The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-04 00:00:00

THE DARIEN SHIP CANAL.

The reports from the Darien Canal surveying party
are not very satisfactory. It appears that eight or nine
miles from the sea, on the Atlantic side, hills or moun-
tains are met with, eleven or twelve hundred feet high,
and no passes through them have yet been discovered,
nor is there much prospect of finding such a pass or
passes. From the well known ensrgy of the head of the
expedition, and the abilities of his assistants, we may
expect a thorougn examination will be made, and the
matter finally set at rest as to the feasibility of cutting 5
canal through that part of the isthmus. In the year 1.855,
the writer was on the isthmus, and had a conversation
with Colonel Totten, the civil engineer who lo-
cated and built the Panama Railroad, just then
completed. The colonel was, as may be supposed, well
informed as to all the explorations that had been made
up to that time, and had obtained also a great deal
of information on the subject from the natives of the
country. He gave it as his opinion that the best location
for a ship canal was along the line of the railroad. The
highest elevation on that line is, I believe, 260 feet. IlaN'
ing a railway along the line of the canal during the prose-
cution of the work, for the conveyance of men, materials,
and supplies, is an obvious advantage, and becomes 3
strong argument in favour of that location. The harbour
of Aspinwall, on the Atlantic, is a very good one. The
western terminus opens on Panama bay, which is nothing
but an open roadstead, but such is the condition of the
climate that vessels may lie there without danger front
e
gales or heavy seas. Itis entirely out of the track 0'
hurricanes. The survey for the railroad shewed the
notion that the sea-level in the Pacific was higher Oa?
in the Atlantic was erroneous. At low tide the level Is
the same in both oceans ; but at Aspinwall the tide
rises about three feet, while at Panama it rises
upwards of twenty feet. It is plain, therefore,
a strait be cut through the isthmus, a strong current will
rush through from the Pacific to the Atlantic, except
during the small part of the day when the level is the
same on both sides. The present city of Panama is
located at the inner end of a reef extending three-quarters
of a mile to seaward. The old city—when Pedrarias
governor and Francisco Pizarro fitted out his expedition
for the discovery of Peru—was situated to the south-east
of the present town, and it was abandoned for the' present
site, as being more easily defended from sea attacks hi
reason of the long reef and shoal in front. To regulate,
the current and quantity of water in the canal, it would
only be necessary to have gates at the western terminus
opening iuto a basin connected with the bay, Probably
the site of the old city would be the best place for the
position of this basin. It is a question whether it be for
the interest of the United States to have a ship calla,'
built or not. An old captain in the navy, now deceased,
used to say that he wished the Andes had by nature been
extended the whole length of the isthmus at their highe.s,"
elevation ; and, if he could have his way, he would 11.1 e,
up the isthmus mountains as high as Chimborazo. His
idea was that in war we could not control the canal, A 6
the people of this country would not be willing to step'
port a navy powerful enough for this purpose, and that
in peace it would be of more advantage to Europe
governments than to us. Jamaica and the other islands
lying near the canal would naturally get the trade in the
Pacific which now goes by the way of Cape Horn. The
West India Islands are filled with European commodities
and are now resorted to by traders from the Atlantic shores,
of Mexico, Central America, and the northern parts °I
South America, as our western traders go to the Atlantic
cities for their supplies. If the canal be built, we shall
find, I fancy, that England, Spain, France, and Sol-
land will get the biggest bite out of the cherry after all.
With our railroads across the continent, connectingthe
growing Pacific States with the East, population will
increase there and manufactures will soon flourish as 11'
the Eastern States, and we shall be able to supply the
wants of the people of the adjacent countries ; and, l 4
fact, control the traffic on the great Pacific ocean.
matters not to the nation at large to what section weal
flows ; so long as it does flow to any part, all sections "
enjoy its benefits ; and I repeat that it seems to me cle'r
that with a canal, thrown open to the world, across the
isthmus, particularly with the West India Islands in the
possession of foreign powers, we shall be losers instead 0f
gainers. In this connection it will be well to inquire
the possession of San Domingo, on easy terms, will not he
a good thing and an entering wedge for further adva°:
tages. These facts and ideas are thrown out as interest:
ing at this time, but before we undertake such greet
enterprises with government aid, let us look before Ave
leap.—Boston Advertiser.

The idea of a self-acting velocipede is still oat':
eying the attention of the ingenious. In the West of
England one so propelled has been running at the so-far
promising rate of six to eight miles an hour. It requires
two persons to manage it, one to attend to the miniature
engine, and another to steer.—Builder.

Kerosene, which means all manner of "harmless
and non-explosive " illuminating fluids, continues to blow
up and blast and burn to the death throughout this °lc:
tremely patient and much-suffering land. We are n°"
therefore, surprised by the notable expedient of certain
Western life insurance companies, which have theix
advertisements pasted on kerosene cans by special ar
rangement with the grocers. There could not be 10°,7'
perer places for their display. And yet the time may
come when all well-regulated life companies will refus,°,
to underwrite the lives of those who are aUt
dicted to this particular kind of evening oil. The worn
of it is that, according to the report of Dr. Chandler, wh°
undeestands the matter thoroughly, there is no neoessi%
for " accidents "of this kind. It is only bad oil whit
is likely to explode, so that those " casualties " seem to 1
a matter of manslaughter, or something exceedingly
like it.

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