The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-22
MAY COMPLETE LINE.
Which Will Connect Chile and the Ar
gentine Republic

Valparaiso, Chile, Nov. 23.-The de-
partment of public works has again Sc
riously taken under consideration the
proposition of constructing the Chilean
end of new Trans Andine railway. The
line, which official reports say will be
built at the earliest possible moment,
will connect the Argentine port of Bahia
Blanca with Lebu and will cross the
Andes in the foreign regions of Lon
quimay. The Argentine end of the new
trans continental has been completed to
within thirty kilometers of the Chilean
frontier, where work was halted to await
a like development on the western slope
of the Andes.
That Chile has not as yet built her
section Is due to difference of opinion
among government engineers as to the
most available route. Two counter pro-
iects have been urged in the chamber Of
deputies. These call for lines across the
mountains of central and northern Chile,
but the exhaustive report of Senior Do
mingo Duran, government expert, which
has Just been submitted, seems to have
settled the matter in favor of the south
ern pass. The bleak nature of the Andes
in the northern and central parts, with
the liability Of avalanches which might
block the line for months, has apparent
ly determined the government to COM
mence work in the south, where the for
ests of the high plateaus will hold the
sliding SHOWS.
At present semi weekly trains are run
ming regularly between Buenos Aires
and Valparaiso over the existing trans
Andine road which crosses the great
plateau through the Uspalata pass, H.
900 feet above the level of the sea. The
twice a week service, which was main
tanned before the great war, was discon-
tinued until fortnight ago, when it was
resumed because traffic across the Pana-
ma canal has created profitable pas
senger service for the South American
rans-continental. Many Americans are
now experiencing the thrill of crossing
the highest mountain range in the world,
and of seeing from car windows those
majestic peaks, the close hand view of
which has heretofore been reserved for
experienced and adventurous mountain
climbers.
The boundary line between the Ar
eentine and Chile consists of 1000 miles
OF Andean peaks, most OF Whlcn are over
$4,000 feet high and some which rise
to $4,000 feet. This massive barrier can
be crossed in but few places even by
men on foot, and the building of the
new transcontinental will be notable
engineering feat. 1t is expected that by
the time it has been completed the war
in Europe will have terminated and suffi-
Gent traffic for both lines will be avail
able.
At present the crossing from ocean to
ocean, Buenos Aires to Valparaiso, con-
sumes only 80 hours less time than on
any other continental line if the
isthmian roads at Tehuantepec and Pan
anna be excepted. At $3.50 in the MORN
ing the train leaves Buenos Aires. Reach
ing the mountains a change in a narrow
gauge cog-wheel road is made. When the
summit is gained the train is putting r.
600 feet above the level of the sea and
the international tunnel, nearly three
miles in length, is entered. Ten min
utes of darkness ensues and the train
bursts out into the binding light of the
high plateau which is Chile. The de-
scent is made more rapidly, still by cog
wheel road.