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.
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.
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.