Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-09-30


through San Salvador, the capital, and
San Vincente, San Miguel to La Union,
on the Gulf of Fonseca, the line has
been completed and maintains more
or less regular schedule. Three coun-
tries face on this body of water and
the proposed route encircling it will
run for some 20 miles in Honduras and
So miles in Nicaragua to Chinandega.
Concessions have been granted for the
construction of both of these links.
From Chinandega to Granada, on
Lake Nicaragua, the line is in opera
ton, a stretch Of 103 miles. The PAN
American traveller can here take
boat and journey for the next 60 miles
on the lake.
The next stage Of the journey, how
ever, is the most trying of all, for
Costa Rica has not yet completed a
single mile of north and south rail-
road that might be included in the
Pan-American scheme, although rail-
road construction between the coast
and the interior was began in this
country as early as 1854. Panama like
wise has done little to connect the ex-
tremes of the country by rail.
The really difficult construction
problems, however, lie between Pana-
ma and the unconnected sectors along
the backbone of South America. First,
in Colombia there are the jungles and
dense woods Of the lower reaches of
the River Sucio. Then a long hard
climb over the Pass of Carmajata to
the Cauca valley. Near Medellin are
several short pieces Of track that
might be incorporated in the itin-
erary of the present-day follower of
the trail. Recent dispatches from Co
lombia state that survey of the route
as far as Popayan, approximately half
the distance IL this country, has been
authorized.
Difficult Engineering.
Across the border in Ecuador a 160-
mile piece has been completed be-
tween Quito and Alausi, while surveys
have been proposed for the country
in the vicinity of Lola, near the Pc
ruvian border. This construction in
Ecuador, and over the Sabanilla pass
into Peru, will involve some Of the
most difficult bits of engineering in
the entire project, foE the continental
divide is crossed and recrossed sew
eral times. Many summit spurs are
surmounted at heights Of 1900
to $4,000 feet. At Cerro del Pasco,
mining center and one Of the highest
human habitations in the world (14,300
feet), the line begins again today and
continues unbroken for 145 miles to
Huancayo. Then comes the last and
largest unfinished gap, 521 miles, APP
proximately, between this mining city
and Cuzco, the beginning of the line
to Buenos Aires, with fairly frequent
service.
The most newly completed sector
is entirely within the Republic of
Bolivia, extending from the Argentine
border city, La Quiaca, northwest
through tortuous mountains to Atocha,
well up on the lofty plateau Of Bo-
livia. At it's southern terminal it con.
meets with the extensive railway sys
TEN Of Bolivia, and through them with
the lines of Uruguay and Brazil. At
Atocha it is possible to make rail con-
nections with Pacific coast ports and
central Bolivia and to continue north
as far as Cuzco, Peru. The latter trip
includes a 125-mile journey the length
of Lake Titicara.
Despite its comparative shortness
this new line is one of the most i'm
portant internationally south Of the
Rio Grande. 1t not only makes pos.
| sible an uninterrupted rail journey Of
nearly 1000 miles from Buenos Aires,
but through its connections farther
| north with lines leading to the Pa.
cific at Antofagasta and also at africa,
presents a second trans-Andean rail
road, no little accomplishment when II
is considered that railroads mus scale
| the Andes at attitudes equal to those
] of the peaks Of Switzerland's loftisSt
mountajnR