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BANCROFT 
 LIBRARY 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
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 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
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 University of California 
 
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 THE PAN AMERICAN UNION 
 
 L. S. ROWE : : : Director Genera! 
 P^RANCISCO J. YANES, Assistant Director 
 
 Glances at 
 
 PORTS AND HARBORS 
 
 around 
 
 SOUTH AMERICA 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 1921 
 
Bancroft Library 
 
 University of Cal:torr>?« 
 
 WITHDRAWN 
 
 5- -| O •-»• *1 
 
 fteaooft UbcuT 
 
 GLANCES at PORTS and HARBORS 
 AROUND SOUTH AMERICA 
 
 By William A. Reid, Trade Adviser, Pan American Union 
 
 THE skipper who sailed to South American seaports a decade 
 or more ago found it necessary to anchor his ship far out in the 
 harbor or roadstead, as the case happened to be, and passengers 
 and cargo were taken ashore in launches, rowboats, or lighters. Mod- 
 ern docking facilities were few. Today in many ports along South 
 America's 16,000 miles of seashore the lack of port and harbor facilities 
 is still a handicap to shipping; but in considering the more important 
 ports we find that millions of dollars have been expended on improve- 
 ments during recent years. Indeed, the voyager of former days is 
 amazed on revisiting the continent to see the marked changes that 
 stand today as monuments of progress. Financial outlays have been 
 enormous; yet, in numerous cases, the work already completed is but 
 a portion of greater facilities that have been planned to meet the grow- 
 ing needs. Each port, if we delved into details, could easily furnish 
 material for a volume; space, however, is available for little beyond a 
 statement of main features of progress. 
 
 Nature has been kinder to the mariner in providing a vast number 
 of sheltered bays, inlets, and rivers along the eastern coast of the 
 Continent than is the case on the Pacific side. From the Straits of 
 Magellan to Panama on the Pacific there is nothing to compare with 
 the natural facilities of the opposite coast line. Thus, the stormier 
 ocean possesses the larger number of havens for those who sail the seas. 
 
 Comparing South America's northern shore line with the narrow 
 southern extremity we also note marked contrasts. In the north 
 there are bays and rivers offering the mariner ample protection, and 
 at a few ports the waters are usually so tranquil that it is proverbially 
 said that ships may be anchored by hairs. More than four thousand 
 miles southward the Humboldt current sweeps up from Antarctic 
 wastes and with its winds and waves dashes against the 1,400-foot 
 sentinel. Cape Horn, wdth constant and well-known fury. 
 
 Sailing southward from New York with a view of casually inspecting 
 some of the port improvements, our first call on South America might 
 be at Para, that great rubber-shipping center which gives its name 
 to vast quantities of this now universally needed article. Para, or 
 Belem, as it is officially called to distinguish it from the State of Para, 
 has grown because the world has annually demanded greater quantities 
 of its products, or perhaps more strictly speaking, the products that 
 
SOUTH AMERICAN PORT IMPROVEMENTS — EAST COAST 5 
 
 come down the 40,000 miles of the Amazon and its tributary rivers 
 from Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil. 
 
 In a recent year, 3,637 steam and sailing vessels cleared from Para; 
 they carried thither more than $29,000,000 worth of goods and bore 
 away $48,000,000 in rubber and other tropical products. Only a glance 
 at this enormous trade is necessary to show a large revenue, for the 
 country exacts taxes on its exports. A pleasing and growing revenue 
 suggested better port facilities. About this time the capitalist, looking 
 around for investments, decided on Para, and the Brazilian Govern- 
 ment granted concessions to the Port of Para Co., a Maine (U. S. A.) 
 corporation. Two years later, or in 1909, the first units of gigantic 
 improvements were finished and inaugurated, and since that date ships 
 have warped to modern docks. 
 
 Today a mile or more of wall stretches along Para's water front, and 
 the company above named has the privileges of conducting port serv- 
 ices, operation of warehouses, quays, etc., for 30 miles — nearly equal 
 distances up and down the river from the city proper. These conces- 
 sions continue for 65 years, or if additional improvements are con- 
 structed, the privilege may be extended 25 years. 
 
 Para, more properly speaking, situated on the Para River, is nearly 
 100 miles from the ocean. A channel 30 feet deep leads from the 
 main river to the actual wall where ships dock. The channel requires 
 frequent dredging, as the river brings down a vast amount of silt and 
 much of the latter finds its way seaward via Para. The largest 
 steamers, however, are able to go to the docks at all seasons, and mod- 
 ern electric cranes handle cargo directly from the many new warehouses 
 that line the waterfront. The city itself, with its 250,000 people, has 
 improved its streets and parks in recent years, and strangers find it 
 interesting largely on account of its contact with upper Amazon life 
 and activity. 
 
 Seven hundred miles southeastward, passing many smaller ports, 
 stands Brazil's most eastern city and port, Pernambuco (Recife). 
 The population numbers 150,000 and, by reason of years of former 
 Dutch occupation, the city has possibly a more Dutch-like appearance 
 than any other of Brazil. 
 
 A great reef extending along the shore for many miles has long been 
 an obstacle to sea commerce, as only smaller vessels were able to 
 navigate the shallow course into the inner harbor. The traveler 
 going ashore from a large vessel anchored off the reefs of Pernambuco 
 often has the basket experience — that of descending into the ship 
 tender or launch by this means, owing to rough waters. 
 
 Pernambuco has planned to spend several millions more in pro- 
 viding better shipping facilities. Certain parts of the outer reef are 
 to be blown up and a deep-water course thus provided for entrance 
 
PHASES Op- CONSTRUCTION WORK AT PERNAMBUCO, BRAZIL. 
 
 Upper: The great breakwater being built on the reefs between the harbor and the ocean. Before the 
 construction of this bulwark the waves of the Atlantic dashed over the reefs with great fury. Lower: 
 A completed section of the wall of the' inner port. Note the splendid stonework, the material for which 
 was obtained near Pernambuco. Back of this wall solid earth has been used as a filler and the sea front 
 
 considerably enlarged. 
 
