Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1842-12-08
M Z ISL u A 81 70
UNION OF THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC,


The company chartered by the Government,
Of New Grenada to construct ship canal
! connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
have completed their surveys, made road o.
yer the lsthmus, and are proceeding to make
the canal. An authentic account in the Gin
cinnati Chronicle says:
hhe company having completed q provi.
sional or temporary road from The bay of Cha
FORA on the Pacific TO the town of Chagrcs on
the Atlantic ocean, is not only freed from the
necessity of requiring additional time, but the
Republic of New Grenada could not refuse il
without violating its engagements, since the
company have completed its contract before
even the expiration of time limited for the
construction Of any communication whatever.
Besides this, it has caused the whole country
through which the projected canal is to pass,
as well as all the rivers and wafer courses
which must contribute TO it, to be thoroughly
explored.
These explorations, conducted with great
'~l~-A - -s,:--~--- NJ i---. -
strated that the lsthmus of Pahama, instead of
being a ridge of rocks, as many geographers
have described it, is, on the contrary, valley
from four TO thirteen miles in width, and scat
tered over with conical heights of from 90 to
6O feet elevation, which, on the east and west,
rest upon low chains varying from ] 10 to us
feet in height. Among these small conical
heights, wind in all directions various streams
and rivers, which descend from the termina-
ton of the ADDE'S and unite in two principal
channels. The one, which is the river Cha
gres, throws itself into the Caribbean Sea; the
other, called the Rio Grande, flows toward the
Pacific ocean. The dividing country between
these rivers has an elevation of only 81 feet a.
bove the highest known level of the sea, or of
ID feet above low tides, the food-tide some
times attaining height of 81 feet.
The excavation or cutting necessary to unite
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by means OF
| the river Vino Tinto, Bernardino, and FaZfan.
Is only twelve miles and half; the fall will
be regulated by four double locks Of 1888 feet
in length. The whole of the projected canal
will be 40 miles in length, 1875 feet in breadth
at the surface of the water, and 55 feet at the
bottom, 20 feet in depth, and will be navigable
for vessels of from 1000 to l,400 tons. All
! the rivers which are TO serve as parts in the
canal have. at the lowest water, depth vary
ing from to Is feet; they will be swept and
excavated to depth Of 20 feet, and kept al
that depth by means of two guard-locks. The
country through which the canal will pass
presents claysh and slaty soil, with no rock
! except at the mouth of the Chagres, where the
formation is SOS laty that it will present no OBJ
stacle.
/ Although the construction of the canal Of the
Panama will require no purchases of land and
no outlay for stone, lime, or cement, all which
materials are to be found on the spot, still the
company has not hesitated TO estimate its cost
at the bighestraies of constructing such works
as those, for example, of the Caledonan Canal
Of Scotland, and the Louisville Canal-the
rate Of $4,000 francs, or about S66,l57 pei
mile so thatthe 10 miles of canal properly sc
called, will cost IA, S2l 800 francs, or abou
S277S,615. in those estimates are included
the cost OF four steam tow-boals, two folding
bridges Of cast iron, 40 feet in length, ant
several smaller ones.
This junction of the two oceans, by bring
ing the islands of the Pacific, China, japan
Australia, Borneo, Sumatra, sc. some 4,OO(
leagues nearer to us, by rendering the navi
CATION of the ocean less dangerous, less expen
sive, and more expeditions, will effect grea
revolution in the commerce Of the Who'll,
world, a revolution of which America will ex
perence the benefits before all other nations.