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INTERNA'i'TONAL AMERICAN CONFERENCE. 137
A r.ontrac:t was Jn:tdc hy tl1e Govf'l'IImcnt in 188:í (a copy of whicl1 is fonnd in the
Rcport. of till' ~onth American Cornmission) wit.h M. P. Grace to construd a railway
Lctwcen Oro,y~t anü Cerro lle Paseo, wl.lich at tbe cnd of ninety nine years ::;hall revert
to the Govcmment. 'l'his inclnded the unconstrncted section of tbe Oroya
Railway between Cbicla Oroya. Tbe company was also to have the preference
in the constrnction of rail ways from any part of the line from Chiclato Tarma and
Cbauchamayo. The sectiou from Cbicla to Oroya was to be completed in four years
from tbe date of the contract, with a penalty attached for its non-completion.
All articles necessary for tbe cornt)letion and operat.ion of tbe line were to be im–
ported free of duty. To complete it to Oroya and Cerro de Paseo is 8;) miles, aud of
tbis part mucb of tbe beavy work anrl tunneling is alreacly :finisbed Cerro do Paseo
i tbe heart of the miuiug region. There is an immcnse basiu 2-! miles in lengtb and
a,lJout 11; miles in width, in whicb harilly a shovelful of eartb can be turned without
silver.
The higbest point on this road is 15,634 feet, and tbe mines tbemselves are 14,:300
feet above the sea.
Tbis cornpany owns the Cerro de Paseo Rrtilway, rnnniug from the mines to their
mill and the surronnding estates, u ed for the transportation of freíght an<l passeu–
gers. The total length was 22 miles, of \Yhich () nre built. The estimated
co t was $1,300,000, npon which tbe Government guaranties 7 per ccnt., work
was begun in 1869, nnder a contract with Henry O. Wyman & Co.
It is proposed to extend th1s road toa point caJled Chancbacayo, the heacl of stcam
navigation on the Amazon, and preliminary . nrveys llave becn made. The entire
distance from Callao to this poiut is only 210 miles.
A bra.ncb of thé Oroya roa<l bas also been projected to Jauja.
Anotber raíl wa.y to form a connection with t!Je Oroya roa!l has been surveyed umler
Government supervi ion from Cerro de Paseo to Port Salvation, 204 miles distant, on
tbe river Pichis, a stream flowinginto the Pachitea,, oue of tbe Peruvian head,vaters
of tbe Amazon. .
Lima railways, from Callao to Lima, 8.5 miles, and from Lima to Chorillos, 9 miles;
gauge 4 feet 1 incbes. Tbese lines are owned by a British corporation, r egistered
in 1865, to acquire and work two n¡,¡lways helcl nnder concessions from tbe Peru–
vian Governmeut, the :first section (Callao to Lima) of wbich was bnilt by local
capitalists under a concession grantecl in li:i48, and the second (Lima and Cborillos)
built by local capitalists under a concessiou granted in 1855. Original cost of both
1,200,000.
Pi~co lea Railroad, from port of Pisco to lea, 46 miles; with r. branch to
Macacona, 1 mi le; gauge, 4 teet 8t incbes. Tbis line was huilt by a prívate company,
bnt afterward pnrchased by thc Peruvian Governrnent. lts co t, $1,450,000, i repre–
sented by bonds bearing 7 per cent. interest, which has beeu in default since 1 75.
The road was formerly leased by eñor Boza. -..
At lea. there is a rich mining and agricultura! region, silver, gold, anrl copper being
found, hut tbe great mineral product is iron. This valley is famons for its grapes,
and is also proli:fic in otber fruits. Tb.e mountaius would make it difficnlt to extend
thisline to tbe ea tward, but if extended to tbe it wonld pas through a
ycry rich region. No snrveys, however, have heen made for this purpose.
Mollendo and Areqztipa Railroad, from tbe port of Moliendo to the interior city of
~r~l}nipa, 107 miles, where connection is made with the Arequipa, Puno and Cuzco
Kailroad. The constrnction was begnn in 1 68, and the line was opened in 1870.
The road was locatecl by Johu L. Thorndyke, of New York, and is owned by the
Peruvian Government, uy wbom it was origiually leased to Henry Meigg . The total
cost was $2,000,000. The guage is 4 fcet ! iuche , and thc mil steel, 63 pounp.s to
tbe yard. Tbe maximum grade is 4 per éent.; the mínimum radius of curves 352
feet.
4 requ.ipa, Puno and Cuzco Railt·oad, a continuation of tbe above line from A.requipa