628 



APPENDIX. 



which time the road was actually completed as far as Barro de 

 Pirahj, the company being unable to raise funds for the contin- 

 uation of the work, it was assumed by the government, as a na- 

 tional undertaking, and Major Ellison, resigning his position, was 

 succeeded by Mr. Wm. S. Ellison as chief engineer. 



The difficulties of construction throughout the second section 

 were immense ; indeed, there was an almost universal distrust of 

 the practicability of the work. Even after it was considerably 

 advanced, it would probably have been abandoned but for the en- 

 ergy of the President, who shared the confidence of the engineers, 

 and pushed forward the enterprise almost single-handed, in spite of 

 the incredulity of its friends and the objections of its opponents. 

 The sharpness of the mountain spurs rendering it impossible in 

 many cases to pass around them, tunnels became necessary, and 

 fifteen were actually made, varying from 300 to more than 7,300 feet 

 in length, forming, in the aggregate, three miles of subterraneous 

 line. Of those tunnels, three pass through rock decomposed to such 

 a degree that lining throughout was necessary, while the rest are 

 pierced, for the greater part, through solid rock, though requiring 

 the same precaution occasionally. The total length of lining with 

 masonry is 5,700 feet. In the course of this operation constant 

 danger and difficulty arose from the breaking in of the rock, and 

 in one instance the whole mountain spur through which the tun- 

 nel had been driven parted from the main mass and, sliding down, 

 obliterated the work, so that it was necessary to begin the per- 

 foration again, contending continually against the enormous press- 

 ure of the loose superincumbent debris. Were this the fitting 

 place, it would be interesting to give the history of this enterprise 

 more in detail ; especially that of the work connected with building 

 the great tunnel and the temporary track which was in use when 

 I first passed over the road. Suffice it to say, that all that portion 

 of the road which is included within the second section is a triumph 

 of engineering, which excites the admiration of the most compe- 

 tent judges, and is in the highest degree creditable to those under 

 whose direction it has been accomplished. 



