Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-27
|TRANS-AND|NE ROAD
BY Rail From Ocean to Ocean,
Tunneling the Andes.
THE AC0NCAGUA GROUP
Next to Inaccessible Himalayas,
Loftiest Mountains in World.
GEM-uKE LAKE OF INCAS
Crossing Chile and Argentina-Snow
Peaks, Vast Plains, Great and
Beautiful Cities.
BY THEODORE W. MOVES.

BY THEODORE W. MOVES.
Editorial Correspondence Of The Star.
Since 1910 South America has linked
Atlantic and Pacific by the steel rails of
a transcontinental railway line. This con-
nection is now made across all three
| Americas. North America boasts many
transcontfnental systems. connecting At
lantic and Pacific in four and half to
| five and a half days over more than
5000 miles Of track in each case. Cen
trail America unites the oceans in two
hours by the forty-seven miles Of track
between Colon and Panama. South
America now brings the two oceans In
touch in about forty hours of travel over
SSS miles of track
The latest, or South American, trans
continental line presents interesting and
| unique features. 1t connects the first
(Buenos Aires) and the third (SantiaSo)
| of South American cities. 1t thus unites
the capitals Of two of the three greatest
/ south American powers, leaving only
| Brazil with Rio out of the account. 1t
traverses the fertile plains and lofty
| mountains of the south temperate zone
the future seat of population and power
| In South America, the section correspond
| ing to the United States in the northern
| continent. 1t crosses or pierces the
Andes-that great barrier Of rock and ice
| running the length of the continental
| the point where the mountains of the
| Americas rise highest. attaining attitudes
surpassed In all the world by only few
| inaccessible Himalayan peaks. It quick
ems the worlds currents Of travel and
trade, bringing Buenos Aires. the New
York OF South America and Valparaiso,
| Its San Francisco, within less than two
days OF each other, as a substitute for
ten or eleven days of stormy and dan
gerous passage in polar seas through the
Straits Of Magellan.
Trans-Andine Railroad Experiences.
In last November "a month correspond
ing to May with us in the north temper
ate zone) l crossed from Pacific to At
lantic by the trans-Andine route. The
tunnel had been opened for travel about
six months. and perfect smoo.hness and
precision Of railway operation had not
yet been attained. The eastward trans
continental trip from Valparaiso or San
ttago to Buenos Aires requires, when the
trains run on schedule, a fraction over
two days, of which over one and one-half
days are spent in the train and a night
in the hotel at Los Andes, Chile, just be-
fore the trans-Andine settion of the road
Is reached. In my own case, however, in
stead Of staying nine hours at Los Andes,
as scheduled, remained there thirty
three hours while a serious break in the
cog rail section of the railroad was re-
paired. Then. after we had started, our
ineffective little locomotive gave out just
before we entered the tunnel which
pierces the Andes, and the three hours
came casually loafing along and picked
US up. sufiiced to make us lose our close
connection at Mendoza, on the Argentina
side of the Andes. with the express train
on the broad-gauge railway to Buenoi
Aires. So instead of staying at Men
doza only few minutes while changing
from the narrow-gauge mountain train,
We were compelled to remain there over
night and until about noon the next day,
with the result that four days were re-
quired to make trip scheduled for two
days. Judging from my own experience
and the corroborative testimony of some
others with whom / talked, should re-
port the mountain section Of the railroad
to be poorly constructed, the equipment
and rolling stock to be cheap and had.
and the repair and relief ARRANGEMENTS
to remedy defects as they develop to be
Inadequate or inefficient.
These decays In transcontinentalt transit,
while annoying to everybody and of seri-
Gus concern to travellers planning to make
close connection with steamships sailing
from Buenos Aires for Europe or the
United States. gave me an opportunity,
which would not otherwise have en-
joyed, Of enlarging pleasantly and profit
ably my South American experiences
The twenty-four hours Of delay at Los
Andes enabled me to get q mental photo
graph of a Chilean mountain town to add
to my impressions of Valparaiso and San
tiago. Valparaiso is the San Francisco Of
South America, in that it is the southern
continents greatest Pacific seaport; in
that 1t rises from the water in ter
ways, elevators and funicular railways.
on q series Of hills more numerous
and higher than those of CaHfornia's me-
| tropolis. and in that it has sprung phoe-
nfx-like and San Francisco-like from the
wreckage and ashes Of the disastrous
earthquake and fire Of 1905. The re-
generated Valparaiso. minus its squaNd
rookeries and with broadened streets0nd
new and handsome avenues. is. like the
new San Francisco. much handsomer
city than its destroyed predecessor. San
tiago Is progressive Chile's beautiful and
prosperous capital, with mountain en-
yironment including snow peaks $1,000
feet high, with broad, impressive avenues
like the Alameda, with fine public build
ings. attractive plazas and extensive park
system, including Cousino Parque, the
Quinta Normal, the PaFque Florestal and
! the hill park Of Santa Lucia. terraced
ers and castellated structures. rising like
the natural site Of a feudal castle several
hundred feet above the houses OF the city
and the plain on which Santiago IL built.
III LOS AIIuSS we eHJOy6O SuOW"HlOuut41n
views, and In the afternoon went with all
the world to the plaza, with Its pleasing
foliage its fountain and its tiled walks.
where on this particular day a fine
Austrian band discoursed sweet music for
| the delectation OF the crowd In the plaza.
| and Of mounted Chileans In gayly colored
ponchos. who listened, horseback. from
| the nearest street. This band had been
| to Santiago in Tie course Of a South
American visit at the expense OF Herr
| krupp. and was now returning to Buenos
Aires to take ship for home, and was de-
layed at Los Andes, as companions In
| misfortune. by the same railroad wreck
| that detained US.
Lake Of the Incas.
| The delay Of three hours at FL Portillo
| through a defect In our engine gave us
an intimate view OF the heart Of the
Andes. and supplied an experience which
compensated US for the loss Of the trip
over the Cumbre, passing the famous
statue, the Christ Of the Andes. on
| the Chilean-Argentina boundary by coach
| or on mule-back. the less comfortable but
more adventurous and exhilarating meth
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