AT THE PORT OF BAIIIA, UK../1L. 
 
 Upper: One of the big vessels of the Lloyd Brazileiro (Brazilian Line) at her dock. This is the Minas 
 Geraes, and is a fair type of the Brazilian ships plying between Brazil and New York. Lower: Scene on 
 
 the water front of the lower city. 
 
8 THE PAX AMERICAN UNIOX 
 
 of ships into the inner bay; extensive quay walls, additional ware- 
 houses and other improvements for making a first-class port are in 
 process of construction. The great war checked operations but much 
 has already been accomplished, such as the building of breakwaters, 
 sea walls, quarrying stone, and in otherwise getting the work well 
 under way. 
 
 Southward 382 miles stands Brazil's third city of importance, Bahia. 
 This city has completed a portion of the port improvements which 
 began on an extensive scale in 1909, and which were inaugurated four 
 years later. When the plans are carried to completion a sum of more 
 than $20,000,000 will be represented in harbor improvements. Bahia 
 will have added a wall and quay 500 to 600 feet wide for a distance of 
 2 miles. Fifteen or more warehouses, each 300 by 65 feet, are included 
 in the betterment plans, and several of these buildings have been fin- 
 ished and are in use. Steam cranes, some of which are already in 
 service, range in lifting capacity from 3 to 10 tons. 
 
 The Bay of Bahia is 25 miles long and 20 miles wide with an entrance 
 about 2 miles broad. Usually, we see ships from all the world anchored 
 in or moving about this great body of smooth water. 
 
 There are three practical methods for the hurried visitor to Rio de 
 Janeiro (738 miles southward) to see one of the world's largest and 
 most picturesque harbors, which is always alive with ships and shipping. 
 Sugar Loaf Peak, guarding the entrance from the Atlantic, stands 
 nearly 1,000 feet above the placid waters by which it is almost sur- 
 rounded. An aerial cable railway operating hanging cars was con- 
 structed from lower levels to the top of this great sentinel. The view 
 over the harbor, bays, and inlets is intensely beautiful. Corcovado, 
 almost double the height of the nearer peak, rises commandingly over 
 the city and ofTers a still better and grander view. After seeing the 
 harbor in this manner we take a steam launch and spend a day in little 
 voyages here and there about the bay, large enough to shelter the ships 
 of many nations, being 17 miles long and 15 miles wide. The bottle- 
 like entrance is considerably less than i mile in width. 
 
 A few years ago the vessel arriving at Rio de Janeiro cast her anchor 
 a half mile or so from shore and passengers and freight were slowly 
 landed by means of small boats and lighters. Today, how difTerentl 
 The ship draws up to one of the vacant spaces along the miles of wall 
 that have been constructed on the waterfront; the passenger walks 
 down the gang plank and into one of the great warehouses standing at 
 intervals along the wall. 
 
 A loan of over $40,000,000 was made to Brazil by the house of 
 Rothschild, and in 1904 construction of Rio de Janeiro's docks on a 
 gigantic scale was commenced. A commission was appointed whose 
 members had charge of the various phases of the work. The plan, 
 
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 THREE PHASES OF PORT CONSTRUCTION AT RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL. 
 
 Upper: One of the great sea walls under construction. After completion the water on the left of the 
 
 wall was drawn to the outer bay and the area filled in with solid earth. Center: Completed section of 
 
 piers showing the gigantic cranes, which move on steel tracks as required, and several of the warehouses. 
 
 Lower: A section of the sea wall nearing completion. 
 
HARBOR AND BAY OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 
 
 Upper: One of the beautiful passenger landings at Rio de Janeiro, known as the Pharoux, but 
 
 not so generally used since the construction of larger docks. Lower: A view of the Bay, showing 
 
 Botafogo, a residential section of Rio de Janeiro. 
 
SOUTH AMERICAN PORT IMPROVEMENTS EAST COAST 11 
 
 already executed to a large degree, called for the filling in of shallow 
 areas along the edge of certain parts of the bay between the old shore 
 line and the new sea walls. The first space behind the walls was set 
 apart for cargo loading and unloading, next a wide strip of land was 
 utilized for warehouses, while a still wider space was destined for new 
 avenues in connection with Beira Mar, Central, and other famous 
 thoroughfares of the Brazilian capital. 
 
 To the engineer and the builder the miles of walls that act as a 
 buffer against the breakers or that serve as safe anchorages for ships 
 are among the most attractive features of the modern development of 
 Rio de Janeiro. The stonework is a marvel of beauty, strength, and 
 permanency. 
 
 The next great seaport south of Rio de Janeiro is Santos, 225 miles 
 distant, and a course usually covered by the average ship in a night. 
 Santos is especially interesting to the traveler, as it is the world's 
 greatest coffee mart. If one arrives between August and January, 
 the season of shipping activity, he will see the docks and warehouses 
 veritable beehives of activity. 
 
 Like other Brazilian ports, Santos has constructed an extensive 
 quay or wall along the waterfront, this improvement extending for 
 nearly 3 miles. Trains loaded with coffee are run onto the wall and 
 hydraulic cranes capable of raising 5 to 30 tons or more do the work of 
 hundreds of men. There are times, however, when a large army of 
 laborers carry the bags of coffee aboard ship. Along this waterfront 
 are many large warehouses lighted by electricity, modernly venti- 
 lated, fitted with traveling cranes, and otherwise provided for handling 
 coffee on a gigantic scale. Brazil's average crop is approximately 
 12,000,000 sacks of 60 kilos (132.76 pounds) each, the great bulk of 
 which is shipped from Santos. 
 
 The port of Rio Grande do Sul is about 600 miles south of Santos. 
 Along the southeast shore of Brazil lie several lakes and lagoons, the 
 largest being Lagoa dos Patos, a body of water extending north and 
 south 150 miles with a width of from 10 to 40 miles, separated from 
 the ocean by a sand dune strip averaging 5 miles in width. A num- 
 ber of rivers and lagoons pour their waters into the larger lake; the 
 latter empties into the Atlantic by the Rio Grande do Sul, more like 
 an arm of the sea than a river. 
 
