The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-11

ror more than two thousand mics
che republics of Argentina anu ~ w
are divided from one another ny q
rirantic barrier OF the Ahoes'
rreat Gs the continuous eieNasion
yhc range. so little commerciai i"tot
course can there be across H. 80 ""
ara She points at which it can be cross
a. eveu on foot by any travellers "ho
are not expert msuntaineers ina, 'ns
communications between those
ing on opposite sides OF the mountains
have been at all times very scah'y;
r.na contrast between the two sldes
a. marked For eight hundrd rnlies
south Of the Equator, the eastetn
slopes Of the Andean chsih na
ahundance of rain, while t"e cert, aA
plateau is dry and the western w
rltytty In r. waterless desert. But Az
the region which lies south OF the
frouic Of Capricorn, outside the re-
rion of trade winds, the exact re-
Verse holds In this southern sec.l"n
of the Andes il is the eastern sac tha'
lis dry and the western slde that - w.
fyAcsiise westerly wind< prevail. orInR
mn from the Pacific rair. clouds that
eratter their moisture on the heights
4hay their moisture on the nelEt
shpy first meet and have none teit l"
1estow on the Argentine Nlde OF III"
Cordllera.
Thss great dividing rang, checking
intercourse between the peoples on us
~ fants IL the dominant fact in the
ssoi,+{caf and economic life as well a.
in the physical geography 81 IN.
southern part Of the continent II
bas given these two neighbour peoples,
Chiieans aud Arg@ntine@, dibrFent
habits different characters and M
ferent history
The Dream OF Trausnndlne Italt-
Nay.
The fnfrc4uency of communication
across the uountajp~ was Increased
by the fact that most of the "oun-
tyv ON tho, enetern side, being sterile.
Was th{nly settled. So that there were
few neople who had any occasion I"
cross the mountains, while the APP
proach "a the passes was difiicuit' tof
there was little food or shelter 20 ne
had along this track.
In the middle of the sixteenth cen
fury. however, Mendoza, the spanish
governor of Peru. founded on the Al
renttne side the town which stu bears
b;x ra,oe Placed at the foot of the
mountains on the banks of stream
descending from the glaciers of Aeon
ra1,a. IL WAS a well-watered spot IN
thirsty land. and population Slowly
gathered to IL.
As Argentina began 10 fill up with
settlers in the latter half of the nine
teenth century and as railways be-
Fan to be pushed farther and farther
finland from the Atlantic coast. the
notion of making railway across
the Andes began 10 dawn on enter
nrising minds. At last an English
company built "A railroad up to THIS
town of Mendoza, and nothing remain
ed except TO pierce the belt OF noun
tain country. That, however, was no
simple matter.
The Formidable Coriiilcra Barrier.
The belt is indeed of no great width.
rhe Cordillera has here narrowed 1t
self down to single very LOFTY ridge
Yhs SUBMITS OF which are from 49,
600 to $4,000 feet in height. There
are transverse lower ridges running
at right angles TO the main chain.
both westward towards the Pacific
and eastward to the Argentine plain,
but as these ridges average only thir-
fv-fye miles in length on the latter
and twenty Ave on the former side,
the whole distance from the low Coun-
try on the eastern side 10 the low
country on the western, does not cX-
/. ceed seventy miles. which is less than
the width of the much less lofty chain
Of the Alps at the point where the
Gothard railway crosses It.
The central ridge Of the Cordillera
ts. however. SO continuously lofty. and.
Its slopes so steep as to be passable
for beasts OF burden AZ very few points
ard then only during the summer
months. Among these points that
which has for a long time, probably
from days before the Spanish con-
Guest, been most in use, IL the Espal-
iata Pass. So called from place about
flfteen miles west Of Mendoza on the
mule track which runs from that town
towards the mountains.
AS population Increased, there was
ut last substituted for the mule track
road passable hy vehicles. Finally
: in 1887, a railroad began TO be con
structed up the long and winding
river valley which leads from Men
doza to the main chain. while on
the Chilean side, another railway built
up the shorter valley which rises to
the western foot Of the same ridge.
A Railroad of Extraordinary Scenery.
Thereafter the work of construction
stopped for good while. passengers
continuing to cross the ridge on foot
or mule back. or IN vehicles which
painfully climbed the steep track that
led over the top. At last tunnel
under this ridge was bored, and the
whole line opened for traffic in 1909,
The tunnel liz only two and half
miles long. much shorter than those
which penetrate the Alps at the Sim
pion. the Gothard and the Cents. But
It's height above sea-level I2.00o fee)
Is much greater and the scenery along
the line more striking. RI any other
trunk line OF railroad in the world
txAyerses region 80 axtraordinary, 1t