VENEZUELA: PORTS AND TRANSPORTATION
=La Guaira=, the chief port of the _Centro_, and the best known of
Venezuela, is rivaled by Puerto Cabello, which has a better natural
harbor. La Guaira, population 18,000 including its suburbs, as the
port of the capital, Caracas, attracts more travelers and at present
more trade, much of it coming from or going to other parts of the
country. The harbor, a rather open roadstead, was improved at great
expense by port works. Though these facilitate the increasing traffic,
ships at times are still exposed to heavy swells. The town is hot and
unhealthful with a mean temperature of 84.5°, but it has good rail
connection with its pleasant suburbs, cooler and more sanitary. The
port has good piers, vessels lying alongside. The depth of water is
28-30 feet.
=Puerto Cabello=, 65 miles west, in the State of Carabobo, population
20,000, is said to have the best harbor, its depth 28 feet, on the
North Coast of South America. With a slightly lower temperature than
La Guaira, it has a higher death rate. To this port comes most of the
produce of its own State, of Yaracuy, of the Llano States Cojedes and
Portuguesa, and some from the Andes region. The enterprise of the
Venezuela Meat Syndicate, with new buildings here, promotes stock
farming and the traffic of the port. A floating dock receives vessels
of 2000 tons; a new one will accommodate ships of 4000 tons.
=Carúpano=, far to the east of La Guaira, is the only other port of
importance which is visited by large ocean steamers. Although as
warm as Puerto Cabello, it has a much more healthful climate. With no
real harbor, merely an open roadstead, serving the State of Sucre, it
is a port of call for several lines of steamers. The cargo must be
transported in lighters.
=Ciudad Bolívar=, though far up the Orinoco River, as the official
port of entry for half the country, serves an extensive region. It
communicates with the outside world by weekly steamers of shallow
draught to the Port of Spain, as also by coasting vessels. The steamers
returning cross the Gulf of Paria, follow up the Caño Macareo to the
Orinoco, and up that river to Bolívar.
=Maracaibo=, the fifth port with foreign trade, though called a seaport
is not exactly on the sea; being located on the west shore of a broad
channel 6-12 miles wide and 30 long which connects Lake Maracaibo with
the Gulf of Venezuela. The city has fine wharves on a beautiful bay,
a smooth roadstead with water 30 feet deep; but unfortunately the
sand bar at the entrance of the channel confines the passage to ships
drawing only 11 feet, with conditions growing worse. As the city is now
the second port of the country with the largest export trade including
some from Colombia, it has been proposed either to dredge one of the
entrance channels, or to make use of the fine natural harbor of Cojoro
on the Gulf, capable of accommodating the largest steamers, and to
connect this port with Maracaibo by a railway about 100 miles long. At
present the foreign trade is carried on by national, Dutch, and Spanish
steamers, and by American boats of the Red D Line. Freight not destined
for the United States is largely carried to the Dutch Island Curaçao,
where transfer is made to ships of other lines. Sailing vessels also
carry much produce.
These primary ports, except Carúpano, all have docks where ships come
alongside. A new freight and passenger service from New Orleans to
Venezuelan ports has been installed by the W. R. Grace Company.
A number of =smaller ports= are served generally by smaller craft,
steam or sailing vessels, which transfer freight to the primary ports
for ocean traffic. Some of these are: La Vela (56 miles from Curaçao),
the port of Coro, capital of Falcón; Tucacas, in the same State,
important as serving the copper mines of Aroa; Carenero, in Miranda,
east of Caracas; Guanta, long the port of Barcelona and neighboring
coal mines; Cumaná in Sucre, a mile from the mouth of the Manzanares
River; and Pampatar on Margarita Island. At Turiamo, a natural harbor
between La Guaira and Puerto Cabello, a public bonded warehouse is to
be erected, and connection will be made with the Grand Central Railway.
At Ocumare de la Costa port and harbor works are to be constructed by
the Government and a railway connecting the port with Maracay, 43 miles
distant.
INLAND TRANSPORTATION
The railway development of Venezuela is small, the longest line
being 111 miles in length, and the total mileage about 650. There is
therefore a little over a foot of railway for each inhabitant. Most of
the lines are from a port to the interior; all are of narrow gauge, but
of varying widths. Most of the existing lines were laid, 1881-1893.
Unfavorable legislation prevented further construction until after a
change in the laws; later the Great War interfered. Rates are very high
on all the railways, yet most of them are unprofitable.