 Three Brazilian ports are reached through this waterway: Rio 
 Grande do Sul, Pelotas, and Porto Alegre, rivals for maritime trading, 
 although the average ocean vessel can go no farther than the first 
 mentioned port. The populations of these cities are 30,000, 35,000, 
 and 150,000, respectively. The former being the ocean port (8 miles 
 from the sea), it is there that millions of dollars have been spent in 
 dredging and improving the harbor. To some extent at least the 
 
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14 THE PAN AMERICAN UNION 
 
 outward flow of water was made to deepen its own channel by the 
 construction of especially arranged concrete sea walls and jetties. 
 In the harbor proper much land has been reclaimed behind the new 
 wall, the latter now being of sufficient length to accommodate from 
 7 to 10 average-size merchant vessels at the same time. Powerful 
 and modern facilities for handling cargo are in use. There are numer- 
 ous warehouses. The port properties are controlled by the Brazilian 
 Railway Co. and its trains run directly onto the dock wall, alongside 
 of which ships of 25-feet draft or more may anchor. 
 
 Those who have not seen Montevideo for a decade or longer, and 
 who were accustomed to view the tedious handling of cargo as drivers 
 urged their mule carts out into the water of the sandy beaches and 
 there delivered products to lighters for another transshipment aboard 
 the ship in the bay, will be amazed to inspect the port facilities today. 
 
 The Bay of Montevideo may be compared in form to a gigantic 
 horseshoe opening toward the southwest, the entrance between Lobos 
 and San Jose points being about 2 miles wide. The harbor is not 
 naturally a deep one and a vast amount of dredging has been done to 
 accommodate the constantly increasing ocean traffic. 
 
 Early in 1901 the Government of Uruguay began work on a very 
 extensive scale to deepen the harbor and to construct the port on 
 modern lines. Among the first purchases was dredging machinery 
 which cost the sum of $1,000,000, an outlay which at once suggested 
 the important work to follow its use. For 10 years thereafter Uruguay 
 expended more than $1,000,000 annually for improving Montevideo's 
 shipping facilities, not to mention the large funds spent on her inland 
 ports, and by 1910 a sum in excess of $15,000,000 had been paid for 
 the work. Not only has dredging been continued but sea walls or 
 breakwaters have gradually been lengthened into the harbor. The 
 eastern wall is more than 3,000 feet long, while the western one is 
 nearly a mile in length. At the end of each wall is a flashing light to aid 
 the mariner. 
 
 The main provisions, which have been carried out to a considerable 
 extent, call for dredging certain portions of the harbor to a depth of 
 32 feet below low-water mark; another area has been deepened to 
 16 feet below low water, the latter for the use of smaller coasting ves- 
 sels. There are several moles completed and alongside of these ocean 
 ships now warp for the discharge and loading of passengers and cargo. 
 One of these moles has 15 traveling cranes and 6 fixed ones, all worked 
 by steam and capable of lifting from 2 to 4 tons. Other completed 
 moles are similarly equipped, while additional moles planned or under 
 construction will ofTer still better facilities. Several floating cranes 
 are owned by the company working on the contract, one of which has 
 a 50-ton capacity. 
 
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SOUTH AMERICAN PORT IMPROVEMENTS — EAST COAST 17 
 
 To defray a portion of expenses of port improvements Uruguay 
 levied what is termed a "patente," or tax, of 3 per cent on imports 
 and I per cent on exports of Montevideo. In a lo-year period these 
 taxes amounted to more than $12,000,000, or in excess of $1,000,000 
 a year. 
 
 Montevideo has not only improved harbor and docking facilities 
 but has devoted a large sum of money to building lighthouses, installa- 
 tion of submarine bells, harbor buoys, wireless telegraph, etc. The 
 Cerro, or hill, which is said to have been a point for which Magellan 
 steered his little fleet centuries ago, now serves as a signal and wireless 
 station. It dominates the city and surrounding country for miles, 
 and most visitors consider the historic hill a place of special interest 
 and worthy of a visit on a drive about the city. 
 
 Not all of the waterfront of Montevideo has been turned over to 
 trade and traffic. Indeed, sections of the long sandy beaches have 
 been made into playgrounds for the people, and it is there we find many 
 amusement features of the modern pleasure resort and, during the 
 days of summer, a vast throng of citizens enjoying the sea bathing and 
 the delightful casinos and hotels for which Montevideo is famous. 
 
 The Rio de la Plata (river of silver), so named by Sebastian Cabot, 
 who, according to fragmentary history, observed natives of the region 
 wearing crude ornaments made of silver, is really an arm of the sea 
 extending 150 miles inland. The river is 120 miles wide at its mouth 
 and at the confluence of the Uruguay and the Parana this great width 
 has decreased to about 4 miles. Unfortunately the Plata is com- 
 paratively shallow, and for this reason a vast amount of dredging has 
 been necessary in order to deepen the channels for the larger ocean 
 vessels of today. 
 
 Buenos Aires is about 130 miles from the ocean, and this great port 
 officially includes La Plata, a smaller but growing shipping center 40 
 miles nearer the sea. For 20 miles or more below Buenos Aires the 
 river has been dredged, and today a channel adnijitting the largest 
 ships (at most seasons) is in use. The rapidly growing trade, how- 
 ever, caused a new impetus to port facilities, and in 191 1 a contract 
 for improvements was made calling for an outlay of more than $24,- 
 000,000 gold. A short time thereafter these gigantic plans were 
 started and have progressed with gratifying results, although it may 
 be several years before the whole system can be finished and put into 
 operation. 
 
