The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-01-23

Rs on the Report or the Naval ComsAattee Of
the Hense OF Representatives o" the f"s'aA"s iA"'A
have read with attention the report recently presented
TO The House OF Representatives, by the Hon L. D. Ming
from the Committee Naval Affairs. respecting the pro-
posed railroad across the isthmas OF Panama ana having
myself examined the subject with great care many
years since was much surprised by the entire difference
bween the conclusions presented IN the report ana hose
at which had arrived the same points, by means ap
parenlly Gel tain.
The report contains several tables, showing the dis
anees between New York and certain ports on the IA,
cifc and the Indian oceans, BY the old routes around
Cape Horn and the Cape OF Good Hope, as compared
with those by way of Panama; and my recollecnons
leading me to suspect their accuracy made par hs
results OF which prove thai, IN The tables dbope, men
t'oneds the distances reduced below TIE possibnHy %
navigation the Panama route, t0ue those around me
Cape of Good Hope are considerably eraggeratsd These
results will be here presened II being promised that the
measurements were made, with care, on globe the
largest and most accurate, probably, in the United
States; and that the degrees of the great circle OF the
earth assumed always at sixty geographical miles,
without regard to the ring fractional differences arising
from the spheroidal form of planet.
The two routes which propose to examine are those
between New York and Canton by way of Panama, and
by way of the Cape Of Good Hope The distances pre-
scented in the tables the sailing distanceshat IS TO
say the lengths of the lines which vessels pass In
voyages between their extreme poinsare as follows
From New Yok to Panama 1000 miles
I" New York to Canton, via Panama lO,6o0 "
New York TO Canton, via the Cape OF "a zoo :.
Good Hope 1880 "
Inc distance here given from New 1OIR 10 tdndba is
correct Subtractng those 1000 miles from the 10000
presented the sailing distance from New York to Can
ton the distance the latter place from Panama is left as
5000 miles.
Now, the distance between Panama and Canton,
measured great circle of the earththat is to say,
the shortest possible line of distance between the two
points on the surface OF the globeis l3 degrees OF the
great circle equal TO $3.50 geographical miles This
shortest line, however, passes for the greater part over
land crossing the Mexican gulf and the American cont
nent which it finally leaves little south OF beenng s
straits and the line OF possible navigation deviates from
it considerably in its whole length yet for thus deptdfion
only 420 males are alloued in the tables.
We shall how the other route from New York
Canton, via the Cape of Good Hope, would appear, If
estimated in a similar manner,
The distance from New York to the Cape OF Good
Hopeor rather to point south OF it, which would be
ordinarily reached by vessels in navgaton-is IS de-
grees, measured on great circle OF the EARTH equal to
1850 miles, from the point aforementioned TO Canton.
the distance by similar is 81 degrees,
$3.50 miles-making the whole length Of the two lines
1880 miles The line from New York to the Cape
passes entirely over the Atlantic, and might be nayi-
gated, with little deviation, by sailing vessel. and with
still less by steamer The other line. from the Cape to
Canton does moi vary considerably from the line OF or
binary navigation by the Straits of Sunda: and the devil
ations necessary upon the lines would certainly be
less than those absolutely required the route from
Panama to Canton. Yet for The donations the route
around The Cape the tables IN the report aAow 6,96o
| Mules.
The actual and direct distances oyer the. earh's
surface from New York 10 the Cape OF Good
Hope. and from the Cape TO Canton. are together
equal to 1880 miles Making the same allowance for
deviation in this is made by the tables the
route from Panama to Canton, the sailing distance would
be 1854 miles Applying, on the other hand the al
lowance for deviation made in the tables, on the Cape
route to the other via Panama the latter would
be raised to 1892 miles The difference between the
sailing distances the two routes is certainly far less
than represented in the tables contained in the report
The route by way OF Panama cannot be fairly reduced
below $4,000 miles, nor can that around the Cape OF
Good Hope be reasonably estimated at than 1880
Calcutta may be considered nearly equally distan,
from New York, by these two routes
shall not at present enter further into the examna-
ton of the report of the Committee Naval Affairs
The extreme importance OF the subject has induced 10
offer these remarks to the public, in the hope that they
may render more cautious those who are concerned in
projects with regard the ishmus, as well rs those to
whom is committed the determination OF the amount OF
assistance to be given by our government to such
projects. r. e..