The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-23
Our Intercourse with the Pacihc-The
Isrhmus Of Panama, &C., sc.

The project OF constructing railroad over the
Isthmus of Panama, and thereby connecting New
York with ports on the Pacific by steam, is
of sufficient Importance TO the prosperity OF the
country. 10 attract the attention and the co-ope-
ration of every person in favor of the progress Of
the nation. In whatever light this enterprise is
viewed no one possessing the faculty of reasoning
can deny the advantages which that section of the
continent possesses for providing short, safe,
and speedy communication between the two
oceans. The Isthmus, through ages, has been
look ed upon as an acquisition valuable in peace
well as in war /; for, even IN the days of Pizar
70, when he was master of the country, and
when his usurpations of his sovereigns autho-
rity were about to be controlled, he took the
precaution to possess himself of Panama, and
several other ports each side of the lsthmus,
which gave him command of the only avenue
of communication between Spain and Peru, and
thus forced the ministers of Charles V. into con-
ciliatory measures.
These remarks have been suggested by con-
versaton with gentleman who crossed the 18th
mus, while the feasibility of the construction OF
this road was being discussed at home; and as ad-
dtonal intelligence has been received by the arr-
val of the Crescent City from the Surveying Expe-
dition, we are tempted to dwell for moment upon
the prospect which the accomplishment OF this
great, but not difficult, enterprise offers to our
| country. The objections brought to bear against
this route by parties interested in other enterprises
now before Congress- are based principally upon the
exaggerated and unauthentcated report of the I'M
healthy state of the climate, and the impracti-
cability of procuring the labor necessary to carry
the work into effect
~ 1o dan, Il. h,,ftI ,o
are not by any means as difficult under good
and proper attention as those so common IN our
northern cities, or in other reputed healthy por-
tons of the country. The emlgrants, excited In
body and mind by the unexpected difficulties they
encounter in their transit across the lshmus, be-
come careless, and by working in the sun by
day. and in the dews at night, and not unfrequent-
ly IN drinking and dissipation neglect the common
dictates of prudence which controlled their actions
at home, and consequently become sick; while
those that avoid these indulgences seldom, ii ever
! suffer from indisposton. No class OF men that has
| ever crossed the isthmus was more exposed to the
climate than the surveyors now at work upon the
line; and yet out of all the employees upon the
work, numbering more than sixty persons, only
eighteen have been upon the sick list, and that at
different times. That sickness among them was
to be expected, is reasonable, when it is known
that they are much exposed to the malaria and
the other influences which give rise to sickness,
and are frequently obliged to ford streams and
even work for hours in the water Upon the
subject of health, we speak entirely upon the expe
rence of old residents and intelligent travellers !;
and freely state that the general opinion of the un-
healthiness of the isthmus is erroneous.
The entire surface of the country is covered with
lofty trees and underground of vines and shrubs,
with foliage so dense that the rays of the
sun, even at day, seldom penetrate to the sur
face of the soil, and hence the immense deposit of
decaying vegetable matter which covers the sur
| face IS continually humid, and forms, it were,
slow but constant source ofmasma, peculiar only to
| the interior and forests of the ishmus. But when
| settlements spring up, the land becomes cleared,
and houses erected with due regard 10 ventilation
and comfort, this of unhealthness will dis
appear and the isthmus become one of the most
| beautiful and productive portions of the world
As regards the general features of the country
and the building material of all descriptions with
which it abounds, we can say, from actual obser-
walton and from the reports of scientific men now
engaged there, that country, not even our own,
presents so many natural advantages for the con-
StTuctlOn OF railroad lneIe Is penny vi StoHc,
good for building, and the soil is well calculated
for the manufacture of brick Timber of excel
lent quality can be obtained for cross ties. The
| country is high and entirely free from swamps.
In fact, the feasibility of building the road, as
proposed by Messrs. Aspinwall, Stephens, and
their associates, is now placed beyond a question.
| 1t may be remarked that most Of the important
roads in the United States have sleeper grades
than, it is hoped, will be obtained on the 18TH
mus; and it will be with less work of grading
than is usual in our own country. 1t is impos-
sible to enumerate the advantages of COM
mercial nature that would assuredly spring from
the completion of this work; one branch of the
stupendous enterprise-the survey--has been COM
menced, and is now in operation.
In connection with the matter, the annexed Ia
bles, showing the sailing distance from New York
and Liverpool to the principal ports beyond or
around Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope,
will serve to illustrate Of the advantages we
speak of -
From From
To liverpool N. York
Miles. Miles.
Calcutta via Cape Of Good Hope. 10000 1880
Calcutta Cape Horn. .2l,tO0 Z3,UO0