The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-23
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.
pm our regular correspondent

The British asGDi route from Southampton 10 ChagTes,
and overland mail r0uis across me istns u DaTsn
in eOnneriOn ,Oih The Pacific oossiins mail steamers
Notice Of Mr.. Whsslsr and his ageney IN getting
up Pacific Steam Rapigaion, Se.-ki0i al Brooklyn,
al the Atlantic dOek.-.Muksi, Sc.
The late papers Bring us accounts Of the establish
ment of an English overland mai-route, across the
isthmus Of Daren, in conneIion with the Pacific and
Atlantic mail-seamers. A line of monthly steamers
are 10 leave Southampton, England, on the l7th Of
each month, and reach Chagres, via Jamaica, on
the 10Th of the following month; and exchange
mails with the Pacific steamers, running between
Panama, Valparaiso, Lima, &C., on the west coast
Of South America which are 70 be transported
with light goods, &c, across the isthmus, between
Panama and Chsgres. The steamers in returning
are TO leave Chagres on or about the 26th Of each
month, and proceed via Jamaica, Havana, and Der.
muda, being due at Southampton on the 7th Of each
month The British consul at Panama, Mr.. Perry
is TO act agent The charge for full cabin pas
sage from England TO Chagres is fixed at about
k55, or $500, exclusive of wines, mineral waters,
&c. They propose TO transport passengers going
from or to the United States, between Chagres
and Havana, for the sum OF $50, including stew
ards fees and all other charges, except for Wines
liquors, &c. ..-
| The Pacific Stsam-packet Company have aug
mented the number Of their vessels, as to render
this monthly mail in connection with the overland
route across the Isthmus, more certain and COM
| plete. ...
Should our government run a monthly mail to
Chagres, in conjunction with the English arrange
ment, from New York, touching at Havana and
Key West, where n might intersecta line running
between New Orleans and Havana, important fae-
tiles Of communication might be gained Between
Panama, the Sandwich islands, and Oregon, we
might arrange for own mail service. Indeed
| could an American mail route be arranged across
the isthmus once month between the transit Of the
| English nails the communication would then be
semi-monthly. If we had mail steamers running
between Chagres, New York, and New Orleans, a
great many passengers would prefer reaching the
isthmus by leaving Liverpool in the Cunard line
and Afterwards proceed in them TO Chagres. In
such trip they could visit the United States, see
the country, and transact business, without in
ereasng the time distance or expense Of their Jour
ney.
recollect, in l84l, Mr.. Wheeler, an snterprsing
| American gentleman, and believe a native Of New
buryport Massachu setts, arrived in London, with
project of establishing line Of steam packets, to
run on the west coast OF South America. My knowl.
edge Of Mr.. Wheeler was derived from a Of
Major Jacob Perkins, another eminent American
| living in London. Mr.. A. Perkins, the son, in
formed me that Mr. Wheeler was a cousin Of his,
and was a man fond Of travelling, and had expert
enced many adventures and hair-breadth escapes.
He was at Newburyport taken from the water, sup
| posed to be drowned but recovered again. He was
| afterwards shipwrecked, when going round to the
Pacific. At another period, when making an over
land journey from the Pacific, he was attacked by
robbers, and beaten till left for dead the roadside.
From all these mishaps he had the good luck to es-
cape, and appeared in London at the time alluded
to, with the project Of establishing line Of steam
ers to run between the principal ports Of Chill and
Peru, in South America, being well acquainted with
the trade and resources Of the country, and endow
ed with good address and indomitable persever-
ance he succeeded finally in obtaining the attention
of capitalists, though not till he had spent many
months Of fruitess labor in traversng the streets Of
the "great city, and worn out much shoeleathcr in
passing from set Of capitalists TO another,
| Of whom set him down for an incurable visionary,
while others thought his scheme might be well
enough in half a century TO come. A man of less
determined resolution would have abandoned the
enterprise in utter despair. Not SO Mr.. Wheeler.
His rebuffs and dsappointments only seemed to i'm
part renewed vigor and assiduity in his underta-
king He knew, unless he could find aid abroad,
there no hope for assistance in his own coun-
try. He at length met with some English capital
sis, who thought better Of his proposals, who pa
tiendy listened to his report and carefully examined
| his facts They became well convinced Of tho
importance Of the scheme, that q company was
formed, the necessary capital was raised, and two
handsome steamers the "Chili" and the "Peru,"
were built and got ready for sea with great alacrty
and despatch. They were each 700 tons burden,
and 200 horse power.
The company was called "The Pacific Steam
Navigation Company" | went on board of the
"Chiii" as she lay at Blackwell, nearly ready to
sail. Mr.. Wheeler went out in the first that dou-
bled Cape Horn. He had the honor of being in
strumental in placing the hrst steamship on the
waters of the Pacific ever here. The enter
prise proved eminently successful The "Chli"
| and "Peru" made regular and profitable trips
coasting packets on the west side of South America
Coasting schooner lines and sailing packets, many
| of which belonged to Americans, were completely
olInI h,, he nd had N limo
| der"
The company see have recently added other
| steamers to the line one Of which is called the
| Ecuador" These Pacific steamers are now to
run in connection with the monthly Panama over
land mail route and with the Southampton and
Chagres steamers; which arrangement must make
the business of the Pacific steamers more profta-
BILE. Americans have performed an important part
in the steam arrangements of the world. While
Fulton the first to bring steamboats, into sue.
cessfu operation, Junius Smith was mainly lnstru
mental in showing and advocating the practicability
and advantages of ocean steam navigation; and to
Wheeler the world is indebted for the introduction
of steamships on the Pacific ocean.
1t is subject deeply to be deplored, that enter
prising American citizens are not better fostered
and patronized by their own country; and that for
eign countries reap advantages from their labors
which ought to rebound to the interest and prosper
ty Of their native land. -'-..'s .s.st. ID. u
The Pacific steamers had peculiar improvement
applied to their warehouses. The tops instead of
being planked over in the usual way, were covered
with boats turned bottom-upwards, 30 shaped as to
give the whole appropriate appearance. These
we're life-beats chained to their position in such a
manner that, in case of necessity, they could at any
moment be launched and made ready for the en-
barkation of passengers.
learn from Mr. Carmichael the contractor for
building the Atlantic dock, that at present all quiet
among the rioters. They threaten some, but the
presence Of a mounted company of cavalry seems
sufficient to keep all in order, According to Mr.
Carmichae's account, it appears he has had six
hundred laborers employed through the winter; that
he was induced TO employ large force from the i'm.
portunty of newly arrived emgrants, who stated that
they and their families were on the point of starva-
ton, begging to be employed il only at 65 cents per
day. This sum he continued to pay them till The
DAYS became longer. They then struck, not for in
creased pay but because their hours of labor were
extended. They were then superseded by the Ger
mans, to whom he paid IS cents; the same, it ia said
that would have been paid the striking party had
they remained. Some Of the Germans were serious
" beaten by the other party and one Of them when
To do some small lob for one of his fellow