BRAZIL: TRANSPORTATION--OCEAN, RIVER, AND RAILWAY
OCEAN AND RIVER TRAFFIC
Brazil has a considerable navy, several warships; and a merchant marine
of 450,000 gross tonnage. The leading national line is the Brazilian
Lloyd which with 62 ships has a service to the United States as well
as a coastwise, the latter shared by the Navegaçao Costeira and other
companies. Rio de Janeiro has three dry docks, one with a capacity for
the largest battleships, and a yard where ships are constructed. The
country has 30,000 miles of navigable rivers, with boats for these
having a tonnage of 75,000.
Coastwise and river steamers have service in the Amazon Basin,
the most important as follows: Pará-Obidos-Manaos, 975 miles;
Pará-Santarem-Itaituba (Rio Tapajós) 729 miles; Pará-Maués, Pará
Tocantins, 1544 miles; Tabatinga (Frontier) Remate dos Males,
1743 miles; Pará-Santo Antonio (Madeira) 1617 miles; Pará-Rio,
Peru-Senna-Madureira, 1934 miles; Pará-Chaves (Marajos Island), Oyapock
River; Manaos and Rio Negro to Santa Isabel, 423 miles; Manaos to the
Yapurá River--to the Juruá River, Cruzeiro do Sul, 1090 miles.
Other companies have service, Maranhão north to Pará, 599 miles, south
to Pernambuco 884 miles; Recife north to Maranhão 803 miles, south to
Bahia 385 miles, east to Fernando do Noronha Island, 239 miles. On
the São Francisco River, Januaria to Pirapora. Other Lines serve from
Rio de Janeiro to ports south to Laguna and Ribeira de Iguapé, São
Paulo; also on the Paraná and the Rio Grande, and on the Lakes Patos
and Mirím. Service from Rio de Janeiro to Corumbá, 765 miles above
Asunción, and 280 miles farther to Cuyabá on the Cuyabá River, in time
of high water is continued on the Paraguay 250 miles beyond to São Luiz
de Caceres.
RAILWAY TRANSPORTATION
While the great rivers of Brazil with their 27,000 miles of navigable
waters have been a large factor in the development of the country, of
equal importance for the future is transportation by rail. The total
present mileage, second to that of Argentina, exceeds 16,500, these
having developed from 9¹⁄₂ miles in 1854 and about 10,000, 50 years
later. About 90 per cent are of metre gauge. For the economic unity
of the great Republic, the Government policy is favorable to a rapid
extension of the present railway systems, a matter as important as
was the creation of our railways to the Pacific 50 years ago. The
development in Brazil has been retarded by the difficult topography
of the country, in striking contrast to the Argentine plains. Along
the greater and better part of the coast is the high steep wall of the
plateau region, which must be climbed to enter the interior. Once at
the top the way in some sections is easier, but in others there are
additional mountain ranges. The wall, obviously low in comparison with
the mighty rampart of the Andes, presents difficulties, but none to
compare with those experienced in Peru.
The first railway, built and operated in 1854, was from Mauá on the
north shore of the Rio harbor to Fragosa. Soon after carried to
Petropolis, it is now a part of the Leopoldina Railway system. Only two
South American railways antedate this, the Demarara of British Guiana
and the Caldera-Copiapó in Chile.
=The Central of Brazil Railway= was the first of much importance, its
first section, 32 miles, opened in 1858. For this road leading out of
Rio expenses were heavy. Many were the difficulties of construction,
tunnels, bridges, etc., the boring of one tunnel, only 1¹⁄₂ miles long,
requiring seven years. The system, now in Government ownership, has
a network of lines extending from Rio to the city of São Paulo, to
Bello Horizonte in Minas, and to other points. It has express trains
with sleeping cars (state rooms), and a heavy suburban traffic. It
is intended to carry this system northward to the city of Pará, with
branches to new territory. Twenty-five million passengers are carried
annually with much freight of coffee, lumber, iron, manganese, etc.
The railway is to be electrified near the capital with a Government
appropriation of $32,760,000.
=The São Paulo Railway.= The most successful, financially and
otherwise, of the railways of Brazil is no doubt the São Paulo,
operating a double track, broad gauge line (5 feet 6 inches) from
Santos to the town and junction, Jundiahy (population 20,000), 86
miles; it passes through the city, São Paulo, and has a branch to
Bragança, 65 miles. This road has a granted monopoly of trade between
the two cities, Santos and São Paulo, 50 miles apart. This, in spite
of the great expense of the railway construction, has insured them
large profits, dividends in 1912-13 being 14 per cent. The train mile
earnings are the largest in South America and normally are greater than
any reported in the United States. With the construction of more and
more lines in this State and beyond, a steady increase in the traffic
seems assured, as nearly all must pass in and out by way of Santos. The
road now carries annually more than half of the world’s coffee supply.
