The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-02-08
From the London Daily News, Jan. 10
The Darien Ship Canal to the Pacific

The attention OF the leading merchants aud capitalists
of Great Bntan has been Tor some months turned to-
wards scheme Tor the Junclon OF ihe Atlantic and Pa
chic oceans, by means OF ship canal 10 be cut through
The ishmus OF Darien between Port Escosses on the At
antic and San Miguel the Pacific. The parties who
have accorded their support TO the project include many
of the most well known commercial, financial, and po
tca names, and appears that considerable progress has
been made IN the requisite arrangements iui prelim
mary concession has already been obtained from the re-
public OF New Granada report has been presented by
Messrs Lionel Osborne aud Henry e. Forde, civil eng
who were specially depued to make preliminary
survey OF the proposed route an extremely interesting
pamphlet upon the sabect has Just been published writ
ten by DR.. Edward Cullen and the whole of the docu
aents and plans have been privately circulated ongst
the most influential merchants OF Great Britain. Tae
route proposed Is The shortest yet discovered, being only
thirty-n miles The concessonaries Sir
Charles Fox Messrs John Henderson, and Thomas Bras
sey and DR. Cullen In the report addressed to these
gentlemen by Messrs Osborne and Forde three modes
OF etecng the inter oceanic communication presented
calculated 0O) 900 f70J0 000 and Ei 500 900
respectively, bat Tor the Two last named only very
inefficient canal could be constructed involving the
necessity OF locks and mechanical appliances on an i'm
scale On the other hand the deep cutting canal,
the estimaed cost OF which is f2,Ooo,oOo sterling.
would be less that 80 feet deep at low de 40 feet
broad al bottom and 100 leet al low waters surface.
Such cutting, is stated carried from to sea, is not
larger than tue trade OF world requires and would
form permanent, SAFE and rapid mode OF transit Inc
material to be cut through described being chiefly
rock-a stratIfed shae, with thinnlsh beds-whch.
though easy TO cut through would form an excellent side
lining the canal and render the OF lis maintenance
merely nominal This, accordingly IS the description of
canal which the engineers state they confidently rec
ommend to their employers, and is 10 the urherance OF
this project that much altenton being directed By
The route proposed great advantage is taken OF the nau
ura formation OF the coast, and the rivers Savannah
and Caledonia Will also be OF essential service. This
portion OF the isthmus OF Daren is likewise stated TO be
one OF the healthy districts, owing to the absence
OF swanps overowng OF the river banks out OF the
range OF the tide and 10 the generally dry character OF
the surrounding districts.
Up to the present time is somewhat remarkable that,
ali an m md "a bep
voted to this question OF nler.oceanc communication,
very little progress has in reality been made towards
Tying il out The agitation IN favor OF the Nicaragua
route the most arkabe yet noiced bat the
scheme appears TO have definitely fallen TO the ground
has any succeeding project yet met with Influential
support According TO Its charter the Nicaaguan Canal
Company bound 10 construct canal sufficiently large
to accommodate vessels OF all dimensions; whereas the
surveys and estimates that have met the public eye all
framed for the construction OF canal only II feet Deep so
feet wide at the bottom, and rs at the top work OF
this nature would be ludcrousy inadequate TO meet the
quemens OF the very vessels Tor the accommodation OF
which i IS especially deslgned-that is TO say, those
engaged in trade with the east aud the Pacific coast
As the cost OF so inadequate canal by the Mica
raguan route would be considerably upwards OF six
millions sterling, II is by means surprising that
the capitalists OF England and America have refus
ed 10 commit themselves 10 the undertaking. IL IS OBJ
vious that attempt must be made to construct so
gigantic work canal oil communication between
the Atlantic and Pacific, uness there s every prospect
OF the work being executed IN manner calculated 70 ac-
commodate The commerce Of ine ennre worm. rof
tha The Ncaraguan route affords any facilities unless
deed the parties engaged determined 10 vanquish
every obstacle regardless OF cost IN which the
capital sunk in the work would probably be enormous
that the undertaking would at be diyesied of all
prelensons TO remunestve character, the engineering
obsacles-ncludIng the construction of harbos points
where Nature presents facilities for such works. and
the dsmming OF the lake and river San Juan-being OF
The serious nature In the facts that OF twelve
years within which the entire canal to be completed
according the of the charter, three have already
elapsed without any commencement Of operations, and
that the special protection accorded TO the canal company
by the instrument known the Clayton and Bulwer
treaty forfeited in July, 1851 have further proof
of the total failure OF the Ncaraguan canal scheme.
his isbmus OF Daren shpcana IS accordingly bfobgnt
forward, and the staemess OF its promoters are certainly
of the most favorable character by the proposed deep
canal il is stated that the transit OF the largest vessels
from sea to sea could be effected in five hours instead oil
two days, as by the Nicaragua route Ibe promoters
enumerate the shofness OF the route Inc eKceuehce oil
ts harbors the low elevation OF the land inc absence OF
bars al the Savannah and Tuyra mouths the depth OF
vater and great rise of tide m the one It's dlrectness
nf course and freedom from DISTINCTIONS tho beahness
of the adjacent country, the exemption OF the from
~. onr,he. and hurricanes, the feasibility of cutting
canal without locks, and the general absence Of eng-
oeerne difficulties, fully IasiiyIng them in asserting
Thai il shortest the most direct, safe, and expedi-
iioua and in every way the most eligible route for in.
termarine communication for large ships. One OF the