The southern press., 1851-07-02
Ftam tk >LaAaoH Tsssss.
Vhitney's GrAa1 AtIankle and Ra&lnsl 1A1Q-
WY rFo10ef,

IN the chair,) when Mr. Asa Whitney, the pro-
jector of tho gigantic scheme OF railway from
Michigan to the shores Of the Pacific Ocean,
attended and read, before distinguished as
semblage of members and visitors. an interest
ing paper OH the general features and Importance
of the enterprise.
MIR. Robert Stephenson, G. H., stated as his
opinion that the only difficulty, as regarded q
long railway, was a commercial one lie had
no means Of offering an opinion AS to the facili-
ties for the execution Of Mr. Whitney's pro-
iect; but he would take it that what Mr.
Whitney himself stated on that point was cor
rect, and that the plains aboundcd with timber
and every requisite for constructing the lire|
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Yet the COM
merciaI question outweighed almost everything
which Mr.. Whitney had adduced as to dis
tances for as regarded navigation, 1t all de-
pended on the amount Of money charged for
goods from one place TO another,
rather than on the number OF miles. This was
plain from the case of the line by the lsthmus OF
Suez, as compared with that via the Cape OF
Good Hope to India, owing to the difficulties of
navigation in the Mediterranean, where you
must have lee shore everywhere, il you have
a gale The effect was, that the freight of
goods from Liverpool to Alexandria exceeded
those from Liverpool to Bombay round the Cape
of Good Hope. This almost satisfied his mind
that the opinion of communication between
the Red sea and the Mediterranean, by water,
would be of no avail, commercially speaking.
The construction of railway to save time, for
mails and passengers, was feasible project,
and deserving of the attention Of England but
with regnrd to the opinion of canal supposing
the facilities to be so great and that, in fact,
m nuoefinp Waa much aunk
Mr. Whitney supposed it to be sunk as regarded
this project, he (Mr Stephenson) believed that
if a canal was made, the commerce between
England and India would not then go by the
Mediterranean and the Red sea. In fact, he
thought if the Isthmus of SueZ were swept from
the face of the globe, MS Mr.. Whitney supposed
the Isthmus of Panama to be, that still the
commerce of the world would not pass through
it.
Capt Fitzroy. r. NJ, said his humble opinion,
as seaman, was, that in case of the route by
Panama being opened, the commerce of Asia
would, as matter Of course, take that line, for
the simple reason that it was the easiest line of
navigation with all parts of the world. The
commerce Of Europe, and of the greater.part Of
North America, would find favorable winds to
carry it to the Isthmus, and also to carry it on
its route across the Pacific to the whole of the
Australian colonies and Asia generally. Sail
ing ships, in returning from the Australian colo
nes, or from the south of the Equator would
return by the westerly winds below the tropc,
and then through the Isthmus of Panama by the
West India Islands, and taking the course home
now followed by the West India traders, thus
avoiding the Cape of Good Hope and Cape
Horn.
A ship from China and the north of the line
would 90 by the Northern Pacific, taking the
Western winds which there come down from
California until she got into the trades, which
again would carry her to the eastward till she
got to the lsthmus of Panama, and from the
lsthmus the passage would be as before. That
the opening of the Isthmus of Suez would not
have the same advantage he believed, for the
reasons assigned by Mr. Stephenson, viz the
dangers of that narrow navigation Of the Medi-
terranean, the Red Sea, and also the Indian
Ocean. Therefore, the open route to India was
preferable for commerce as having less risk,
however easy might be the passage by water
through the Isthmus Of Suez itself but of
course, railway by Suez would have great ad-
vantage as regarded the transmission of pas
sengers and mails,
From London to Singapore and from Siuga-
pore to Canton by the shortest possible navigable
line, would of course be (passing by Suez but
not by way of Marseilles or Trieste, but going
through the Straits of Gibraltar to Alexandria,
and by the Red Ses,) he believed $500 miles.
That was from London to Canton. The nearest
possible, line from London to Canton, via Pana-
ma, would be 1900 miles on the globe measur-
ing it with riece Of tape the same as Mr..
Whitney had done. From London to Canton
via New York and Oregon, crossing by the pro-
posed railway, would be about 10000 miles.
The nearest possible line would be across the
North Pole a laugh l--or very nearly SO but
the nearest practicable line would be- as he had
said 10000 miles. The nearest possible line
from New York 10 Canton, via Panama. was
III 200 miles. The distancehe wished to remark
on chiefly was that between Canton and London,
via Suez, because that, as ship would sail, ex-
cepting only the Isthmus of Suez, was SOC
miles, or 500 miles less than the distance from
London to Canton by the way pro osed by Mr..
Whitney, the shortest possible distance by that
line being 10000 miles Mr. Whitney said that
with regard to his Pacific railway, that the coun-
try for 700 or 800 miles to the westward of the
line to which railways had yet been carried, was
almost level; but then he stated that the regol-
which succeeded that level country was at an
elevation of some 1000 feet. Now a rise from
level country to height of 5000 or 1000 feet,
was an elevation altogether unprecedented in
railway enterprise. A rise of some hundreds of
feet was formidable obs tacle TO the engineer
but to carry railway through wild and totally
uninhabitod country, advancing ten miles at
time, would take very considerable number of
years to complete the first roo or 800 miles
and although the settlement of the route was
contemplated, yet the increase of population
must be gradual, and the building Of houses for
them must occupy considerable period.
He hoped the Indians in these regions would
be made friends; but if they became enemies,
there might be great difficulty in pushing their
way with railway in that manner That, how
ever was perhaps, but minor diflicuty--the
1000 feet Of elevation was the greatest obstacle.
Then again with regard to the transport of goods,
there was little likelihood of transhipment, be-
cause with the powers Of steam in the present
day. water carriage OF any distance was very
small expense and the time was certain. There
fore the prospect q commercial remuneration in
the sequel appeared to be very remote. The