Industrial and commercial South AmericaPeck, Annie S. (Annie Smith)
History
Industrial and commercial South America
Peck, Annie S. (Annie Smith)
South America; South America -- Economic conditions -- 1918-
=Bolivia-Antofagasta Railway.= The journey to La Paz from Antofagasta,
on the Chilian coast 400 miles below Arica, occupies two days for the
718 miles. This, the earliest of Bolivian railways, with Oruro for
years as the terminus, in 1911 was continued to La Paz, _i.e._, to
Viacha (15 miles from La Paz), where it meets the road from Guaqui,
the two forming a long link in the Pan American chain. The later road
now has its own line into the city. At Uyuni, where there is a Custom
House and a change of cars, the road turns off towards Chile. From
Ollague on the Chilian border, a 58-mile branch runs to the Collahuasi
copper mines, among the richest in the world. A Bolivian extension is
now being made along the plateau to connect with the Argentine road
from La Quiaca to Buenos Aires. Already Atocha has been reached; 60
miles remain to Tupiza, and 66 more to La Quiaca, the terminus of the
Argentine railway to the border. An automobile service is operated in
the dry or winter season from Atocha to La Quiaca, making the journey
in eight hours. The rest of the year one goes on muleback. Thus by the
weekly train from La Quiaca to Buenos Aires in 48 hours, the entire
journey, 2000 miles, may be made from La Paz much more quickly than by
way of Chile, in case one does not wish to go there. This route also
serves when the Trans-Andine is blocked by the winter snow.
=Other Argentine connections= are planned. A branch railway is to be
built from La Quiaca or possibly from Orán to Tarija, about 82 miles;
meanwhile it is expected to construct an automobile road for the
service. A railway extension from the Argentine boundary farther east,
hoped for in the near future, is from Embarcación to Yacuiba, thence to
Santa Cruz, thus opening the cattle region of the Chaco, of Chuquisaca,
and Santa Cruz for the export of cattle through Buenos Aires.
=Several Branches.= Farther north important branches to the interior
are already in operation. The first, opened in 1912, was from the
station, Rio Mulato, 130 miles south of Oruro, to far famed Potosí.
This section, 108 miles long, climbs to a height of 15,814 feet, the
second highest altitude reached by rail, following the Morococha branch
of the Central Peruvian. The cost was over $8,000,000, the maximum
grade three per cent. The trip occupies eight hours; there is weekly
service. The Oruro-Cochabamba Line was completed in 1917; its length
132 miles, its cost above $10,000,000. It crosses the Cordillera at
about 14,000 feet. This road is equally important, opening up a fine
agricultural and well populated district. Its fine scenic attractions
should allure the tourist. Food is very expensive on the plateau, but
with improved access to the warmer sections, lower prices and greater
variety of fruits and vegetables may be expected above.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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