New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-08-23
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walls noicAis, Il sppesrs 10 ne, that they have =
Teen csu,ed By suOsdence or the falling in OF the
esrih or rock strata.
The seat plain Of Leon At its highest part ia ele
vsttd son ethine less than 200 feet shove the sea-
yet in the vi Unity Of the range OF volcanoes which
trsverse 10, beds OF lsvs, Is feet thick have been
ourd IN digging wells at the depth OF IS feet Span.
sh bara,, or sbcut 2l0 feet ard this At point not
the bight,t Of The plains bat according 70 my cal
culstiors but 100 feet above the ocean niess
there is some great error in these data aud can
conceive OF Done, they would seem 10 prove that
there has been asabsidence Of the plain since the
almost iLfLi,ey remote period when the bed OF
Laws flowed upwards from the depths Of the earth
may n;ion that 10 the vicinity OF the volcanoes
valtrB scarce and can only be obtained oy dig
sisg to great depths The particular well which |
refer to 1T 4 cattle estate, ls miles uorth east OF
Leon, is upward OF 800 fee, in depth, the water
pure, with DO saline materials ia solution.
Mr.. Squier here observed that he should omis
any further references 10 volcanoes although there
remained many facts Of interest 10 be presented in
orc to submit in compliance with request. some
brief observations upon the geographical and typo
graphical features Of that part q Central America
tmorsced in the State Of Nicaragua. particularly
az connected with the proposed great ineeroce suic
canal. Be, however, vihed TO say, once for all,
ihs, he had no prejudices in favor Of one or the
oher proposed routes Of commune alton the
continents, bis only wish being tina. the best shall
be Dc cided upon and the grand enterprise carried
out He did not sppeG as the advocate OF one
line Of transit at the expense Of the other, nor az
the nou hpiece Of any set Of spectators. The
subject Of srtlhclsl communication between the
oceans had, be said attracted attention for more
than 800 years and upward of loo books and ne.
moirs had been written on the subject-most,
however based upon exceedingly imperfect data,
collected from various and often conflicting and IN
reliable sources The great problem connected
with the sub ect, and thai which all have estee med
As vita to the question Of the communication, has
been this Is the great chain Of the COrdtIers IN
terrvJted at any point upon the great central I'ih.
must This question, observed Mr.. s. an ems
bed TO answer 10 the affirmative. Between the
great Basin OF Nicaragua 10 which are Lakes
NaDssua and Nicaragua, and which 10 dtalnet by
the River San Juan Awning into the Caribbean sea
that 10 TO say, between the western extremity
Of Like Nsnagua and the Pacific the Cordileras
are rhoDy interrupted, and we have only the great
plains Of Leon and Conejo, rising, for distance Of
600 yards 10 an elevation OF about 90 feet ao)v5
the lake and 200 above the sea, and thence subsd
ing, in gentle slope, to the ocean. IL is through
the Lake Of Nsnsgus and across shis plain, either
to the little port OF ramarnds or the hne port Of
Re alejo, or else land this Is most prooaole
across the Llaro del COnejo, into the msgnlh'
cent Gulf Fonsecs that the proposed "a
nal must pass Ii is true Lake NcMagus
approaches, at one or TWO points, to within ABOUT
Is miles OF the Pacific, and It would seem tnas u
beIwetn the two 10 q ridge OF land OF considerable
his b. scross which NO canal can ever be construct
| ed AMPLY because no sufficient amount Of water
| 10 to be obtained at or near the summit to supply
| even the leakage Of such work. And direct
cut, by which asuppy might be obtained from toe
| lake, would involve a tunnel, large enoughiOr ships,
| Of ak or seven miles in length, beside immense
and almost cuttings for the remainder Of
| the distance. This 10 sufficiently demonstrated oy
the survey 9, or rather reconnoisaice OF Mr. Bailey
II 10 said that practicable rUuto exis,s bet~san
Lake Nicaragua, by way OF the river Sapoa, TO the
Bay Of Salinas part of the Gull OF Papagayo-
But no authentic examination has ever been made
OF this line and Mr.. 5q1er expressed bis doubts as
to its praciicability. De would not, however, pre-
sumo TO speak decislyey, rs he had not enjoyed al
opportunity ofexamnng /. In person de would
nevertheless say that even If practicable the Goa
| tending winds which prevail In this Gaii, aud 20
which IL bss given the name OF Pepagayos, would
| prove a signal disadvantage to It. Beside 30 lar
a. communication with California and the Northern
half Of the Continent a. well as with the Sandwich
Islar Dc ard China and the East Indies is concerned
entering the Ocean at this point woaid be emil
neDty advantageous
Mr. sqqier continued by saying that ship com.
| muncatlOn across the continent at this point, Ia
VOWED 10 bis estimation not only "a Canal from the
great Nicaragua Basin 70 the Paciac, but alsoa ca
nal for the greater part not the W aole OF the DIS
tance from Lake Nicaragua 10 the Atlantic The
river San Juan, tie outlet Of this Lake, although
probably passing an equal If no. greater aHOant OF
wster with the Connecticut or Hudson rivers
and for by far the greater part OF length
capable OF being nsyigsted by our largest river
steamers, s yet for reasons which he had present
ed il recent communication, In the Providence
Journal inadequate under any pracsic able i'm prove
meDt Of being made nayigable for ships land any
Canal not admitting Of the easy and rapid passing
Of the largest ships, would very impenectly NEE.
or subsefye the great ends OF its construction aud
I -. al auch n "a
the tributaries ofthe Mississippi, may nov be run
on the river and, with some improvements at tue
various rapids, steamers Of a larger class may DO
used.
twill therefore be necessary to cut canal par
sllel TO the river, from which the requisite supply
of water may be easily drawn The l-ae would
run upon the North bank OF the stream, near the
baie of the bills which bound the valley 90 that
side Il 10 possible the rivers might by dredging,
be used for distance OF 90 miles doVnTEd from
the lake TO the River 9ar,Os, in which case this
section Of the canal would be shortened 90 20, per.
b,ps to GO miles Mr.. Squisr said thar this parI o.
the proposed line had hitherto been passed over
with very little remark, on the assumption that here
no Difficulty existed, and that the river might easily
be made 10 answer every desirable parbose YET,
In his estimation, /! was by far the most difficult
par. Of the hole enterprise. Not on the score Of
feasibility but Of labor and expense. The whole
matter, how eye r, resolved itselfntO a smp ques
ton OF dollars aud cents IL only required cspisal
The great Lake of Nicsragus, l25 miles ia
length by so in breadth, although quite shalov a.
many points the northern shore. 10 neyerthelef'
Of great general de 2sh, varying from to 90 f.th
oms, and may, without doubt, be made nsvgabls
for ships OF the gres,ess drsught. The only dim
cutiss exist in approaching the shores II ei'oe,
extremity bat these may probably be ooviA'ea
By pier work and dredging
Between Lake Nicarsgusand the sapenF as'
Of Mansgua /, q nominal distance OF 10 mics
Bat the connecting stream called MO AlP'ApS ~ ~
| in feet Eoy an extent Of IL miles an estugTy Of
Lake EicHsgu,, and for that distance may proes'
Div be 40 cared on. as to be made ItTgsoe;
From me bead Of this estuary, ats point called
San P.,quel, 70 Lake Aansgus. = distance Of ,
miles, there is rise of about % feet
Ire greater part OF soi' ri,e s9rups - po'n ?.
.bout mile below the Lake, called theFaas oil
Tipit,ps Very lite water passes here except 10