The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-11-02

HUMBoLDS Oh THE JUNCTION OF THR PACIFIC
AND THK ATLANTIC OcKAss.-Having for more
than forty years been occupied with the subject Of
the means Of communication between the two
seas, have constantly, both in my printed works
and in the different memoirs which with honora-
BILE confidence the Free States OF Spanish America
have requested me TO furnish, urged that the 18th
mus should be examined hypsometrically through
out ts entire length and especially where, IN
Dsrlen and the inhospitable former Provincia Do
Biruquete, JOINS the the continent Of South Ame-
nca I; and where, between the Atrato and the Bay
of Cupica ION the shore Of the Paciic), the noun
tain cham OF the lsthmus almost entirely disappears.
Gen. Bolivar, AT my request caused an exact le-
yelling OF the lsthmus between Panama and the
mouth Of the Rio Chagres to be made IN 1928 and
1879, by Lloyd and Falmarc. philosophical Trans
actions Of the Royal Society Of London for the
year 1880, p. 59-6S) Other measurements have
since been executed by accomplished and expe.
iomed for canals and railways, with locks and
tunnels, but always in the direction Of q meridian
between Portobello and Psnsma-or more to the
west, towards Chaeres and Cruces. Thus the
most important points OF the eastern and south
eastern part OF the lsthmus have remained unex-
amned on both shores Sc long as this paIt 10
not examined geographically, by means OF exact but
eaeily ebtsined determinations OF latitude and oa-
eltude by chronometers, as well as hypsometrioaly
in the conformation OF the surface by baromctric
measuf, ments OF elevation, 80 long consider that
the statement have repeatedly made, and which
repeat IN 1S4S, will still be ruevz., that IL Is
that the lsthmus does not admit OF the formation
Of an oceanic canal Chat 10, canal with fewer
locks than the Csledonsn Canal), permitting at all
seasons the passage Of the same sea-golng ships
between New York and Liverpool on the one hand,
and Chill and California on the other. On the At
lantc side (accordIDg to examinations which the
Direction Of the Deposlto Hidrogrsfco OF Madrid
have entered on their maps since 1907 the Enseu-
sda de MaDdinea penetrates so deeply towards the
south, that n appears 10 be only four i've Ger
man geographical milce, fifteen 10 an equatorial
degree Chat is, sixteen or twenty English geo
graphical miles,) from the coast Of the Pacific on
the esst Of Panaml: On the Pacific side the 18th
mus is almost equally indsnted by the deep Colo
De San Miguel, into which the RIO Tuyrs falls,
with its tributary river the Chuchunque (Chuch-
unsque) This last-nsmed strcsm ia the upper
part ~ It's course approaches within sixteen En-
alsh geographical miles of the Atlantic side OF the
lsthnus to the west Of Cape TIburon. For more
than twenty years have had Inquiries made from
me on the subject Of the problem OF the Isthmus
a. Pansma, by associations desirous OF employing
considerable pccuninry means; bot the simple adj
wee which / have given has never been followed.
Every scientifically educated engineer knows that
between the tropics (even without corresponding
observstions) good bsromeirlc measurements 1.-THE
horsry variations beng taken into accounO afford
results which are assured TO be less than from Sc
venty 10 ninety French, OF seventy-fve TO ninety
ELK Ensllsh feet. II would, besdes, be easy to es-
tablIsh for few months, on the two shores, two
fixed corresponding baromstric stations, and to
cofnpere repeatedly the portable Instruments en-
ploytd in preliminary levelng, with each other
and with those at the fixed stations. Let that part
be particularly examined where, near the conti-
ntnt Of south America, the SEPARATING mountain
ridge sinks into hills. Seeing the importance Of
the subject TO the great commerce Of the world,
the research ought not, hitherto, TO he restrict
ed to a limited feld-Hrnbcidts Aspect Of Ma
fvs