the railroad builders
are about to conquer it, and it 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,
this railroad for commercial and dip
lomatic reasons. After much CORE
spondence, in 1873 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
lins, and it was known as the Collins
expedition. The construction gang was
800 strong when it embarked. Fifty
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
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 New York were wrecked off
Hatteras and nearly all drowned. 9th
ers followed, the scum of the cities, lis
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
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tools and engines in the forests; left
unburied dead where the construction
camps had worked; left fifty-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-five died on the
trail.
The products of 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 Madeira-Mamore
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, a 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 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 fever-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, filtered running-water sup
ply was established, and an electric
light plant installed and furnished IL
Illumination for streets and structures.
Houses for the men and the executive
staff were built, and club quarters
also. The structures were designed