The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1852-05-25

The Panama Kali Rosd-A Great Achieves
ment. 'ff
This is ons.--or rather sDiH be one when
completed, as il soon will be,--of the greatest
Of the many great achievements of this nine
teenth century. We don't wonder, therefore
that American editors, i'm view of the fact that
il IL solslya triumph of American enterprise,
and capital. and genius, become enthusiastic,
and especially when they reflect that all Eu-
rope. have ftr dges vainly racksd their brains
to discover some means Of overcoming this
narrow, but TO them insuthiountsble barrier
betweon the Atlantic and PaEikGs tI~ 6.lf
In contemplation of the brilliant enterprise.
and tho immense benefits that must re-
suit to our country and the world from its
completion, the Editor of the New York
Times 10 particularly eloquent. "A great
achievement" he exslaims, "will that day bear
witness of which shall hear the locomotive
puff on the Atlantic border, and within one or
two hours, snort at the Pacific wave. Such
day is near at hand. 1t will probably be one
of the days Of the present summer-alresdy
has much of tire task been accomplished--
The tread of the iron horse now echos along
the Isthmus and his shill neigh startles the
frightened beast and birds of the tropics. He
will soon feed at one ocean and rest at the
other. The two great seas, introduced by
steam, lineaI desoendent Of both will shake
their fluid hands. Great will be the oceanic
tnlaton-great the graduation ofthe world.
Such an event may well be the wonder Of d
century. A great problem. which his long en-
gaged the speculation of the curious and en-
terprising will be solved. Spain, England,
France, Portugal. had long turned wistful eyes
towards this narrow streak Of land that held
the oc cans apart Projects had been started
surveys made, explorers sent over the route,
all having in view the ultimate connection by
a traversable canal or road of these two seas;
1t was supposed that the thing could be, in
time, achieved: but when, and by whom, were
questions involved in obscurity. Some future
might sec it, but how distant none could tell.
II was one Of those gigantic performances.
| too great for any single nation, and requiring
the co-ope ration of the world.
How unexpectedly, and by what strange
agency. Is the great event accomplished A
difficulty starts7up between Mexico and tho
United Staies,-a new empire in the land of
the setting sun rewards the progress Of our
arms. A strsgeling population follows the
progress Of our title. Seon, a few yellow sands
are discovered cleaning along the margin Of
the nowly conquered country. The news
frcghts our steam cars. and leaps along the
wires. Suddenly all Yankeedom fs astir. The
cities pour forth their busy crowds, s,-each town
and village sends out it's sturdy SONS. All prac
ticable avenues to the modern Ophir are throng-
cd. The soitudes of Panama become VOCAL
Ocean steamers crowd the opposite ports.--
Here is forty miles hiatus in the communica-
ton of steam. American enterprise will not
tolerate it. II will not loiter on a muses. back.
Il has no sympathy with the snail. Anew
York author and few New York merchants
essay the vast attempt. The money 10 subsbri-
bed-the sinews secured--Engneers may be
seen sighting along the almost impossible crags
levels are attempted to be searched out
maps are made--soon. the pick, the barrow
and tho shanty indicate tho contemplated
track. Iron rails are scattered along the line
"A locomotive, with no stealthy- footed gate,
whrls laden train over portion ofthe route;
and few arrivals more from Chagres will an
nounce that the deed il done the great event
of the age accomplished, and ocean linked to
ocean by bars of iron.
This work is fraught with tremendous con-
sequences to tho civilization, the population,
and the commerce Of the globe. They are
advanced by 1t, a hundred years. In the long
and tedious journey to the ports Of the Pacific.
months are struck out and thousands Of miles
annhated. In tho great compression Of time
and space. a month Is represented by an hour,
and miles by inches. The dangerous doubling
Of the Cape of Storms is superseded. Count
less articles Of utility or luxury. that would
otherwise perish. or sustain irreparablo injury
on the interminable voyage. may soon, by his
shorter and quicker transit effect safe passage
from European or Atlantic cities to the grow
ing States of the farthest West. The crcum-
ference Of the globe IL drawn into a smaller
circle. The swsrms Of China and Japan come
into nearer neighborhood. The cutting off of
several thousand miles between us and these
nnsocial peoples may be the means of intro
ducing Celestial laborers into a hundred de-
| nm rtr,,prts of American enteYprise and toll
may even, eventually, substitute Chinese for
African muscles in tho cotton fields Of tho
South. -. ,..,- ,f...l, on