Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1915-05-14

fStuSe, u. S. A., in the Pan-Amerlcan Union.
But it is impossible do hear you say? Just
a moment, while l quote you few, very few,
facts and figures. The Oroya railway (El Fer
EOcarril Central del Peru is monument to the
genius of Henry Meiggs, an American or, rather
u should say, United-States- of-North-Am erican
for in the southern hemisphere the term "Ameri
icano' is not very definite and usually find
ourselves indexed under M to distinguish
from the United States of Colombia, United Mex
ican States, etc. Callao the Pacific terminus of
the Oroya railway, and of the principal ports
of Peru is six days by boat south of Panama.
Lima, the "City of Kings" Peru's capital is
six miles from Callao, and is located broad
tableland about five hundred feet above the
The opening of the Panama canal will undoubt-
eddy stimulate travel to South America, and of
all parts of the continent Peru is wonderfully
rich in natural wonders and historical back
ground
The Oroya railway was begun in 1869 Begin
ming at Callao it climbs steadily to elevation
OF 1866 feet above level, where the divide
lis crossed through the Galera tunnel, at mile
100 The Morococha branch rises to elevation
i75,865-the highest point reached by any railroad
in the world. At Oroya mile 1885, the road d.
vides, one branch going north to the famous
Cerro de Pasco copper mines, the other 80 miles
south to Huancayo, with a projected extension
to Cuzco, the old Inca capital. which has had
rail connection with the sea at Mollendo for sew
eral years. Another branch about three hundred
ern slope of the Andes to the head of navigation
the Ucayali river one of the important upper
tributaries of the Amazon.
The Oroya road is not only the highest in the
world but there is no other which lifts its breath
less passengers to any such altitude in such
zppallingly short distance To climb as the
Oroya climbs, Hudson river train leaving New
York city would have to ascend half an hour be-
fore it reached Albany. distance 1000 feet
greater that that from sea level to the summit
of Pixies Peak. The daily passenger train leaves
Callao in the forenoon and reaches Oroya late in
the afternoon AS there night trains on
account of the great danger rocks falling down
in the track, the round trip ordinarily requires
two days. Since there is a continuous down
grade from the Galera tunnel to the sea- an op-
portunty is offered for the most unique hand
ride in the world.
Through the courtesy of the general manager
OF the line afforded exceptional facilities
for making the trip. His private car was at
tached to the evening train fol- Chosica fash
Ionable resort about thirty-hve miles out of Lima,
at elevation of about two thousand eight hun
dred feet For an hour or wound through
wide irrigated valley. fat and prosperous look
ing, with plantations of sugar and cotton
fenced in by mud walls the roofs of hacienda
showing and then over the green Beyond
that the bare brown mountains-high enough it
seemed, yet really more than foothills-shut
In and shouldered upward tier on tier behind
each other, yellow and terra Gotta and tawny
brown. occasionally flashing through slit in
Aher tanks the snowy shoulders of peaks miles
and miles away, to which we were to climb. At
Chosica was sidetracked for the night,
dinner served aboard and we turned in to
he ready for early start the next morning
About a. m. were awakened by our car
being picked up by the morning freight, whose
schedule had been advanced several hours for
our special bSE.eft The real climb now began