 From the main channel up the Plata there are shorter channels 
 leading to two extensive basins within which are include'd more than 
 600,000 square meters. There are a great number of warehouses, 
 many of which are the property of the Government, while others are 
 privately owned. To operate the gigantic cranes, hydraulic power is 
 
2 „, <s 
 
20 THE PAN AMERICAN UNION 
 
 used, and in a single case, which is fairly illustrative of many others, 
 10,000 tons of grain may be handled in a lO-hour day. This ware- 
 house company has a capacity for storing 120,000 tons of wheat, and 
 attached thereto is a mill with a daily output of 4,000 bags of flour. 
 For miles along the water fronts of the two basins already mentioned 
 and on both sides of the Riachuelo, a tributary of the Plata which 
 serves as a part of the Buenos Aires port, one may see at all times an 
 array of steam and sailing ships from all parts of the world. In a 
 recent year the vessels that cleared the port numbered 2,588 carrying 
 away 60 per cent of the entire foreign trade of the country. 
 
 Reviewing the actual work already accomplished on the extensive 
 improvements, it was shown of^cially that certificates of work for 
 $5,561,528 gold had been approved. New quays will cover more than 
 100 acres and be served by 30 or more miles of dock railroads. 
 
 Argentina's most important southern outlet is Bahia Blanca, 500 
 miles south of Buenos Aires, on the great bay of the same name. The 
 trade of the port in recent years has gone forward by leaps and bounds, 
 a condition largely influenced by the enterprise of the railways center- 
 ing there and which spread fanlike to interior regions of the country. 
 In 35 years Bahia Blanca has grown from 2,000 to 50,000 population 
 and millions of dollars have been spent on the ports, known as Ingen- 
 iero White and Gal van. In the year 191 2, these two ports reached 
 their greatest activity, and the exports of grain amounted to 1,759,200 
 metric tons, while the shipment of wool showed a total of 93,800 metric 
 tons. More than 400 steamships participated in this trade during the 
 same year. 
 
 At Ingeniero White the first steel mole constructed has a quayage of 
 more than 3,000 feet and can berth at least 10 vessels at the same 
 time, the water depth being from 25 to 30 feet. A wooden mole with 
 space of 754 feet was specially constructed for handling large volumes 
 of grain in the shortest space of time, a necessity during the busy 
 season. This mole and the electrically driven machinery make it pos- 
 sible to embark 10,000 tons of grain in a single day. A number of 
 other moles act as auxiliary facilities, and all of these are equipped with 
 the most modern machinery known to ports and harbors in any land. 
 
 Galvan, unit of the larger port, is located on land reclaimed from 
 river swamp. This is also modern in design and equipment and has 
 accommodation for at least 12 large vessels at long quays constructed 
 of masonry; these quays are served by 30 railway tracks onto which 
 trains loaded with grain are run as they come from the interior. Ad- 
 ditional traffic facilities are under construction. 
 
 Among the interesting features of the port of Bahia Blanca are the 
 giant grain elevators which pour forth their valuable product directly 
 into the ship's hold as the vessel lies alongside the pier. Two of these 
 
THE RIACHUELO, BUENOS AIRES. 
 The Riachuelo, a tributary of the Plata, serves as a part of the Buenos Aires port. 
 
 LA PLATA. ARGENTINA. 
 
 A part of the port of La Plata, showing the deep-water canal and facilities on either side for han- 
 dling cargo. Ocean vessels draw up alongside the great meat-packing plant located there and load foods 
 directly from cold-storage warehouses. 
 
Photo by Underwood ir i' nd,r-ci<n,l. 
 
 TRAFP^IC FACILITIES AT BAHIA BLANCA, ARGENTINA. 
 
 Upper: This view of a portion of the harbor facilities at Ingeniero White shows the plans adopted for 
 saving time and labor. The many tracks in the foreground are on the mainland. Lower: A part of 
 the docks of the Southern Railway. This road penetrates Argentina's southern wheat belt and its 
 trains run directly onto the docks and are unloaded mechanically. 
 
SOUTH AMERICAN PORT IMPROVEMENTS — EAST COAST 
 
 23 
 
 immense buildings each have a capacity for storing 26,000 tons of 
 cereals; and into each building cars bearing 45 tons of grain are run 
 and quickly mechanically unloaded. A 5,000-ton ship may be fully 
 loaded in from 6 to 8 hours. 
 
 A few miles from Bahia Blanca is Argentina's southern naval base, 
 at which there are usually stationed a number of war vessels. A dry 
 dock was recently finished which receives the giant sea fighters, 
 Rivadavia and Morena, each of 28,000 tons displacement. As this 
 dock is now the largest in South America it may be of interest to note 
 some of its dimensions. First, the contract for the structure was let 
 in 191 1 and three years thereafter the excavations and preliminaries 
 were completed. The total cost has been more than $6,500,000, not 
 including half a million additional for the latest machinery with which 
 the dock is equipped. It is 600 feet long, 32 feet wide at base, 120 
 feet wide at top. Five pumps are used to discharge the water, and 
 when all are working it requires only i\ hours to empty the dock. 
 Engineers Huergo and Gigliaza and Capt. Maurette, of the Argentine 
 Navy, designed and constructed this great work. The basin on which 
 the dock is located has been dredged to 33 feet, a channel sufficiently 
 deep to admit the larger vessels of the present time. 
 
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 ONE OF THE GIANT GRAIN ELEVATORS AT BAHIA BLANCA. 
 
 Loaded trains from the interior are quickly handled, the grain passing into the elevator for the cleaning 
 process before entrance into the many chutes leading to the ship's hold. 
 
SOUTH AMERICAN PORT IMPROVEMENTS — WEST AND NORTH 25 
 
 WEST AND NORTH COASTS 
 
 Along the west coast of South America the productive regions do 
 not as a rule, send forth their products to a few trade centers, but 
 to many small shipping points. Chile alone is credited with more than 
 60 ports; Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia have many more. Conse- 
 quently, there are not many ports comparable in size and expenditure 
 to those of the opposite side of the continent. 
 
