A Tour Through South America

by A. S. Forrest

When it is remembered that the most productive part of the State is situated more than a hundred miles from the sea and, moreover, upon a plateau or tableland which is from 1800 to 3000 feet above sea-level, some conception can be formed

THE DOCKS OF SANTOS.

of the difficulties which had to be overcome in connection with the transport of produce for export from the port of Santos. These difficulties have, however, been successfully overcome by the São Paulo Railway, one of the most extraordinary in the world. It connects the port of Santos with the town of Jundiahi, one hundred miles inland, and the capital city São Paulo lies about midway between the termini. In making the ascent of the Serro do Mar such steep gradients are accomplished that a climb of 2600 feet is achieved within a distance of five miles. This is effected by means of wire ropes wound upon stationary engines, which pull the trains up and down over a distance of six miles through extremely beautiful scenery. Over this short line passes all the immense export of coffee and other produce which leaves the State through its port of Santos. This port was, not longer than twenty-five years ago, one of the worst in the world with regard to that terrible scourge yellow fever, and shipowners dreaded to send their vessels thither to have their crews oftentimes entirely carried off and the ships delayed for months at a time, unable to obtain hands to man them. But all that has passed away, thanks largely to the improvements carried out by Gaffrée Guinle and Co., now the Santos Docks Company. Although low-lying and steamy, Santos is to-day quite a healthy city of some 30,000 inhabitants, and the largest coffee emporium in the world. Situated in a fine harbour, its wharf front extends for nearly three miles, and is provided with hydraulic and other machinery for manipulating the freights of the ocean liners that lie alongside. The city to-day has spread itself across wide, flat land at the foot of the hills, and is well provided in the matter of water supply and sanitation, whilst its broad, straight streets are well paved and electrically lit. It is well furnished, too, in respect of schools and institutions, churches, consulates, libraries, and clubs, and is, moreover, in complete telegraphic communication with the interior of the State and the rest of the world. After a stay in the State of São Paulo, sufficiently prolonged to permit of an acquaintance with the industry and enterprise of its citizens, the delightfulness of its climate, the abundant fertility of its soil, and the beauty of its scenery, one sails from the port of Santos with a feeling of regret at leaving so fair a clime, and with a conviction that its prosperity will yet enhance and carry it to a high position amongst the states of the world.

CHAPTER XXVII
A Source of Light and Power

SÃO PAULO is rich in the possession of an abnormal number of waterfalls and rapids—in fact for its size it is in this respect the richest state in the world. Much of the power that flows over these rapids has already been utilised and does an enormous amount of work, and more is destined in the future to be harnessed to supply the increasing demands of industry. Rivers and streams rise in the great Serro do Mar, and flow over a hilly country, encountering so many changes of level that innumerable falls and rapids are the result. One of these rivers, the Tieté, which rises in the hills not far from Santos, flows in a north-westerly direction till it joins the Parana. There are many falls in this river, sometimes situated so close together that in the course of half a mile several may be counted. At one fall near the little country village of Parnahyba, about twenty-two miles as the crow flies from the capital, a power station has been erected, and at it sufficient electric power is generated to run the extensive tramway and lighting systems of the whole city. The plant belongs to the São Paulo Light and Power Company—one of the largest business concerns in South America. The Sorocabana Railway runs along the green banks of the river from São Paulo, and passes a little wayside station called Baruery. Here all the material and supplies for the power station are unloaded, and all life that centres round the station is connected in some way with the Light and Power Company. Goats, fowls, and children run wild round the trains when they come to a standstill in the little station, although there are but few habitations to give indications of a settlement. A long drive over undulating dull red roads that wind round hills and alongside the river brings the visitor to the power station, which is built in the dry bed of the diverted river. Upon a beautifully wooded hill stands the manager’s house, overlooking hills and valleys of rare beauty.

The power house stands below a reservoir, which is connected by three enormous iron pipes with the dam 2200 feet higher up the river. Two of these pipes are twelve feet in diameter, the remaining one fifteen feet, and through them the water rushes to feed the reservoir immediately above the station. Short, thick pipes lead the water into the seven large turbine generators which together develop over thirty thousand horse-power. The current generated is received at a pressure of 2300 volts and transformed to 40,000 for transmission across the twenty-two miles of line to the city, where it is again transformed at the distributing station to a voltage suitable to the requirements of consumers. All along the river’s banks the natives were early taught by the Jesuits to construct small water-mills for crushing their sugar cane, and although these primitive “power stations” still exist in considerable numbers, the owners of them are amazed that the power they have used for so long should be able, by passing through the turbines, to accomplish the mighty feat of driving 200 large cars over 100 miles of streets at almost any speed, as well as turning the heavy machinery of factories and mills many miles away. The numerous workshops for repairing the machinery of the station employ a small army of nearly 200 men, and the Brazilians, Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians, Germans, who form this staff are housed in the picturesque little village of Parnahyba, which nestles on a hill-side about a quarter of a mile away. A typical country church stands on the sloping village square, and is the only building of any importance in it. It is fairly well built, but decorated with the cheap, garish ornaments that attract the untrained eye. In front of the high altar paper flowers, in inferior china vases, and cheap candles embellish the shrines of the velvet-robed plaster saints. Poor lithographs, all highly coloured, mark the stations of the cross. Confessionals, open at the top and sides, barely conceal the priests who listen to the recital of the villagers’ lapses from grace. Outside, groups of orange trees grow round the little bamboo dwellings, while further down the hill the river, released from its labour at the power house, rushes past, making a cheerful music. The trees harbour birds of myriad hues, the

THE POWER STATION.

river teems with fish. Long canoes lie alongside the grassy banks, and children play upon the shores happy and free from care. In the evenings and on feast days the village is full of animation; men and women gather in little groups and gossip, the latter smoking pipes, which are considered effeminate by the men, who prefer cigars and cigarettes. Horse and cattle kind are plentiful, and the men amuse themselves with races upon a small scale. “Caipiras,” as the small farmers are called, are experts on the course, and have much of the trickiness and low cunning that long contact with horseflesh is believed by many to engender.