New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-30
WHlT\EY'S
Great Atlantic and Pacific Railway Project.
From the London Times

On Monday evening, meeting OF the &C.
ographica Society of London was held al the Kings
College tSlr RoderIck lmpcy MurchSon m tae
chalr,) when Mr.. Asa Whitney. the protector of the
gigantic scheme OF a railway from Michigan Co the
shores of the Pacific Ocean attended and readbciOrc
a distinguished aS>embago of members and visitors.
an interesting paper on the genera, features ana ma
pOrtance of the enterprise.
Mr. Robert Stephenson. c. F., stated rs ms opinion
that the only difficulty, as regarded long railway.
was a commercial one He had no means OF Offering
AN opinion to the facilities for the execution oi
Mr. Wmmey'> PROJECT bur he would take 10 thh
what Mr. Whitney himself stated ou that point was
correct and that the plains abounded with timber
and every requisite for constructing the line from
the Atlantic to the Pacific Yet the commcrcal
question OutWClghCd almost everything Whlch Mr.
Whitney had adluced 49, To distances for. a. re-
gardcd navigation, It all depended on the amount 81
money charged for Cymg goods from one place 10
another. rather than ON the numheroi miles rms
was plain from the ease of the line by the sihnuN OF
SueZ as compared with that VA The Cape OF Goou
Hope to India. owing to the d.ticulicS oil navigation
m me Mediterranean. where Nou must nave d IL.
shore everywhere. If YOU have a gale. lhc effect
was that the lreighS oil goods from LNerpOol 10
Alexandra exceeded those from Liverpool To Bonn
hay round the Cape of Good Hope ms almost sal
iSIcd his mind that the opening OF COMMUNICATION
between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. by
water. would be of no avail ntfcldllN speaking.
The construction of a railway to save time, ior mails
and passonge- was a feasible project, and dcScr'-
ing Of the attention Of England, but with regard 10
the opening Of canal SuppoSng the facilities 10 DE
great. and that IN fact. the money n question Was
a. much sunk as Mr. Whitney supposed u TO Pc sunk
as regarded this project, he MIR stephenson believed
that If canal was made. the commerce D'tWe
England and India would not then 90 by the Med
terranean and the Red sea. In TACT, he thought II
the lshmus of SuCZ were swept from the lace OF me
globe. as M Whitney supposed the ,thmuS OF Pan
anna t0 be-, that still the commerce OF the wordWould
not pass through IT.
Capt Fitzroy. R.N, SAID his humble opinion, a. a
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 rea
that II the easiest Inc OF navigation with all
parts of the world The commerce of Europe, and
of the greater part of North America, would find IA
yorable winds 10 carry n 10 the lshmus and also 10
carry II It's route across the Pacific to the whole
of the Australian colonies and Asia generally. SAIL
ing ships, in returning from the Australian colonies
or from the south of the Equator would retuI by
The westerly winds below the trOplc. ana tieh
through the lSlhmuS of Panama by the west mara
Islands, and taking the course home no" iolo"euoy
the West India traders thus avoiding the cape OF
Good Hope and Cape Horn. III
90 bv the Northern Pacific. taking the western
winds which there come down from California uiui
She got INTO the trades, which again Wouid carry ne
10 the eastward tlll she got 10 the I>tRhus pi an
ma and from the lsthmus the passage "ouu pc a.
before That the opening OF the lsthnluS ol NucI
would not have the same advantage hc believed ior
the reasons assigned by MI Stephehsoh' w tle
dangers of that narrow navigation 81 the Medler-
ranean the Red sea. and also the lndlan ocean.
Therefore the open route 10 India was preferable Tor
commerce As having less risk, however easy might
he the passage by water through the lsthmus OF SueZ
itself but Of course, railway by SueZ would have
great advantage regarded the TRANSMISSION OF pas
sengors and mails
From London to Singapore and rom Singapore to
Canton by he shortest possible aylgable line, would
of course be passing by SueZ, but not by wav of
Marseilles Trieste but going through the Straits
OF Gibraltar to Alexandra. and by the Red Sea- he
believed $500 miles That was from London to
Canton The nearest possible line from London to
Canton. VIA Panama, would be- 1900 miles on the
globe, measuring 1t with piece Of tape the same
rs Mr. Whitney had done From LOndOntO Canton
via New-lork and Oregon. crossing by the proposed
railway, would be- about 10000 miles The near
est possible line would be across the North Pole
Ia Laughter very nearly 50 but the nearest prac-
ilcable line would be. a. be had SAID 10000
miles. The nearest possible line from New
York To Canton, VIA Panama, was 200 miles.
The distance he wished TO remark on chiefly was
that between Canton and London. VIA Suez, because
that as a ship would sail. excepting only the 18TH
mus OF SueZ, was $500 miles. 5O0 miles less than
the distance from London 10 Canton by the way
proposed by Mr. Whitney, tine shortest possible dis
lance by that line being 10000 miles Mr. Whitney
sand that with regard 20 his Pacific railway that the
country Tor 200 or 500 miles 10 the westward of the
lire 10 which railways had yet been carried, was
almost level but then he stated that the regiOl-
which succeeded that legc. COUNTY, AZ an cleo
yaton OF sCme 1000 feet. Now a rise from a le-
vel country 10 height of 6'0O0 or 600 feet, was
an elevation altogether unprecedented IN railway
enterprise. rise Of some hundreds OF feet
was formidable obstacle 10 the engineer but
20 carry "a railway through q Wild and totally
unlIhabliet country advancing ten miles al
tine, would take ii very considerable number al
ye.rs 20 complete the first 200 500 miles and al
though the settlement Oi the route vas contemplated,
yttihe increase Of population must be gradual, and
tie building OF houses for them must occupy consi-
tCr.ble penod. lie hoped the Indians IN these re-
giCLs would be- made friend. but II they became
enemies. there might be great difficulty IN pushing
iheir way "llh railway pa That manner. That, how
ever, was perhaps, but a minor dficulty-the 900
cot Of elevation was the greatest obstacle Ihenagaln
With regard 20 the transport Of goods there was lit
tie Likelihood Of "a transhipmcnt because With the
pow ers Of steam IN the present day, water carriage Of
any distance was very small expense, and the time
was certain. Therefore the prospect OF CONNER
clal remuneration IN the sequel appeared 10 be very
remote. The character Of the winds between the
dlherent countries, and the currents. vas 50 well
AHON mat the voyage even Of sailing vessels could
te calculated 10 very short time. But he thought
hr htney vas mistaken IN saying that the voyage
could re made from Oregon or VancOuyer's Island,
across 10 canton, Without equal facility either way
lAe voyage could be made from the west side 10
America, with great difficulty but from the trade
winds the voyage N the contrary direction at
tended With difficulty However valuable the project,
therefore, might be to the United States It could not
possibly be OF use TO Europe and the Asatlc world
y seemed 10 him question more relating 20 the
United states and the Canadas. than 10 Europe lie
bad made these remarks With the view Of ehcltlng
observations from other gentlemen.
Rev {. e.. NlcOlay SAID the point N which he
differed with Nr. Whitney was, 70 the greater "a
cillty q onstructng ms proposed railway through
United states territory than through British. lie
had no doubt f Mf. Wm.acy got his rOuge, that tne
HLC.0 q tie ard NCI - - Sptf.gl very cn0U.r.