The West Coast Times. TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1910. THE TRANSANDINE RAILWAY SCHEME.

West Coast Times, 22 March 1910, Page 2

The West Coast Times. TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1910. THE TRANSANDINE RAILWAY SCHEME.

With reference to the cable message published a few days ago, concerning a suggested mail route via the Transandine railway, it goes without saying that any route which will shorten communication with London will naturally be welcomed, but at the same time it is felt that the route via South America will not compare with those via San Francisco and Vancouver. At Valparaiso there is no harbour, and ships have to stand out in the open roadstead. There are no trade prospects to be considered, as wheat and minerals are the main exports from the Chilean port. From Wellington to Monte Video, over the present trade mute, the distance is 5975 miles, and with an added train journey of some 1500 miles across South America, it was not considered that the saving will be very great. The Transandine railway scheme will rank among the most remarkable engineering achievements of the world. It is the first transcontinential line in South America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, forming one of the four outlets of isolated Chile to the rest of the world. The Transandine will shorten the distance between Western Europe and Australia by about 100 miles, and effect (it is anticipated) a saving of about nine days in the connection with Europe. The most serious engineering work has been in that portion of the route leading up to La Curabre Pass, 12,605 ft in height, where the Cordilleras have had to be pierced by a series of difficult tunnels, and the Abet system of cogs and racks employed for the safe and expeditious running of trains. On I one section of thirty-two miles there are 113 bridges, large and small, ami in the mountains huge avalanche sheds /wifi protect the line from the enormous masses of snow liable to be precipitated upon it. Near La Curabre Pass the great spiral tunnel, perhaps one of the longest of its kind, and most difficult to construct in the world, lias been made. It is 9941 ftt in length, and was built by W. R. Grace and Co., of Loudon and New York, the contract price being 6,509,775 dollars. This was com- ' pleted in November last, and it is expected that by Juno next the last section of the line will he finished. Through traffic will be inaugurated in March 1911, by which time the whole scheme will have taken thirty-seven years to carry out.