The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-04-20

Prepared by National Geographic Society,
Washington, d. C.-WNU Service.
TSHE Andes, rooftops of the West
ern hemisphere, have frequently
stirred the imaginations of engi-
neers. The building Of early
Spanish trails across these mountains
was among the feats Of colonial days;
the Trans-Andean railroad was one of
the outstanding engineering achieve
ments of its time; and more recently
the laying Of the cable that links Ar
gentina and Chile by voice added an
other chapter to engineering progress
In South America.
Drawing fee, accident and avalanches,
North American and Chilean engineers,
by sheer strength and persistence,
dragged the heavy cable up and over
the freezing, wind-swept mountain
passes, blocked with drifts for months
each year. Deep snow here causes
frequent slides, or avalanches, before
which even the stoutest poles are as
wheat straw in Kansas cyclone. So,
to keep the cable from being swept
away, workmen dug a ditch many
miles long, over the higher Andean
wastes, and buried the cable in 1t.
Near the tiny hamlet of Las Cuevas,
on the Argentine side Of the Andes,
the line reaches a point 1890 feet
above sea level. By contrast, the SUBJ
marine telegraph cable off the coast Of
Chile rests on sea bottom in 81 900 feet
Of water, showing the amazing physi-
cal geography in this part of the
world.
Dangerous and difficult though these
lonely Andean passes are, stubborn
man has long used them in his rest
less transit across South America.
Toiling on foot or shouting and ston-
ing their lazy llama pack trains, ma
tive races of long ago travelled the
worn trails that parallel the winding
Aconcagua river, up ever-narrowing
canyons, under cliffs, and along the
edges of dizzy precipices.
In the glittering days Of Spanish
viceroys, when the king of Spain ruled
much Of South America through his
agents at Santiago de Chile, pack
trains and soldiers used these same
Andean trails to reach Tucuman, Cor
doba, and ancient Cuyo country.
Broke Off From Spain.
In these same bleak passes where
the big cable now carries spoken
words, once echoed the shouts of San
Martins famous Army of the Andes"
when Chile and the Argentine, more
than century ago, wrested indepen-
dence from Spain.
For much of its length cable paral-
lels the well-known track" railroad
crossing the Andes. It took years to
build this difficult railway, whose max
imum grade is per cent.
At Mendoza, on the Argentine side
Of the Andes, you leave the standard
track and transfer to narrow-gauge
coaches. For several hours a locomo-
tive Of the adhesion type draws the
train. Finally when grades grow steep
er, your engine crawls on the toothed
rails of the ''rack" system. AS you
climb slowly higher and higher, tun-
nels and snowsheds increase in num-
Der and length. Vegetation disappears.
To make this trip in June or July,
which is midwinter there, is to see
the Alps of South America in all their
glistening glory. Sometimes snowplows
precede your train. In July. 1880,
scores Of passengers were delayed
many days at each end of the Trans
Andean line, waiting for 25-foot drifts
to be cleared. Up in these passes re-
sort hotels have risen, and holiday
seekers come from Valparaiso, Santi-
ago. Buenos Aires, and Montevideo for
winter sports. One even sees soldiers
training on skis.
Winding ever upward, the road runs
In the shadow of Mount Tupungato,
21,550 feet high, and past an odd rock
formation known as 'The Penitents,"
from its resemblance to a procession
Of cowled monks. Then you stop at
Puente del Inca, strongly formed
natural bridge which gives the district
its name. Just beyond this bridge, If
the day is clear, you can glimpse great
Aconcagua, highest mountain In the
Americas, whose snow-capped peak
rubs the sky 23,0S0 feet above the
sea.
Christ Of the Andes.
At Las Cuevas the westbound train
crawIs into the mountain side from
Argentina to emerge on Chilean soil.
Over the hill through which this two