The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-12-02


boldly out to sea- and perform sea voyages Of consider
is not overdrawng the picture to add. that, with
snip canal across the ishmus, the raft which comes
down the Mississippi river the boat for navigating the
Illinois canal might on arriving at New Orleans and not
finding market there, stick up pole for aamas and,
perhaps to China Getting through the Gulf to the canal
across the isthmus would be the most difficult and dan
gerous part of the voyage. 1000 M a3lf--1s gli
mention these facts and use this illustration to con.
vey correct impressions to the speed the facility, and
chsapness with which, by ship canal across the 18th
he markets and Hon
land, and the thousands of islands which dot and stud
the trade-wind regions of the "grand ocean,
With such communication open, a ship could go
through il and be navgaed safely with onefourth the
crew which she now requires TO take her around the
stormy capes" She would not require to be fitted and
found nearly as extensively as ships now are which
To The north Of the northeast trades the winds prevail
lie pos to supply he 81
northeast trades In this circumstance expla
nation Of the fact that the return voyage from Liverpool
age The winds to the north of the parallel OF thirty
degrees favorable for the return voyage from
China and Japan to California as they from New York
to Liverpool Indeed more SO for the North Pacic
larger and more open ocean than Atlantic and there
fore the winds liable such violent disturbances
from the interference OF the land. eW 5s
In sixty instead of one hundred and fifty days the voy
age from Atlantic ports to China might be performed
by way Of the ishmas canal Arrived at her destination
ward. The winds are fair for the homeward voyage
around the Cape OF Good Hope Arrived OF that point
the navigator may lay his ruler on his chart, draw
straight line, and sail il all the way home without ma
king crook turn Entering the trade winds OF the At
anc in about latitude thirty degrees south be may with
co on he same course which he stood after leaving II on
pass from China 6y the north through the westwind
region, by way OF California This is the great circle
route Ii is eight hundred thousand miles nearer
by this from China to Panama than II s through
region S the If would
favorable character Of the winds homeward and make
Or Il the vessel be bound to New Holland. with cargo
from northern climes, then the west winds to the
south Of thirty degrees south would be free winds TOR the
cape has never been dreaded by navgaors they dread
only the outward voyage, on which they have to en-
COUNTER these westerly gales and ne a. winds o,a b
sened by opening this canal and consequently much
the rate Of insurance would be lowered; how much the
with he trade winds Free and how much the voyage would
be shortened how small the crew, and how ring the.
expenses OF navigation would be- not 70
anticipate that this ship canal would enable us e deliver
our cotton lead perhaps our iron but certainly our
rice wheat corn -four beef and pork hemp and tobacco
in the markets Of China India, New Holland and Japan
at less of freight than we can now deliver them IN
Europe The lead could 60 for nothing, as now does
to Europe, for il would serve as ballast .a
winch governs
ages under canvass is the average length of time which
il will take ship to load, perform the voyage and dis
charge cargo II ship have cargo on board, i costs
the same in either case We zee, by viewing the matter
in this light why the freight is PROFESSIONALLY so much
for short voyages by sea than Tor long oecause
waiting wait for freight ship hat has to make voyage
of twenty thousand miles, for instance will charge,
in proportion to the distance, much less freight than
ship will which has voyage OF only two thousand
miles. This last may be but ten day sin making
the voyage but il may take her ten days to load and
week 10 unload and further delay of some days before
she can get another cargo All these are considerations
which, in establishing her rates Of freight have to be Ia
ken into account by her; whereas the ship the long
voyage is certain Of employment for longer times but
small proportion Of her time is taken up in loading and
unloading and in hunting for fresh CARGO therefore,
the rates Of freight are proporonay less for long than
for short voyages. ship going round Cape Horn with
her expensive equipments heavy crew dangerous nayi.
erage 1874 cents per ton per day. that is ship carrying
900 tons OF merchandise around Cape Horn to Lima
will be 100 days making the voyage and will charge 80
per ton which, before stated gives l2t cents per ton
Now, them ship sailing through this ship canal would
make The e inna IN sa S Il, 'Se
length Of The Other. should i The expenses Of sailing
But the expenses by the canal being much less and
the and tear Of ships being scarcely let
US suppose i will be just one half This would give
L ~
to China and India and less to New Holland and all the
islands OF the Pacific and by the rule 70 only 10
Peru and South America At this rate the cost OF trans
poation to India and the Pacific markets from the Gull
! and Atlantic ports OF the United States would be-
| For Indian corn 10 cents 10 II cents per bushe
] Flour so IS per barrel
Beef and pork 50 IS
| Tobacco IS to 81 SO per hogshead.
| Rice : 30 cents TO 81 cents per hundred
/ Sugar 50 to ~ so per hogshead gt
Cotton 81 10 I'll 90 per bale l.e
II is thus perceived how this canal would bring Asia
and the multitude of markets in the Pacific ocean TO be
down stream from and place us on the summit eue oil
Commerce who can calculate how immense the ad-
yantaqes of having the favor OF both winds and currents
in carving for us to market those cheap and bulky ar
ces which constitute staples and which cannot afford
TO pay heavily for conveyance as the more light and
valuable articles cani
or all parts OF the ocean, the Pacific account OF the
exemption OF certain regions Of it from storms. is the sea
for steam navigation. Were our Atlantic coast as smooth
and as free from gales and storms the Pacific coasts
Of South America, we should have quite as many sea
engaged along that seaboard as here now are
on all the western waters. - !, .,,1.A
and with this canal we may expect to see an immense
extent of steam navigation sprngng up on that ocean
and Il is remarkable fact that from the mouth or the
Columbia to Valparaiso, coast line OF eighty degrees OF
latitude in LENGTH not aparcle OF coal suitable for steam
navigation has yet been mined The banks OF this ship
canal would be the depot OF all the coal required for the
navigation OF the Pacific. After little while meal
cuabe amount OF this mineral would be required there
This country, and all parts OF H. with their coal meas
ures much alive 10 the value and importance OF
this mineral as source OF national State and individual