 Concepcion Bay Is Chile's southern naval rendezvous, and on this 
 bay lies Talcahuano, a city of nearly 50,000 people. Nine miles inland, 
 and connected with the port by both steam and electric railways, is 
 the southern metropolis of Chile, Concepcion, with nearly double the 
 population of the port. Talcahuano, Lota, and Coronel, not far dis- 
 tant from each other, form a cluster of leading smaller ports, their 
 importance being based largely on the fact that in this region lie the 
 Chilean coal mines which supply fuel to many naval and merchant 
 vessels. 
 
 Talcahuano has a good anchorage in 36 feet of water half a mile 
 from shore. Steamers discharge and load cargo at the rate of 600 to 
 800 tons per day. The Government crane has a capacity for handling 
 goods up to 40 tons. There is a dock for repairing naval and com- 
 mercial vessels. During recent years large sums of money have been 
 spent in dredging and in the construction of long quay walls, all of 
 which will doubtless be continued on a more extensive scale as funds 
 become available. 
 
 Modernizing and improving the port of Valparaiso is perhaps the 
 most spectacular task confronting the engineer in any South Ameri- 
 can harbor. The large bay is semicircular in form and opens toward 
 the north — the latter fact placing the ship at anchor in the bay at a 
 disadvantage during the months of July, August and September, when 
 storms frequently cause damage. Valparaiso Bay strikingly contrasts 
 with the conditions prevailing at Montevideo and Buenos Aires; the 
 former being extremely deep and necessitating vast expenditures in 
 breakwater construction, while, as has already been shown, the two 
 Atlantic coast cities suffer the handicap of shallow water harbors. 
 
 At Valparaiso the engineers concluded to build gigantic hollow cubes 
 of concrete, of 50 feet dimensions, on shore and then float them to 
 position. In February, 1917, the first of these cubes was laid, the occa- 
 sion being marked by appropriate ceremonies. Scores of citizens were 
 "aboard" this first giant cube, over which waved Chilean flags, as it 
 was towed to its position in the breakwater line. Stone was placed 
 inside, and as the weight increased the cube finally sank. 
 
 The improvements at Valparaiso began on a large scale in 1912, 
 an English company having secured the contract, which involved 
 
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28 THE PAN AMERICAN UNION 
 
 $12,000,000. A space covering 220 acres will be made safe for ships 
 at all seasons. A few of the main features mentioned in the contract 
 are a breakwater about 1,000 feet long, a quay wall 2,000 feet in 
 length, extension and improvement of the fiscal wharf to a length of 
 more than 1,000 feet, a jetty 820 feet long and 328 feet wide with land- 
 ing quays on both sides, a vast amount of filling in behind quay walls 
 on which eventually will stand many more warehouses. 
 
 Much of the work at Valparaiso has been done and still more re- 
 mains to be accomplished. In the original agreement the contractors 
 were to complete the works in seven years, or in 1917, but owing to 
 the effect of the great war delays were experienced and more time will 
 be necessary. If, however, we stand at the country's Naval Academy, 
 on the heights overlooking the bay, some important features of the 
 plan may be seen in almost their completed form. These are the large 
 warehouses on the shore and the new quay walls which are in the form 
 of the letter T with the top of the letter toward the bay. On the out- 
 side line the water is sufficiently deep for large ships; inside, on the 
 stem of the so-called letter, smaller vessels may be moored. Dredging 
 near the shore is in progress. 
 
 The new port of San Antonio, 40 miles south of Valparaiso, is pro- 
 gressing satisfactorily, and ships may draw alongside the long iron 
 piers and discharge and load cargo. This new port is 47 miles nearer 
 Santiago than is Valparaiso, and the object of its construction is to 
 relieve the older port of the traffic congestion that often existed. 
 Furthermore, the railway line is having its influence in developing the 
 country between Santiago and San Antonio, and as the port works 
 draw to completion doubtless the importance of the new outlet will be 
 especially marked. 
 
 The activity of capital and the consequent outflow of iron ores from 
 the Tofo mines, near Cruz Grande, 130 miles north of Valparaiso, 
 appears to be responsible for the construction of what are perhaps the 
 most unusual docking facilities along the entire coast. French capi- 
 talists owned the mining properties, which were acquired a few years 
 ago by North American interests. A new railroad from the port to 
 the mines, 15 miles inland, was built; and in descending the grade to 
 the port electric engines generate at least a part of the power required 
 to pull the empty cars back to the mine*. The former French oper- 
 ators could load only i ,000 tons of ore per hour, which was far too small 
 an amount to satisfy the new company. A gigantic dock, therefore, 
 was planned and constructed. This dock is cut out of the precipitous 
 coast; and its bottom level is about 40 feet below the waters of the 
 Pacific. Reinforced concrete was extensively used in its construction. 
 Ships are able to enter this dock and receive more than 15,000 tons of 
 ore per hour — a vast amount in comparison with the average rate of 
 
VALPARAISO. CHILE. 
 
 Upper: Several of the new gigantic cranes for handling cargo. 
 
 completed docks. 
 
 Lower: A view of portions^ of the 
 
SOUTH AMERICAN PORT IMPROVEMENTS — WEST AND NORTH 31 
 
 loading along the coast. Railroad trestles along the sides and high 
 above the dock are so built that trains from the mines discharge the 
 ore directly from car to ship, thus saving the tedious service of lighter- 
 ing cargo. It is said that the company will operate its own ships, 
 another feature of production and marketing that is possible only with 
 enterprises having large capital. i 
 
 Antofagasta, 600 miles north of Valparaiso, is the third port of the 
 country in commercial importance, and, unfortunately for the place, 
 its port improvements have not kept pace with the general progress 
 and upbuilding of the city. The latter has probably modernized more 
 rapidly than any other Chilean city in a similar space of time, and these 
 features include almost all phases of economic growth, such as newly 
 paved streets, sidewalks, motor busses, sewerage, new buildings, etc. 
 Antofagasta, like Sao Paulo in Brazil, is situated almost on the Tropic 
 of Capricorn. 
 
