(As published in La Correspondencia de España)
Huelva, 23 March 1876
The board of directors of the Río Tinto mines in London is currently gathered almost in its entirety in this capital, their visit aimed at establishing final plans for the improved exploitation of said mines.
Today, in the presence of the board and the civil governor of the province, along with the province’s engineers, the first trial of the famous pier of the Río Tinto mines on the River Odiel took place, yielding the most satisfactory results for loading ships. In less than a minute, the contents of a rail wagon were transferred from the pier directly into the hold of the vessel.
This first trial was conducted using the British steamship Marta, with a capacity of more than 600 tons, and based on the results obtained, it is estimated that the vessel could complete its full loading in less than three hours.
This magnificent pier, under the direction of the distinguished British engineer Mr Bruce, who also attended the trial, is expected to be fully completed by the end of May. It is regarded as the most notable work of its kind, with over fourteen million reales already spent on its construction.
From the Río Tinto mines, which lie 80 kilometres away, the mineral can now arrive without a single stop directly into the holds of ships.
It is difficult to fully appreciate and comprehend the marvellous and singular nature of this great work without seeing and closely examining it in person.
As a complement to this, the Río Tinto Company, which holds substantial interests, plans to proceed without delay with the construction of the railway line from this capital (Huelva) to Seville. It is clear that this line will be completed within a year of its commencement, and will contribute very effectively to the rapid development of the material interests of this province.
It is also expected that all deputies and senators from the provinces of Seville and Huelva will support in both chambers the bill granting customs exemptions on the materials to be used in that railway’s construction. This bill is expected to be presented to both houses in the coming days.
The celebrations of peace have now concluded, with alms distributed to the poor, and much attention drawn to the illuminations of the town hall and the Civil Guard barracks.