=The La Guaira-Caracas Railway= is exceptional, having a large amount
of traffic, more of import freight than of export. The British-built
Railway climbs to a height of over 3000 feet to surmount the ridge on
the south side of which is Caracas, a two hours’ ride, one of intense
interest and beauty. While the tracks of the Harbor Corporation are of
the same gauge as the railway, these cars do not go to the steamer’s
side, so that much freight is unnecessarily handled twice. Railways now
electrified serve the suburbs on either side.
Caracas is served by two other railways, but these are of different
gauge.
The =Central Railway=, the station of which is two miles across the
city, runs from Caracas east and south towards Ocumare on the Tuy
River; 46 miles to San Francisco de Yare are completed; the remaining
15 are in construction. Both of these roads were difficult to build,
the many bridges, tunnels, and viaducts needed making them very
expensive. The maximum grade is about 4 per cent. The latter road
follows down the Guaire valley, passing Petare, a town of Miranda, only
seven miles from Caracas.
If the River Tuy were followed down to the east and north, one would
come to the =Carenero Railway= which connects the small port of that
name with the towns, Higuerote, Rio Chico, a flourishing manufacturing
place, and Guapo, 34 miles, on the way to the llanos of Guárico. From
the llanos come hides and other animal products to the port, and from
the vicinity rich agricultural products including cacao. The Railway
runs a steamship line to La Guaira; small schooners also serve.
The =Great Railway of Venezuela=, built by the Germans, is the other
line from Caracas, the longest and most costly in the country. It runs
west to Valencia, the second city of the Republic. Though as a whole
less difficult than some others, there is one stretch of 8 per cent
grade requiring cog wheels and there are many loops and zigzags. The
road traverses a fine farming and cattle country and passes through
the important towns of Victoria and Maracay in Aragua, previously
mentioned. 212 bridges and 86 tunnels in 111 miles may seem many for an
easier road. A branch of 2¹⁄₂ miles runs to the village of Guigüe.
The =Puerto Cabello-Valencia Railway=, 33 miles long, connects Valencia
directly with the sea, passing over the north ridge of the mountains
at a height of 2000 feet. Though the construction of the road as a
whole was less difficult than that of the La Guaira-Caracas, to shorten
it, a section 2.4 miles long has a cog rail with a maximum grade of 8
per cent.
The =Bolívar Railway=, farther west, the first in Venezuela, was built
for the especial benefit of the copper mines of the State of Yaracuy.
It runs from the port of Tucacas, northwest of Puerto Cabello, to
Barquisimeto, 100 miles. The part built first is now a branch of the
road, leading from La Hacha to the rich copper mines at Aroa eight
miles distant. Both railway and mines are British properties, the
latter bringing in handsome returns. A company steamer carries freight
to and from Puerto Cabello, as Tucacas has no custom house. Another
branch of the railway, from Palma Sola to the capital of Yaracuy, San
Felipe, 25 miles, was opened in 1916. In this State are other copper
mines unworked, and fertile hills and plains uncultivated. The Rio
Tocuyo is navigable as far as Siquisique for steamboats, but traffic is
not sufficient to make their operation profitable.
The =La Vela-Coro Railway=, 8¹⁄₂ miles long, connects Coro with its
port.
In the State of Zulia are three more railways:
The =La Ceiba=, 50 miles long, runs from that port on the Lake toward
the city of Trujillo as far as Motatán.
The =Great Railway of Táchira=, 75 miles long, goes from Encontrados
on the Catatumbo River west of the Lake, south towards the capital
of Táchira, now reaching San Felix or a little beyond. It serves
the Colombian Department of Santander as well as Táchira. The many
transfers of freight are a great disadvantage, while freshets on the
Catatumbo threaten to destroy Encontrados.
The =Santa Barbara-El Vigia Railway=, 37 miles long, is designed to
serve the city of Mérida. Santa Barbara is on the Escalante River; and
the road towards Mérida, which crosses several streams, has had much
trouble from the Chama River from inundations.
The =Guanta-Naricual Railway=, far to the east, leads from the port of
Guanta past the city of Barcelona, capital of Anzoátegui, to the coal
mines of Naricual. Guanta, though not a primary port, has an excellent
natural harbor, but the opening to navigation in 1915 of the Neveri
River on which Barcelona is situated has greatly diminished the traffic
of Guanta.
A few =private railways= exist, constructed for business purposes:
A railway 27 miles long of the Asphalt Mines of Inciarte in Zulia.
A railway of 10 miles of the Asphalt Mines of Guanoco, Sucre.
