APPENDIX. 527 



IV. DOM PEDRO SEGUNDO RAILROAD. 



THE part taken by American engineers in this great undertaking 

 induces me to give here a short account of its history. 



The decree conceding to one or more companies the entire or 

 partial construction of a railway which, commencing in the munici 

 pality of Rio de Janeiro, should terminate in such points in the 

 Provinces of Minas and St. Paulo as should be most advantageous, 

 was promulgated in 1852. A company was organized with a capi 

 tal of thirty-eight thousand Contos of reis, or nineteen millions of 

 dollars ; the general plan being to construct a trunk line from the 

 city of Rio de Janeiro to the River Parahyba, a distance of about 

 G7 miles from the coast. A contract was made with an English 

 engineer, Mr. Edward Price, for the building of the first section of 

 this road, extending a distance of 38J- miles, from Rio de Janeiro to 

 Belem. For the construction of the second section, which embraced 

 the mountain barrier separating the valley of Parahyba from the 

 sea-coast, and in which the greatest difficulties were therefore to be 

 encountered, it was proposed by Senhor Christiano B. Ottoni, Presi 

 dent of the road, to employ American engineers, and if possible to 

 engage the services of men who had actually constructed railways 

 across mountain ranges in the United States. To this effect, 

 Colonel C. F. M. Garnett was engaged as chief engineer, and came 

 to Brazil in 1856, accompanied by Major A. Ellison, as his principal 

 assistant. Colonel Garnett remained in the country somewhat more 

 than two years, during which time the portion of the road known 

 as the second section, and extending from Belem to Parahyba, was 

 laid out and its construction commenced, surveys being also made 

 of the branches up and down the river, constituting the third and 

 fourth sections. On Colonel Garnett s departure, Major Ellison re 

 mained as chief engineer, having his brother, Mr. Wm. S. Ellison, 

 associated with him in the direction of the road. In July, 1865, at 