[Illustration: ENVIRONS OF SÃO PAULO AND RIO DE JANEIRO]
One of many engineering triumphs in South America, the railway is
ranked among the greater achievements of the world. An ascent of 2600
feet is made within seven miles. Beginning 15 feet above the sea not
far from Santos five inclined planes with 8 per cent grade, each 1¹⁄₂
miles long, serve for the rapid climb. A stationary engine at the
top of each plane runs the cables; to grip these a small engine is
attached to each car. The tracks seem unique. The double track on the
inclines has but three rails for up and down cars, which therefore
cannot meet there, but may on the intermediate levels of which there
are four, each 600 feet long. On each side between the middle and the
outside rails are the pulleys which carry the cable, an endless steel
wire of enormous strength run by a 1000 horse power engine, capable
of carrying six freight or three passenger cars at the same time.
In this short section are 16 viaducts, 15 tunnels, and two miles of
retaining wall. One viaduct is 334 feet long, and nearly 150 feet high
in the centre. There are now two of these double roads, one just above
the other, as I have seen, and not on a different route as stated
elsewhere. The first soon proving insufficient to accommodate the
freight, the second was built with a few technical improvements. It is
a wonderful ride through tropical forests, with scenes of picturesque
beauty.
=The Sorocabana Railway=, 864 miles, which traverses a rich and
progressive part of Brazil opening up new territory, has important
connections with other lines. This Company has several lines running
west and northwest from São Paulo. One of the most important is to
Baurú, a city also on the Paulista Railway. From this point the North
Western Railway has continued the line to Itapura on the Paraná
River and across the State of Matto Grosso to Porto Esperança on the
Paraguay, about 40 miles by land from Corumbá on the west side of
the River, and 80 by water. Probably a train-car ferry will later be
provided at Esperança and the road continued on the other side to
Corumbá. By the present road connection is made with Bolivia opposite,
and by water with Paraguay farther down, the capital Asunción being
about 700 miles distant, Montevideo nearly 1800. Previously to the
completion of this railway Corumbá and that section of Brazil was
reached from Rio only by a long, long sail, three weeks (farther than
to Europe) by steamers of the Brazilian Lloyd Line. After making calls
along the Brazilian coast, at Montevideo and Buenos Aires, these boats
continue up the Paraná and Paraguay Rivers, arriving at last once more
in their own country. This new railway and others now in construction
will be an immense factor in opening the great central table-land of
Brazil, with its rich possibilities for agriculture, cattle raising,
and mining.
=The São Paulo-Rio Grande=, another important railway, 853 miles, runs
from São Paulo to Sant’ Anna do Livramento on the border of Uruguay,
where it connects with the Central Uruguay Railway to Montevideo.
Improvements have been made so that with better connections and
sleeping cars to the border, which were lacking part of the way in
1916, the journey is now made in comfort in 4¹⁄₂ days to Montevideo.
The road runs through a rich, often beautiful country; in some places
with splendid scenery and fine forests, in others with open grazing
lands where good cattle are visible, past small towns and pleasant
rivers. People who are willing to work could find agreeable homes in
this section with excellent temperate climate. Low land values are
spoken of, which if genuine should make this an attractive region now
that fairly good transportation exists with more in prospect. This line
has several branches of its own, while other railways are connected
with the through line, local roads to ports or to interior towns.
One of these, the Paraná Railway, has its main line from the port
Paranaguá to the State capital, Curityba, and to Ponta Grossa on the
São Paulo-Rio Grande; it has north and south branches, the latter to
Rio Negro and to São Francisco.
The southern part of the São Paulo-Rio Grande Line belonged to the
Compagnie Aux Chemins de Fer de Brasil which had a concession for
the entire State of Rio Grande. Roads from Porto Alegre and from the
city of Rio Grande extend to the line from São Paulo, thus making
connection with Montevideo and Buenos Aires. From the Cacequy junction
a line goes west to Uruguayana on the Uruguay River. Along this river
the Brazil Great Southern operates in Rio Grande 110 miles from
Quarahim on the Uruguay border through Uruguayana north to Itaqui,
with an extension to São Borja 77 miles farther up. At Quarahim an
international bridge 700 yards long connects the Brazil and Uruguay
Railways. Across the Uruguay River connection is made from Uruguayana
with Argentine Railways, and a direct route to Buenos Aires.
