ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
Gradually the number of engines — all Baldwin locomo¬ 
tives — was increased to twelve. During the construction 
six tugs and eleven lighters were used on the Madeira 
River for handling the material. The contractors took 
into Brazil during the four and a half years occupied in 
the construction from 43,000 to 45,000 men, although 
they never had more than 5,000 men working at any one 
time. Many, indeed, were the deaths registered, and the 
steamers were constantly bringing back men laid up with 
fever. The supplies for those men, except sugar and 
coffee, had all to be brought from Europe and America, 
as nothing could be obtained in the country itself. The 
four chief engineers were all Americans, Mr. Randolph 
and Mr. Jeckill, who were at the head of the entire con¬ 
cern, spending all their time on the line in progress or at 
their head office in Manaos, which was mostly in charge 
of Mr. May. One chief surgeon, Dr. Carl Lovelace, 
handled all the hospital work, with the assistance of fifteen 
physicians; but innumerable were the lives lost from yel¬ 
low fever and beri-beri, the two most prevalent diseases 
in that fatal country. 
Before the railway was built it was necessary to un¬ 
load the battelldos or trading boats thirty-eight times dur¬ 
ing the journey, at the thirty-eight different rapids and 
falls on the way. The journey over the rapids took not 
less than forty days. I shall not speak of the constant 
danger to boats, their crews, and merchandise. Now by 
the railway the entire journey occupies from eight to ten 
hours. The length of the completed railway, now in full 
working order, is 864 kilometres. The last rail was laid 
on April 30, 1912, when Mrs. Jeckill drove the last and 
golden spike — an honour which no other white woman, 
I believe, has ever had in so inhospitable a country. 
348 