 The lack of shipping facilities is seriously felt, and plans are on foot 
 for securing a foreign loan in order to construct adequate improve- 
 ments. A large area of reefs fronting the city will be used for recla- 
 mation purposes, a breakwater will be constructed, and extensive 
 quays provided. The cost of these improvements is estimated at 
 something more than $8,000,000, and if a loan is raised the interest 
 rate will be 6 per cent and the amortization about 2 per cent. 
 
 Iquique, claiming a population of 30,000, lies 830 miles north of 
 Valparaiso and is the country's second port of commercial importance. 
 Its exports are approximately double those of Valparaiso and are 
 mainly the well-known nitrate and other mineral products. In im- 
 ports, however, Iquique falls behind Valparaiso. Like the larger city, 
 Iquique has planned extensive port improvements, and no doubt the 
 present prosperity of the country will give renewed impetus to these 
 proposed facilities. 
 
 Peru has a dozen or more larger ports on the Pacific, of which 
 Mollendo and Callao are the most important. From all of her ports, 
 Amazon and Pacific, Peru shipped in a recent year more than $130,- 
 000,000 worth of raw products and purchased abroad $58,389,986 in 
 return, or conducted a foreign trade of more than $189,000,000. A 
 large portion of this commerce was doubly handled — -that is, from pier 
 to lighter and from lighter to ship and vice versa. 
 
 Mollendo is the important southern port of Peru and the starting 
 point of the railway between the Pacific and Lake Titicaca and other 
 inland regions. The surf and sea swell at this port are heavy, espe- 
 cially during June, July, October and November. Ships anchor a 
 mile or more out in the roadstead, and everything must be trans- 
 ported ashore by smaller craft. An island near the shore has been 
 utilized as a sea buffer, and all boats direct their courses accordingly 
 
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THREE IMPORTANT c lllMvAX I'ORTS. 
 
 Top: Iquique, showing pier extending out into the harbor where the lighters are loaded and un- 
 loaded. Tquique is Chile's second port in commercial importance, being chief nitrate port of the 
 country. It is located about 830 miles north of Valparaiso and has a population of about 30,000. 
 Center: A section of Taltal harbor, Province of Antofagasta. Bottom: Antofagasta, the third most 
 important port of Chile, is situated about 600 miles north of Valparaiso, almost on the tropic of Cap- 
 ricorn, and is in the nitrate region. Extensive port improvements, to cost about S8, 000, 000, have 
 been planned and will soon be started. 
 
34 THE PAN AMERICAN UNION 
 
 and unload passengers and freight behind the island in somewhat 
 protected waters. Considerable improvements in recent years in sea 
 walls, and a number of steam cranes having a capacity up to 20 tons, 
 make the loading and unloading of cargo much more expeditious than 
 formerly. Northward 480 miles is Callao. 
 
 Callao is the only Peruvian port where modern docking facilities 
 have been completed, although several other places have such im- 
 provements in contemplation. At other ports the long iron pier is 
 used in handling cargo which arrives on the pier in trains directly 
 from the interior. 
 
 At Callao, although the docks are extensive, they have been found 
 at times inadequate, and additions are proposed. A few years ago 
 Dutch engineers, at the request of the Peruvian Government, investi- 
 gated the possibilities of port improvements, one feature of which 
 was the joining of a near-by island and the mainland at La Punta, 
 with modern docks and piers between the two points. 
 
 For many years prior to 1912 a French company held exclusive 
 control of the loading and the unloading of vessels within the port, 
 and certain privileges are still retained by this company. One strik- 
 ing feature in connection with Callao's shipping is the arrival of a 
 larger number of steamships bearing the flag of the United States. 
 Formerly it was customary for from 30 to 40 United States sailing 
 vessels to call at Callao, bearing lumber cargoes, but the presence at 
 diflferent times of an increased number of steamships causes comment, 
 as well as the unloading of greater quantities of manufactured products 
 from the United States. 
 
 Callao is credited with 35,000 population, and in recent years per- 
 haps nothing has been more important for the city than the new 
 sewerage system completed in 191 3. 
 
 Passing northward from Callao there are several ports before reach- 
 ing Paita, the most northern (of importance) and one of the best ports 
 on the entire coast of Peru. Being located within the rapidly-develop- 
 ing petroleum region, Paita is destined to grow and no doubt will soon 
 find it necessary to give more attention to improving shipping facilities. 
 Here the traveler usually procures a fine Panama hat or two from 
 native merchants, who surround the steamship as she lies at anchor 
 far out in the bay. A long iron pier from the shore aids traffic. 
 
 Northward, 215 miles from Paita, the ship enters the harbor of 
 Guayaquil, Ecuador's chief commercial city. The 70-mile sail up 
 the Guayas River from the ocean, especially if the vessel has proceeded 
 from the rainless coast of Chile and Peru, offers delightful contrasts in 
 beautiful tropical foliage and picturesque surroundings. The depth 
 of the river admits vessels drawing 22 feet of water. 
 
 The "marina" or quay wall has been constructed along the shore of 
 
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38 THE PAN AMERICAN UNION 
 
 the river for a considerable distance and is capped with stone. Ex- 
 tending backward is a broad area along which a large maritime traffic 
 is received and dispatched. The port proper is about 3 miles long and 
 from a half to a mile broad, with a depth of water of from 12 to 40 
 feet. Several rivers, such as Daule, Bahahoyo, etc., unite with the 
 Guayas above Guayaquil, and the tide in these rivers is felt from 50 
 to 80 miles inland. The rivers, especially during the rainy season, 
 provide fluvial arteries for steamers of considerable size for many miles, 
 in some cases to Zapotal, 200 miles distant. 
 
 The harbor of Guayaquil delights the average traveler with its num- 
 ber of small sailing vessels, many of which have the appearance of 
 oriental form and life and which transport to Guayaquil a vast quantity 
 of natural products gathered by natives in tropical forests along the 
 streams mentioned. The large ship anchors off the port and lighters 
 transfer the products between vessel and shore and at the rate of about 
 8 tons per hour from each hatch of a ship. 
 
