170 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[February i, 1910. 



THE TRACK OF THE MADEIRA-MAMORE RAILWAY. 



has guaranteed the construction of a railway along the 

 Madeira to compensate to some extent for the taking away 

 of the Acre from Bolivia, and the construction of such a 

 road is in progress under conditions which give every promise 

 of its completion in the near future. Starting from the head 

 of navigation on the lower Madeira, this road has been sur- 

 veyed to reach a point some 200 miles distant from the 

 M; more, the largest of the many rivers which converge to 

 form the Madeira. 



THE LATE LIEUTENANT GIBBON. 



The Madeira-Mamore railway, according to Mr. Craig, the 

 chief historian of this enterprise, originated in recommenda- 

 tions made by Lieutenant Lardner Gibbon, U.S.N., in 185J. 



The exploration of the valley of the Amazon, under .tne 

 direction of the United States navy department, in the early 

 fifties, as already mentioned, was conducted by Lieutenant 

 William Lewis Herndon, assisted by Lieutenant Gibbon. 

 Being commissioned to explore the sources of the Amazon, 

 they decided to conduct separate expeditions, parting at 

 Tarma, in the department of Junin, in the interior 

 of Peru — their start having been made, it will be 

 kept in mind, at Lima, on the Pacific coast. Hern- 

 don found his way as speedily as possible to the 

 waters of the Amazon itself, while Gibbon ex- 

 plored wholly or in part the Madre de Dios, Beni, 

 Mamore, and other streams, and finally, the Ma- 

 deira, from the uppermost cataract to the conflu- 

 ence of this river with the Amazon, going thence to 

 Para. 



Gardner, at his death, was the oldest ex-officer of 

 the United States navy. He passed away at his 

 home at Holmesburg, near Philadelphia, on Jan- 

 uary 10. Born in Philadelphia August 13, 1829, he 

 was appointed midshipman when about 15 years of 

 age. After having made a worldwide reputation as 

 an explorer, and having won the title of lieutenant, 

 he resigned from the navy before the civil war, 

 during which conflict he served in the navy of the 

 Confederate States, being bound by ties of blood 

 to the Southern cause. He married Miss Alice 

 Shepard, of Newbern, North Carolina, who died 

 seven years ago. He was the son of Dr. John H. 

 and Catherine (Lardner) Gibbon. His remains lie 

 at All Saints' Church, Torresdale, Philadelphia. 



THE LATE COLONEL CHURCH. 



George Earl Church was born December 7, 1835, 

 at New Bedford, Massachusetts, of English ances- 

 tors who were among the earliest in the new world 

 and who contributed notably to American history. 

 Left early without a father, and with the help only 

 of a public school education gained at Providence, 

 Rhode Island, at the age of 17 he decided upon 

 civil engineering for a career, in which he had at- 

 tained some distinction by the time he was 21. 



At that time a financial crisis occurred in the 

 United States, and Mr. Church found himself in 

 South America, where the Argentine government 

 appointed him on a commission to explore the fron- 

 tiers, and here he again distinguished himself. The 

 American civil war breaking out now, Mr. Church 

 returned home and entered the forces of the Union 

 as a captain of infantry from Rhode Island. His 

 career as a soldier was most creditable, and marked 

 by many promotions. After the war Colonel 

 Church for a while was engaged in railway 

 engineering. 



While General Grant was president, after a con- 

 sultation with- the late Matias . Romero, the minis- 

 ter from Mexico at Washington, Colonel Church was en- 

 trusted with a delicate and important mission to the latter 

 republic, which resulted successfully. Church next occupied 

 a responsible editorial position on the New York Herald. 



Indirectly Colonel Church's experience in Mexico led to his 

 being invited by the government of Bolivia to undertake the 

 opening of that country to commerce by way of the Amazon. 

 The history of his life from that time, for a number of years, 

 was the story of promoting what today is known as the 

 Madeira-Mamore enterprise. As diplomat, engineer, and ex- 

 plorer, he labored until national jealousies had been over- 

 come, concessions acquired, charters granted, and capital 

 guaranteed. 



There is not space here for a record of the discouraging 

 developments in connection with the railway enterprise on 

 the Madeira which ultimately compelled the retirement from 

 the field of men so resourceful and courageous as George 

 Earl Church and his associates and supporters. His fore- 

 sight has now been vindicated, but the world's demand for 



MOSQUITO NETTING HEADGEAR AS USED FOR THE TROPICS. 



[Worn by Engineers on the Madeira-Mamore Railway.] 