There are other roads in the São Paulo, which has the best system in
Brazil and the most mileage: over 4000.
=The Paulista Railway=, extending northwest from Jundiahy through rich
coffee territory with Barretos a recent terminal, has many branches and
a mileage of 721.
=The Mogyana= goes much farther north, crossing a corner of Minas and
entering the State of Goyaz, on the way to the capital city of that
name. It has arrived at Santa Cruz, still quite a distance from Goyaz,
though with a total mileage of 1081.
=The Southern São Paulo Railway= runs along or near the coast 100 miles
from Santos to Juquiá.
=The Leopoldina.= An important British line or system nearly 2000 miles
in length is the Leopoldina, the main line extending from Nictheroy, on
the bay shore opposite Rio, to Friburgo, Campos, Victoria, Leopoldina,
and other points in the States of Rio, Minas, and Espirito Santo. Lines
run also from Rio and Mauá up the mountain to Petropolis and beyond,
connecting with the main line. This follows the Parahyba Valley for
some distance and then crosses four mountain ranges, a work involving
many unusual feats of engineering. On the main line the maximum grade
is 8 per cent, on the Petropolis section 15 per cent. The territory
traversed is highly productive, and in spite of expensive construction
good returns in normal times are assured.
=The Great Western.= Under British control is the Great Western Railway
which has Pernambuco as its centre. Lines extend north along the coast
and also to the interior with 1000 mileage in the several states of
Pernambuco, Alagôas, Parahyba and Rio Grande do Norte. It reaches the
ports of Maceió, Parahyba, Cabedello and Natal. Two and a half million
passengers were carried in one year and much freight.
In the state of Bahia short lines run back to the interior, one, 140
miles, from Nazareth, south of the bay, and one from São Felix, 165
miles, to Santo Amaro, serving the best sugar district, as Nazareth
that of cacao and manganese ores. The principal road is from Bahia, 281
miles, to Joazeiro, on the São Francisco River; the oldest, opened in
1860, is along the coast to Aracajú in Sergipe, 268 miles. Two other
small railways are farther south, in all about 950 miles.
=The Brazil North East Railway= operates in Ceará about 472 miles, one
division from the port of Forteleza, another from the port Camocím to
Granja and Crato.
The State of Pará has less mileage than most of the others, the short
line, 40 miles built, at the junction of the Tocantins and Araguaya to
avoid bad cascades. Another road, the Bragança, runs northeast from
Pará to the Atlantic Coast.
=The Madeira-Mamoré= is in some respects the most remarkable railway
in Brazil, perhaps in the world. It was built in accordance with a
treaty with Bolivia in settlement of the Acre difficulty, and in
compensation for the surrender by that country of the Acre Territory,
to give access to that Republic by making a way around the prohibitive
falls and rapids on the Madeira and the Mamoré Rivers. In the heart
of the wilderness, 570 miles up the Madeira River and about 1100
miles from the sea, this road, 202 miles long, was constructed. In
1871 an American, Colonel George Earl Church, a Civil War veteran,
and a distinguished civil engineer, turned the first sod of the
railway, but work was soon suspended. In 1877 P. T. Collins of
Philadelphia undertook the task and completed 20 miles of railway,
but the difficulties were too great, especially the mortality, modern
methods of sanitation not then being understood; the work was therefore
abandoned. In 1907 the recent operations were begun, again in charge
of Americans, and the road was opened for traffic, July 15, 1912. From
Porto Velho the road runs up the river to Guajará-Mirím, the road of
course on the Brazilian side of the river, and in the State of Matto
Grosso, which is thus made accessible as well as Bolivia. The new
little American town of Porto Velho of 1500 population has an ice
plant making six tons a day, a wireless telegraph to Manaos and other
conveniences. The road passes through a jungle which is cut out 100
feet wide. Two days are required for the short journey. At Abuná they
halt for the night; leaving early next morning they should arrive at
the terminus at 3:15. About 60 miles south of Abuná, Villa Murtinho is
passed, opposite the town of Villa Bella in Bolivia, at the junction
of the Beni and the Mamoré, which two rivers form the Madeira. A road
across from Villa Church opposite Guajará-Mirím or from Villa Bella
to Riberalta on the Beni was in the plan, as the Beni below Riberalta
is unnavigable on account of rapids. Automobile roads are now in
construction, at least one from Riberalta to Puerto Bello (Villa Bella)
or to Villa Church.