THE MOST WONDERFUL RAILROAD IN THE WORLD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 76, 4 February 1879, Page 3

THE MOST WONDERFUL RAILROAD IN THE WORLD.

• [FEOJt illß RAILWAY AGE,] . Tho Callao, Lima Oroya Railroad, gen-erally-known as the Oroya Railroad, now the Trans-Andino Railroad, is probably ■tho.most wonderful railroad in existence. It was contracted for by Henry. Meiggs in 1869, at as cost of 21,804,000d015., or 27,000,000d015. in bonds. Work was begun in January, 18f0. "When commenced tho English Company had got the 1 right of way from Callao to Lima, and Mr Meiggs could get no special rates for his material. The enormous cost of freighting everything for his road would make it ruinous to build. Ono day there suddenly appeared hundreds of men, evidently making a railroad from Lima to Callao. Tho En jdijLcompany went to see about it, and tliengot.ont an injunction to stop the work. Mr Meiggs calmly asked them whose land the workmen were on, and t\fen tlioy found he had quietly bought up all that land, and was building a private road on his own grounds and for his own use. Leaving Callao the road to Lima is in tho finest condition. Ballasted with cobble stones no dust arises; trains every half hour; fare forty cents; four separate depots accomodate different parts of the city. No ono who makes a round trip on this road ever repents it, and seldom desires a second. The heights and distances are so great fl-iit few heads arc not affected. From San Mateo to Anchi the road passes through the " Infcrnillos" (Little Hell). Nearly perpendicular walls from 2,000 ft to 3,000 ft hem in the river Riinac, having a width of from 200 to feet: At first it was proposed to make a cut in the side of these mountains, but fearing the falling of loose rock, it was decided to tunnel. Miners were let down with ropes one quarter and one-half mile long to certain indicated points on the rocky wall every 500 ft more or less, and after tlioy had entered a few feet began to work to the right and left, using the entrance as a place from whence to throw the oxcavatcd material. About midway a bend in tho river made it necessary either' to make a dangerous curve or span the chasm. The latter was' chosen, and now a bridge unites the tunnel about 'IOO feet above the river bed. Emerging from tho second of these tunnels at Anchi, the Riniac is re-crossed, and the road follows up the river 1 ilanco a few miles, which it crosses, and then enters a mountain, where it turns around in a curved tunnel, and emerging a few hundred feet above,' recrosses the river and returns, passes Anchi, and continues up tho river Bimac, At Chicla, a few miles further, tho road passes ths town, returns, crosses its own track and the Rimac, turns and passes again, aud reserving, returns and again doubles itself, having ; assed Chicla five times- Tho view from the summit, 15,0G8 feet, at the entrance to the Ualera tunnel is not so imposing as at the other points. A plateau of a few miles square, with lakelets and patches of snow, and surrounded by peaks many covered with snow, ia all one sees Jut the oppression of breathing, the quickened pulse (130 to M 0 per minute), the dull, dizzy head, and the cold frosty air make an impression ono never forgets.