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Born on 22nd June 1843 at Newfield, Byers Green, County Durham to Margaret Snowdon and William Hunt
His mother Margaret married George Thubbron on 12/10/1845 in Byers Green, County Durham

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During our reunion (June 2006) we learned that John Snowdon went to Chile in 1888-89, which inspired us to find out why he went there. We have in our possession a small note book which John had taken with him, but although it doesn't give us much to go on, it does have some vital information in it and Kathy Mark has done some research as to maybe why John traveled to Chile.


When Spain was defeated in Europe, Chile gained independence along with most other Latin American countries, thanks to the freedom fighters led by Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín from Argentina. Bernardo O'Higgins (the son of an Irish immigrant) became dictator of the new state of Chile.

Industry and mining prospered in Chile and there was more or less stable government with a certain amount of democratic progress. The continued growth of industry and trade led to a Civil War in the 1890s as the industrial classes and workers confronted the entrenched landed interests.

Luis A Ross (1880-1943) was a Chilean photographer working in Valparaiso around 1900. His pictures show a golden age in this city that was the main port of the Pacific, a cosmopolitan city with one of the most important stock markets of the world. His pictures online date from 1890-1906 and show a fascinating glimpse of the lives of the rich - walking on the streets in the business area and elsewhere, visiting the races and at the automobile club. They are more like pictures from a family album than great photography, but provide an interesting viewpoint on this past era.

Spanish photographer Karl Humbert came to Chile in 1906 and photographed the effects of the great earthquake of 1906 in Valparaiso that effectively put an end to this golden era, demolishing many great buildings and killing some 30,000 people. His pictures show some of the damage, and record the summary execution of looters.
The pictures by Ross and Humbert are included with some digital pictures on a site showing Valparaiso as seen by three photographers across the years.
A set of pictures by Arsenio Bequin from a similar period record the great mines of Chile saltpetre. Although the Incas had used Chile nitrate as a fertiliser it was only with the increase in manufacturing industry and more commercial agriculture in the nineteenth century that the industry developed on a vast scale, being exported around the world. These pictures are accompanied by contemporary photographs of the now-abandoned mines on the high plateau by Juan D. Marinello Kairath.

Independence

After Chile won its independence in 1818, the economy prospered through a combination of mercantilist and free-market policies. Agricultural exports, primarily wheat, were the mainstay of the export economy. By mid-century, however, Chile had become one of the world's leading producers of copper. After Chile defeated Bolivia and Peru in the War of the Pacific (1879-83), nitrate mines in areas conquered during the war became the source of huge revenues, which were lavished on imports, public works projects, education, and, less directly, the expansion of an incipient industrial sector. Between 1890 and 1924, nitrate output averaged about a quarter of GDP. Taxes on nitrate exports accounted for about half of the government's ordinary budget revenues from 1880 to 1920. By 1910 Chile had established itself as one of the most prosperous countries in Latin America.

Viaducto del Malleco

In its time, the Malleco Viaduct was considered the highest railway bridge in the world. It is one of the greatest feats of metal engineering in Chile, and was constructed as part of a vast expansion of the railway network by the state, which the then President, José Manuel Balmaceda, considered fundamental to the country’s economic future.

The bridge was one part of the construction of a railway line between Angol and Traiguén, which was carried out by the State through public tender. The crossing of the Malleco valley presented the main obstacle on this section, as the riverbed runs 110 m below the level of the surrounding plains. This difficulty presented the engineers with the dilemma of going around it or tackling it head on. They opted for the latter and decided to do so at the narrows of Collipulli.

In 1885, the government entrusted Chile’s representative in France, Alberto Blest Gana, with task of calling for proposals for the construction of the viaduct from well known European firms, in accordance with the plans drawn up by Chilean chief engineer of the Arauco railroad, Victorino Aurelio Lastarria. Three French firms tendered plans: Gustave Eiffel, la Societé Anonyme des Anciens Establissements Cail, and Schneider et Cie. O. Le Creusot. The contract was awarded to the last named.

Between 1886 and 1888, the company built the iron frames at its workshops in Europe; they were transported by ship and then by train to their destination. Little by little, the foundations were prepared, and the viaduct was installed between February 1889 and the middle of the following year. The work was inaugurated by President José Manuel Balmaceda on October 26, 1890.

Many Thanks to Kathy for this information.

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This diary was written by George Snowdon whilst on a trip to the Mediterranean with his father John.

It has been transcribed as written.

see link below