Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-05-14

D.
BIT. it is impossible, do hear you say? Just
a moment, while quote you few. very few.
facts and figures The Oroya railway Gel Fer
rocarril Central del Peru is monument to the
geni1s of Henry Meiggs an American or, rather,
/ should say, UnitedStates- es-of-North-American.
for In the southern hemisphere the term "Amer
cano' is not very definite and we usually find
ourselves indexed under IN" to distinguish us
from the United States of Colombia, United Mex
lean States etc. Callao tho Pacific terminus OF
the Oroya railway, and one 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 a broad
tableland about five hundred feet above the
The opening of the Panama canal will undoubt-
edly stimulate travel to South America, and OF
all parts of the continent Peru is wonderfully
rich in natural wonders ant historical back
ground.
The oroya railway was begun in 1863 Begin
ming at Callao 1t climbs steadily to an elevation
of 1866 feet above level. where the divide
is crossed through the Galera tunnel. at mile
LOG. The Morococha branch rises to elevation
15.s65-the highest point reached by any railroad
in the world AT Oroya. mile 1873, the road d.
vides. one branch going north to the famous
Cerro de Pasco copper mines. the other so miles
south to Huancayo. with projected extension
to Cuzco the old Inca capital which has had
rail connection with the sea at Mollendo for
era years. Another branch, about three hundred
miles long, is under construction down the east
ern slope of the Andes to the head of navigation
tributaries of the Amazon.
The Oroya road is not on1: the highest in the
world but there is no other which lifts its breath
less passengers to any -uch altitude in such
appallingy short distance. To climb the
Oroya climbs, a Hudson river train leaving New
York city would have to ascend half an hour be-
fore 1t reached Albany, distance 1000 feet
greater that that from 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 no night trains on
account of the great danger or rocks falling down
in the track, the round trip ordinarily requires
two days Since there is continuous down.
grade from the Galera tunnel to the sea- op-
portunity is offered for the most unique hand
car ride in the world.
Through tho courtesy of the general manager
of the line We were afforded exceptional facilities
for making the trip His private was at
tacAed to the evening trair foi Chosica fash
ionable resort about thirty-fve miles out of Lima.
at an elevation of about two thousand eight hun
dred feet. For hour wound through
a wide irrigated valley. fat and prosperous look
ing, with plantations of sugar cane and cotton
fenced in by mud walls the roofs of hacienda
showing and then over the green Beyond
that the bare brown mountans-high enough. 1t
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
their fanks the snowy shoulders OF peaks miles
and miles away, to which were to climb At
Chosca our car was sidetracked for the night.
dinner was served aboard and we turned in to
be ready for an 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 benefit. The real climb now began.