A two mile railway of Asphalt Mines of Guanipa, Monagas.
A railway 10 miles from San Lorenzo, Zulia, to oil wells of the
Caribbean Petroleum Company.
A railway 19 miles from Bobures, Zulia, to a sugar plantation.
A railway 19 miles from Rio Limón, Zulia, to coal fields 40 miles west
of Maracaibo, leased by the Caribbean Coal Company.
Considerable railway construction is talked of, but the only immediate
probability is of a road from the port of Castilletes on the Gulf of
Venezuela to a coal property near Lake Maracaibo, belonging to the
Caribbean Coal Company. A port is to be constructed admitting vessels
of 35 feet draft, the present depth being 16 feet. The railway 93 miles
long of standard gauge is to have a one way capacity of 10,000 tons
daily, with maximum freight charges lower than any at this time on
existing lines. As no port charges of any kind are to be collected, if
the construction and mining development are carried out as expected,
it will be a most important industrial development for Venezuela which
may affect the trade of Curaçao and Maracaibo. As this port will be
but 595 miles from Colon, and as the coal is said to be of the best
quality, it is important for ships making use of the Canal.
The Venezuelan Government now gives generous concessions to foreign
companies or individuals, undertaking railway construction.
OTHER METHODS OF COMMUNICATION
=Roads.= Aside from the railways, a meagre supply for a country of its
size, other means of transportation are inadequate. Street railways
exist in the chief cities: Caracas, Valencia, La Guaira, Puerto
Cabello, Maracaibo, Bolívar, Barquisimeto, Carúpano, and Cumaná.
The great water power available for electric traction and for other
purposes should be largely developed in future. Some automobile and
cart roads exist, 1636 miles at the end of 1919, but to a large extent
transportation is over bridle paths or _caminos_.
An excellent automobile road leads from La Guaira to Caracas. From
the capital such roads branch in several directions. One goes east to
Guatire, two south to Ocumare del Tuy, one of these with a branch south
from Cua. A good road leads through Maracay to Valencia; from midway,
a branch leads south through Villa de Cura to Ortiz in Guárico, from
which point construction is being continued to Calabozo, the capital,
and thence to San Fernando, capital of Apure. Another road leads from
Ocumare de la Costa to Maracay.
From Puerto Cabello one may go by auto to Valencia and to Guigüe, south
of the lake; also from the port to San Felipe and Barquisimeto.
From the city of Maracaibo a road goes north to San Rafael near the
mouth of the Channel, and one southwest to Perija, west of the centre
of the Lake, passing two petroleum sites.
From the terminus of the Táchira Railway, Uracá, a road leads to San
Cristóbal, and one to Cúcuta in Colombia. From Motatán a good wagon
road goes to Trujillo. Pack animals serve from El Vigia to Mérida. In
the east there is the long road from San Felix on the Orinoco to El
Callao and Tumeremo.
Other roads are in construction or planned for the immediate future.
From Coro a road is to go south and southwest to Trujillo and beyond,
and one near the coast to Altagracia on the Maracaibo Channel,
northeast of that city. Several roads will branch from Barquisimeto and
from Valencia, the most important, one from Valencia southwest to San
Carlos, Guanare, Barinas, and San Cristóbal. Shorter local roads will
serve Cumaná and Carúpano.
Considerable activity has recently been manifested in road building;
and bridges, long sadly lacking over mountain torrents, have been
constructed. Some deeper streams have ferries.
=River= communication and lake service are important in many sections.
Of Venezuela’s nearly 500 rivers, 74 are said to be navigable a
distance of 6000 miles, 4000 in the Orinoco Basin. Especially in
Bolívar and Amazonas communication is by river, but in other States
also it is important. The Orinoco is a natural highway 600 miles to
Pericos and the Atures Rapids. There is regular weekly service to San
Fernando de Apure. There is traffic along the Apure, Arauca, and Meta
Rivers, the last two in Colombia; but the affluents on the north side
of the Orinoco are too variable in depth to permit regular service, and
those on the south are too broken by cataracts.
On =Maracaibo Lake= are plenty of craft, both steam and sailing
vessels, two main lines of the former running from Maracaibo, one along
the west side of the Lake and up the Catatumbo to Encontrados and the
Táchira Railway, the other to La Ceiba and the Motatán Railway going
towards Trujillo on the east side; a smaller boat runs around the
south side of the Lake and up the Escalante to Santa Bárbara. From
Encontrados a line of small steamers runs up the Zulia to Villamizar.