Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-25
Times-Dispatch
TraUelogues
Interesting Places Throughout
the World About Which You
Read Described in Word Pic
tures-Picturesque Nooks and
Corners Explored = -

tures-Picturesque hooks and
Corners Explored = -
CARACAS. VENEZUELA, August "a.
For moro than 800 years Caracas,
capital city of Venezuela. was accessi-
BILE from La Guaira, it's port town, only
by an old Spanish trail, which in the
very early days OF the country the
Indians had traced across the noun
tains that range along the northern
coast. 1t was not until 1883. after sew
eral. attempts had been made to build
Il railroad, that Caracas finally was
connected by rail with the hot little
town that gives the republics chief
city its outlet to the sea. In that year
an cnterprising American. who several
years before had come to Venezuela
as minister or consul from the United
States, completed the work on the La
Guaira and Caracas railway, and i'm
mediately opened the line to traffic.
which but for an infrcquent landslide
or revolution has continued uninter-
rupted ever since. The line to-day Is
one OF the finest narrow-gauge noun
tain railways in the world
Long before 1883 Caracas had felt
the need OF a railroad to give it's in
habitants, who numbered several thou
sands, the food and supplies that for so
long had been insufiiciently carried
over the mountains by pack train of
mules. Different citizens of the coun-
try had schemes for putting the road
through. but when siftcd to the bottom
these all revealed crookedncss. One
dreamer had an idea for building
tunnel through the mountains. but be-
cause he wanted for himself all the ore
that should be taken out through the
process OF boring the tunnel, the gov
| eminent refused him permission to
carry out the project. There finally
arrived in Caracas representative Of
tho United States government one Will
liam A. Pile, who was destined to build
the road. He did it, however, but only
after he had charmed President Guz-
man Blanco.
PILE RENDERED MUCH
THOROUGH ADVICE
When Pile first arrived as a repre-
sentative OF the United States govern
ment he incurred the enmity of Venc-
zuela's President by telling him a few
things that ought to be done in order
to make Venezuela a better country.
Then, being at disfavor with President
Guzman. the Yankee decided he would
get through with foreign service for
the United States. He Immediately
I esiGned. But he had seen the possibil-
ties OF making money in Venezuela, so
in order to get into favor with Presi-
dent Blanco again. he became a gem
eral in the Venezuelan army. and while
in this capacity introduced few new
methods that pleased the President,
who Immediately accepted him as
friend once more Enterprising Pile
then came forward with the proposal
for constructing n railway from La
Guaira to Caracas. The plans seemed
good that the President commits
stoned Pile to 60 ahead with the pro-
ject. Within two years thereafter the
energetic Yankee had the road ready
for the operation of trains. He had
put it through in less than half the
time that engineers considered it could
be done.
Indeed. there were many skeptics at
that time who doubted the road ever
would be completed, even after Pile
had begun the construction Of it.
This mountain railroad is twenty
, three miles in length and rises to the
summit of Catia, n height of 3.l20 feet
above the level of the sea. and from
this point it descends to the city of
Caracas, which stands at an altitude
of 5000 feet. The gradient on most of
the line is that of about per cent
from the coast to the capital. and the
average gradient over all the line is
about per cent. In the whole length
OF the railway there are only two
tioning.
So substantially, however. did Will
liam Pile build his project and so care
fully is the road operated that its his
tory is still unmarried by the record OF
single accident in which a train has
been damaged or a life lost. There
have been few landslides. but these
the road itself.
The La Guaira and Caracas railway
offers the visitor an enjoya BILE trip. AS
the train pulls out OF La Guaira II
takes its way along the shore and into
the town Of Maquetia, which was
founded in 1870 by wandering Spanish
Indians, whose descendants are still to
be found living on the outskirts of the
village. After leaving Maquetia the
road begins its ascent TO Caracas.
Crossing the bridge OF Pariata, it fol-
lows the bend OF the foothills away
from the sea and crosses the old Span
ish trail by which Amyas Preston and
his men marched to the attack Of Cara
cas-. Then it climbs the rocky hillside
northward until the red tiled roofs OF
the town are directly below. Beyond
is panorama of La Guaira and its
harbor. while eastward as far as the
eye can reach headlands project them
selves out from the coast line. Be-
meath is the tropical landscape fringed
with plantations of coconut palms.
The road then runs on. following the
mountain curves parallel with the sea
until 1t reaches Manonga, Guarapo and
Zamuro. where a break in the hills
runs far into the coast range. Below,
standing alone in the plain. is the old
leper hospital. and beyond il rises bar
rem and white against the blue Carib-
bean the mountain named Cabo Blanco
The line climbs on, making a horseshoe
curve, then snakes it's way onward un-