 Recent years have seen marked improvements in Guayaquil's pre- 
 paredness for handling a larger amount of foreign trade. Not the 
 least important are the sanitary improvements and other modernizing 
 works in progress in and around the city. 
 
 Quite a number of small sailing vessels are constructed in Ecuador's 
 ports of Data, Morro, Posorja, etc., and it seems probable that the 
 present demand for ocean transportation may have a stimulating 
 eflfect on local work of this nature, which in recent years has some- 
 what declined, at least in the building of ocean-going craft. 
 
 The more northern ports of Ecuador are Manta, Bahia, and Esmer- 
 aldas. From each of these ports considerable quantities of raw prod- 
 ucts are shipped annually, but as yet it is necessary to load cargo 
 by the old method of the small boat and lighter. At each of these 
 towns railways have at least started backward into the country and 
 the plans of their promoters are to carry them to the interior, even- 
 tually to Quito or even across the mountains into the Amazon region. 
 With such new routes open to commerce it seems probable that the 
 seaports must soon improve and modernize their facilities for handling 
 greater business. 
 
 |- Passing from Ecuadorian waters northward the vessel goes on the 
 bosom of the Peruvian current, the rate of the latter's movement 
 being from 25 to 35 miles per day all the way to Panama, a distance 
 of nearly 800 miles. 
 
 f:. [The most important Pacific port of Colombia is Buenaventura, at 
 about the halfway point of her western coast. Since the completion 
 of the railroad from this port to Cali, 80 miles inland, there has been 
 considerable endeavor to build a modern port. One of the most 
 essential features is the betterment of sanitary conditions which are 
 

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 TWO LEADING PORTS OF COLOMBIA. 
 
 Top: View of the steel pile pier of the Barranquilla Railway & Pier Co. (Ltd.). at Puerto Colombia, 
 the actual seaport for Barranquilla. The pier is 4.000 feet long, extends into water having a depth of 
 26 feet, and will accommodate five ocean steamers at one time. Bottom : A section of the historic sea 
 wall of Cartagena. Colombia, a landlocked port which is connected with the sea by means of a channel 
 having a depth of 30 to 40 feet, sufficient to admit large ocean vessels. Although the port has been 
 provided with extensive wharves for many years the growing traffic has necessitated the planning of 
 improvements which will enable vessels to tie up to the railroad wharves and greatly facilitate the 
 
 handling of cargo. 
 
SOUTH AMERICAN PORT IMPROVEMENTS — ^WEST AND NORTH 41 
 
 now under way by specialists engaged for the purpose, and at an early 
 date no doubt Buenaventura will be as healthful as other parts of the 
 country. 
 
 The population of the port is about 5,000, and the town is located 
 10 miles from the mouth of the river of the same name. The latter 
 admits vessels drawing 25 feet of water as far as Buenaventura, and 
 possesses many natural advantages favoring increased maritime trade. 
 A Federal law recently passed provides for the Government's co-opera- 
 tion with the Pacific Railway Co. in order to secure a loan for harbor 
 improvements and railway extensions. 
 
 Colombia and Venezuela were, by the opening of the Panama Canal, 
 placed directly on the world's highway of maritime trade. With 
 the return of normal conditions it is practically certain that these 
 two nations, so wealthy in raw products needed in the great rebuild- 
 ing era, will prosper as never before. The ports, therefore, have been 
 the subject of much attention and some improvements. 
 
 Colombia's principal Caribbean ports are Cartagena and Barran- 
 quilla, the former on the sea and the latter a short distance up the 
 Magdalena River. The course into Cartagena harbor (the city being 
 on an island) lies along shores bedecked with mangroves, palms, and 
 other tropical growth, with here and there a picturesque cluster of 
 houses. In the background on the mainland rise a series of hills, and 
 in numerous cases the prosperous business man has chosen the locality 
 for his suburban residence. 
 
 The port of Cartagena is landlocked and the channel leading thither 
 varies from 30 to 40 feet, or is sufficient for the larger ocean vessels. 
 Twenty-four years ago extensive wharves were constructed, but the 
 growing trade demanded better facilities for handling cargo. The 
 Government, through a well-known English firm, has plans for im- 
 proving the city of Cartagena, as well as the waterfront, on a more 
 extensive scale than ever before; the channel entrance is to be changed 
 and deepened to the railway wharf, onto which run the trains from the 
 Magdalena port of Calamar, 64 miles away. Passengers and consid- 
 erable cargo are landed at Cartagena directly on the pier. The city 
 has about 30,000 people and the most interesting feature is the great 
 sea wall constructed around the city many years ago by the Spaniards 
 at an outlay of millions of dollars. 
 
 Unfortunately for Colombia, the port of Barranquilla is not reached 
 by the ocean steamship on account of sand bars obstructing the mouth 
 of the Magdalena. In order to remedy this natural defect the Govern- 
 ment has had engineers make a study of the possibility of dredging 
 a canal or of deepening the river so that large ships could go directly 
 to the port of Barranquilla. As it is today, the smaller ocean port, 
 Puerto Colombia, receives the large cargo vessels and a railroad about 
 
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44 THE PAN AMERICAN UNION 
 
 17 miles long is used to transport passengers and freight between 
 the port and Barranquilla. The latter has 40,000 people, and is the 
 headquarters for several fleets of commercial vessels which ply up 
 and down the Magdalena. 
 
 Voyaging eastward, the leading Venezuelan ports are Maracaibo, 
 Puerto Cabello, and La Guaira, the last named ranking first in gen- 
 eral importance, with the others in the order mentioned. In each 
 port centers a large amount of raw products destined for world mar- 
 kets, transported thither by railroads and, in the case of Maracaibo, 
 by rail and also by small craft that ply the waters of the lake of the 
 same name. In fact, Maracaibo's export statistics show a larger 
 amount than does any other port of the country. In this region of 
 Venezuela recent years have seen renewed activity in petroleum pro- 
 duction, some of the new oil having been used in Caracas and other 
 cities. During the present year crude petroleum will perhaps form a 
 very important article of export from Maracaibo, and the harbor, 
 always alive with coasting and ocean ships, seems destined to a greater 
 trade than ever before. In a recent year Maracaibo exported 29 per 
 cent of the total Venezuelan products sent abroad. 
 
