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Show AN KVEST OP THR AG K. One of the most rcmnikablo evrnt? of the ace wc live in is now taking place in Peru. For two years past work hag been prorcs-inf: in the piani struggle of enterprise to pain the mastery mas-tery of the Titan Andean chain. Last July work commenced on the eastern terminus of the Lima Oroya railroad, which is beinir constructed under a contract con-tract for $7,000,0011 by Harry Meipp This road, which commences virtually at Callao, on the cast coast, is destined to cross an altitude of over 15.000 feet and terminate at Oroya, a little Indian town, at an altitude of 12,200 feet. Old Californians are prominent in nil tbeso new works. Jesse L, Wcttnore. who was well known in this cily during the "flush" times as o contractor, has assumed the great responsibility of superintending su-perintending tho construction from Oroya westward. The Inca Indians, commonly known in that country as "Cholof," are employed, being the only ones who can successfully operate at such high altitudes, where the rarity of the atmosphere prevents those who have been raised in low places from working. Tho bead camp and centre for supplies is now at Yauli, a small mining town, at about 14.500 feet Altitude. Eighteen miles of terrephin, or grading, have been finished, and this 1 month the work of making a tunnel i through the crest of the Andes has begun. be-gun. It will be worked from both ends, with a force of 1,500 Indians engaged en-gaged on it and in tho vicinity. The tunnel will be 3,000 feet in length, and elevated above tho pna higher than the summit of Mount Blanc. la an airline, air-line, it is distant from the western terminus ter-minus on the Pacific coast only about sixty miles. The gradient is for the most part two hundred aud twelve iec-t to the milo. or what is thore onllcd a four per cent, grade. Many expedients expedi-ents have been adopted in order to surmount the great engineering difficulties diffi-culties and to so lengthen the road to the best advantage for the purpose of continually gaining altitude. At one point above San Birtolomc, about forty-two miles from Callao, it has been found Dccessary to resort to a V which is simply a turn-table and a switch, whence the road takes an up grade in reverse direction for several miles, and again returns, forming in its course al most a figure 8. The difficulty experienced experi-enced in working at the eastern end may be at once comprehended when it is remembered that the mule trail by which all tools and provisions, with the exception of what may be obtiiued in the interior, passes over an altitude of 16,500 feet, amid a cluster uf peaks covered with , perpetual snow. It is hoped by this road to develop the mineral min-eral wealth of the Cordillaraes, which contests of silver ore. Coal has also been discovered in the vicinity of Oroya aud Yauli, whioh must eventually eventu-ally prove a valuable resourc3 io a country which ia totally destitute of timber. With the exception of some coal, which is rudely taken out and transported on the backs of lamas to fhe principal camps, at a cost of $20 per- ton, notbing oau be uL.Ui.iucJ tor fuel excepting dried turf "buffalo chips" (twenty-five cents a sack) and dried lama dutiR. The lattnr is pro-perved pro-perved by the ton for use in rude smelting smelt-ing in the mines. Thousands of sacks have been bought up for the railroad work, for burning lime, which abounds in that vicinity, etc. Such items as these will enable those who are unacquainted unac-quainted with the peculiarities of the country to appreciate the fact that this work, which has been begun, is one of the great event3 of the present age. |