Governor Montenegro's report to the Members of the Legislative Congress on 7th September 1904
English: Augusto Montenegro's Message of the Governor of the State of Pará. Delivered to the Members of the Legislative Congress on 7th September 1904. In Brazilian Review. Published on 18 and 25 September 1904. Page xv The Benjamin Constant Railway With the object of facilitating traffic between the Benjamin Constant Colony and the City of Braganca, my illustrious predecessor resolved to contract a Decauville line. The contract was signed with Guilherme Linde on 27th April 1900, and, in spite of the date for completion being twice extended, the line was not ready on 27th April 1903, as I acquainted you in my last yeas' message. I therefore appointed engineer A. Lemos to report on the progress of the work. It was with no slight difficulty that my instructions were complied with, as no plans or sections of the line, bridges, stations,culverts or the works, stipulated in the contract, were to be found. Even in the section where rails had been laid, everything was of a temporary character, the banks having been thrown up front side ditches in a flaunter as to impede the drainage and to cause water to accumulate and threaten the solidity of the earthworks, besides being very unhealthy. In but few of the cuttings had the sides been sloped, the earth front the excavations having been deposited along the crests; two of the culverts, one in dry-stone, and the other of 0m,60 and 0m,70 by 11m,15, in length on the highest bank were unsafe the iron sleepers having in than latter Instance been used for the covering. The two open culverts were also of a very temporary character; the rails had been laid without ballast, as stipulated in the contract letter F to be 0,m20 thick; the laying down or the sleepers was very wide apart, sometimes as much as a metre, thus seriously prejudicing the stability of the line and twisting and spoiling many of the rails; the hard wood sleepers stipulated in clause "F" of the contract were very few, and of the worst possible quality; the line had been located without proper survey or levelling, reverse curves occurring at intervals, others with several radii, while no levels had been left between up and down gradients, and, finally, not a single stipulation of the contract had been observed. Besides, it was impossible to continue laying the rails, even if Government had desired, because the bark "Agnes", with all the materials for the line, had been wrecked at Sapuenia, without completing the discharge, as contracted with the Insurance Company. The contract was therefore cancelled, and I commissioned engineer Lentos to continue the construction on account of the administration. The work is now complete, and the line ready for traffic. The Decauville Line that connects the port of Sapticatia with the Benjamin Constant Colony, starts from that port on the right bank of the river Caeté, one kilometer higher up than Braganca. It is of 0m,60 guage and constructed with steel rails, 9 kilos per lineal metre, laid on hard-wood sleepers squared on four faces, and measuring 0m,16 × 0m,12 × 0m,50 [?]. The total length of line is 17.658m,8, the width of the earthworks is 2m,40; maximum gradient 0m,20 and minimum 0m,00115; the length in tangents 14,283m,550 and in curves 3.875m,250; gradients measure 11.106m,250; levels 0,552m,3; the maximum radius in curves is 3,437m,7 and minium 102m,02. There are in all 28 curves, 7006m392 in cutting, 10,308m,029 in bank ; 2,791m3,637 [?] taken from side cuttings ; one landing pier at Sapticatia, 15m × 4m ; a bridge over the igarapé Cujubim ; three bridges; an open culvert ; one flat covered culvert 0m,60 × 0m,7 and 11m,5 long, 2 triangles ; 2 tanks; 2 stations and a shed for rolling stock and workshops. The railway possesses 2 locomotives, 2 passenger cars, 2 luggage cars, 2 platform cars of 10 tons, 2 timber waggons and 9 small wagons. A telephone line has been laid for the service of the line, that will put the Benjamin Constant station in communication with Braganca. Under the administration of Dr. Amynthas de Lentos the cost of these works to 31. July last was 93,177$078. The construction of the Benjamin Constant railroad is of the greatest importance to the town of Braganca. The line ought to be extended to Gurupy, thus making its length 45 kilometres in tall. When die Braganca Railway reaches this city the Benjamin Constant road will serve as a branch. It will then be necessary to construct, a bridge over the Caeté to connect it with the city of Braganca.