3 5 . ▁The ▁first ▁rail road ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁to ▁Pet ró pol is , ▁and ▁a ▁line ▁reached ▁Que im ados ▁in ▁the ▁Nova ▁I gu a ç ú ▁area ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁gas ▁replaced ▁oil ▁for ▁street ▁light ing , ▁and ▁wireless ▁te legraph y ▁was ▁inaugur ated . ▁Se wer age ▁was ▁installed ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁and ▁tele phone ▁service ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 . ▁ ▁When ▁Rio ▁de ▁Janeiro , ▁which ▁had ▁formerly ▁been ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁Empire ▁of ▁Brazil , ▁became ▁capital ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Brazil ian ▁Republic ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁it ▁was ▁already ▁a ▁considerable ▁community . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁census , ▁it ▁had ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁inhabitants ▁on ▁ 6 1 ▁square ▁miles ▁( 1 5 8 ▁square ▁km ), ▁ranking ▁it ▁as ▁the ▁largest ▁city ▁in ▁Brazil ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁larger ▁cities ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁constitution ▁designated ▁it ▁the ▁Federal ▁District . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁federal ▁administration ▁of ▁Pres . ▁Francisco ▁de ▁Pa ula ▁Rod rig ues ▁Al ves ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁Rio ▁de ▁Janeiro ▁was ▁further ▁transformed . ▁A ▁team ▁of ▁administr ators ▁and ▁techn icians ▁dra ined ▁sw amps , ▁cleared ▁sl ums