 A massive old fortress guards the entrance to the harbor of Puerto 
 Cabello, one of the best and safest of the Republic. The fortress was 
 constructed more than 300 years ago as a protection against the 
 pirates that spread terror along the Venezuelan coast. Large vessels 
 now dock at modern piers and cargo is unloaded and loaded directly 
 from ship to wharf and vice versa. One of the important adjuncts 
 of Puerto Cabello is the floating drydock which can handle a 2,000- 
 ton ship. Its dimensions are 282 feet long, 80 feet wide, and height 
 of walls above pontoon, 21 feet. The dock has already proved inval- 
 uable for use of large and small vessels trading along the Venezuelan 
 and Colombian coasts. 
 
 Puerto Cabello has about 20,000 population and is the terminus 
 of the railroad from Valencia, 34 miles inland. Along this and con- 
 necting railways and through the port passes a large amount of com- 
 merce, not the least important being beef cattle for export. A few 
 years ago English capital constructed a modern cold-storage plant 
 at Puerto Cabello for the purpose of slaughtering and packing Vene- 
 zuelan cattle. The great demand for food has given a renewed im- 
 pulse to this enterprise and the port's exports during a recent six 
 months period amounted to 23,783 metric tons, a considerable portion 
 of which represented the value of beef and cattle products. 
 
 Long before reaching La Guaira, the chief port of Venezuela, the 
 precipitous shore line looms high above the tropical waters, domi- 
 nated by La Silla (the saddle) and other mountain peaks, the sea 
 and mountain combining to form a pleasing picture. The old method 
 
TWO VEXEZUELAX PORTS. 
 
 Top: The port of La Guaira. Venezuela. "The old method of anchoring ships in the roadstead has 
 passed and the new breakwaters and piers make it possible for the vessel to land passengers and cargo 
 directly on the docks. A concrete breakwater of recent construction extends for more than 2,000 feet 
 from the shore, and partially incloses an area of nearly 100 acres having an average depth of 28 feet." 
 Bottom: The port of Carupano, situated on the northern coast of \'enezuela with a picturesque moun- 
 tain setting for a background. In the foreground is shown the recently constructed steel pier which 
 extends out into the Caribbean Sea. 
 
SOUTH AMERICAN PORT IMPROVEMENTS WEST AND NORTH 47 
 
 of anchoring ships in the roadstead has passed and the new break- 
 waters and piers make it possible for the vessels to land passengers 
 and cargo directly onto docks. A concrete breakwater of recent 
 construction extends more than 2,000 feet from a point on shore, 
 which partially incloses an area of nearly 100 acres, having an average 
 depth of 28 feet. This depth, of course, renders the harbor waters 
 suitable for all kinds of vessels. An English company secured certain 
 concessions from Venezuela and constructed the breakwater under 
 many difficulties, as in numerous cases the depth of water along its 
 course is nearly 50 feet. Other concrete quays and retaining walls 
 offer additional facilities for many smaller ships that trade along 
 the coast of the Republic. On the whole, more than $5,000,000 has 
 been spent on harbor improvements, which include a number of ware- 
 houses and modern equipment for handling cargo on a large scale. 
 
 A massive structure behind a setting of mangrove and palm trees 
 has long served as a customhouse; and it is to the credit of Vene- 
 zuelan officials that goods are passed with unusual dispatch. In the 
 year of 191 7 the exports and imports of the Republic amounted to 
 more than $46,000,000, a large portion of which was handled by the 
 La Guaira customhouse. About four-fifths of the exports consist of 
 the much needed products of coffee, cocoa, and sugar. 
 
 The port of La Guaira is connected by rail with the capital, 23 miles 
 inland but less than 8 miles air line. A highway also leads from the 
 port to the capital and in recent years improvements in this road have 
 made it popular with automobile owners. An electric line connects 
 La Guaira with the summer resort of Macuto, about 6 miles east- 
 ward, where sea bathing and cooler breezes combine to make the resort 
 especially attractive to strangers as well as popular with the people of 
 Caracas and surrounding country. 
 
 Guanta, one of the Republic's eastern ports on the Caribbean, has 
 a landlocked harbor and facilities for docking ocean vessels. This 
 port is the outlet for Barcelona, a few miles inland, with which it is 
 connected by rail. Guanta is the outlet for the coal mines of Naricual, 
 which are destined to more active exploitation as the demand for fuel 
 increases. Many cattle also are shipped annually from this port. 
 
THE PAN AMERICAN UNION is the interna- 
 tional organization and office maintained in 
 Washington, D.C., by the twenty-one American 
 republics, as follows: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, 
 Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, 
 Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nica- 
 ragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Salvador, United 
 States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. It is devoted to 
 the development of commerce, friendly intercourse, 
 good understanding and the preservation of peace 
 among these countries. It is supported by quotas 
 contributed by each country, based upon their popu- 
 lation. Its affairs are administered by a Director 
 General and Assistant Director, elected by and re- 
 sponsible to a Governing Board, which is composed 
 of the Secretary of State of the United States and the 
 diplomatic representatives in Washington of the 
 other American governments. These two executive 
 officers are assisted by a staff of international experts, 
 statisticians, commercial specialists, editors, trans- 
 lators, compilers, librarians, clerks, and stenogra- 
 phers. The Union publishes a Monthly Bulletin in 
 English, Spanish, and Portuguese, which is a careful 
 record of Pan American progress. It also publishes 
 numerous special reports and pamphlets on various 
 Pan American subjects of practical information. Its 
 library, the Columbus Memorial Library, contains 
 50,000 volumes, 25,000 photographs, 175,000 index 
 cards, and a large collection of maps. The Union is 
 housed in a beautiful building erected through the 
 munificence of Andrew Carnegie and the contribu- 
 tions of the American republics. 
 

 
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