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From: Bob Moyer <>
Subject: [PACOLUMB] Madeira Mamore Expedition to Brazil,Metropolis Mercedita & Richmond
Date: Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:35:58 -0400

Hello everyone,

I have finished indexing the names for a new database for the Madeira
Mamore Expedition of 1878 which involved constructing a railroad in
Brazil by US engineers, contractors and laborers. The names are
mostly PA, NJ, NY, DE, MD, WV, KY and OH. My project started as a
search for person named Philip BOWERS in my family tree who I finally
found in one of the newspaper articles and my project since expanded
into something much more. Since I had collected so much information I
thought it might be a good time to share it with other researchers.

The project consists of two web pages:

1) a source or reference page (bibliography) with links to where the
names were found, and
2) the database of names to which it is linked

You can access both at the web site below:

http://web.rtmc.net/~bobmoyer/1878/sources.htm

I you have a missing person from this time period you need to check
the database, especially if they were from PA, NJ, NY, DE or MD. The
names in the list are not currently found by searching the Internet
or Rootsweb. Rootsweb support said the names will all eventually
become indexed - indexing runs in two month cycles.

Short Synopsis:
The Disastrous American Expedition of 1878 that included the
contractors P. & T. Collins (Col. George Earl Church) and the
laborers who went to Brazil to build a railroad was also called the
"The Railroad of Death" and a "railroad from no-place to
no-where". It was estimated that a worker died for every sleeper
that was laid in the jungle and the loss of workers was on a scale
that rivaled the Panama Canal project. The purpose of this project is
to create a database of names by transcribing newspaper accounts,
books and other sources about the expedition. Careful attention has
been given to separate these names from the later Farquar/Jekyll
expedition of 1907-1912. Thousands of men from many countries lost
their lives in both expeditions.

I've read that many men kept diaries while working in Brazil and I
have a few in my sources but I'm sure there are others. If you have
anything to add I would welcome your contribution.

Happy Hunting - please let me know if you find anything helpful.

Sincerely,

Bob Moyer
Instructor, Ed2go - Genealogy Basics

Researching the Pennsylvania names of Moyer, Rempp, Klug, Mattern,
Magargal and BOWERS, the name that originally started this project.

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