The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-11


commercially historically and politically, the Eu-
pirates valley route is grand scheme tia must
effect immediately the commerce, and in some YEA
sure the destires of our races snd that depends aot
Tor success upon thorough traffic, but holds within
u own confines the elements OF great prosperity.
The Jsthmus Of Darien Canal.
ftrtm the London Times, Dec 10
While we have been kno ,king our heads against
the North Pole the narrow isthmus which separates
the two continents Of America remains but little
known partially explored, and well uigh untouched
by the mechanical genius Of the century. OF what
incalculable service TO mankind would il have been
bad few millions been devoted to efecting pas
sage through the American Isthmus. This we navs
net done, while we have wasted hundreds OF mil
hobs upon powder and ball, guDships and shells
Such expenditure must, are well aware, still
take place. Whatever the Peace Party may say
We are still far enough ,.cmoved from the time
lmpubity upon the speCkled snake, or Russian
diplomafists cease TO c0vct extension OF
territory. Let us do what is necessary for self
defence and to preserve the national character,
upon which empire depends but at the same
tine, when we tuIn our thoughts aside to works az
peace, to voyages Of discovery to great enterprises
IN foreign s lands let us no; prefer the least
canal through the Isthmus is work which
concerns mankind. We care not at what po,nt of
The American lsthmus, hesween tie mouth o.
the San Juan, which commune .tes with the
Niaaragusn Lake 10 that OF the A. ratio which falls
into the Gulf OF Darien. the y nD,d no broken
but at some point or anotbe' uniess the Eng
,sn, Amt rcan ano french q asineers acknowledge
the scheme has been . S~ We cnt;relv in the
hands OF projectors: Nv 20 hem annoyed 70
80 me tao or tu,en. on industry aud common sense
been brongb, ypp iects have from time TO time
wild snonob -oScr public notice. some OF them
inc ,bemssi rRse OF them apparently recommend
nIans anS .~x TO favorable consideration by the
~ emf rvSscnings set forth, but, save as a matter
Cd n .~:ty and dileianeism they have not receiv
m. .ca attention We except, oil course, the i'm
.nrre plan which TO have been carried out by
union of English and American capital; this
dropped through from other causes. The time,
however, has at length arrived when this matter
should he taken Tito serious consideration az a
work TO he done First there is the practicability
to lie asoertained, then The cost, then the vital
question must be decided Sut viii it pay"
Nothing can he further from our intention
than to stand forth the patrons advisers Of any
Joint stock company, past, present or futnre; but,
surely, IL ever there were work for which u would
be legitimate Tor men Of all nations 70 combine their
efforts and their purses. II would lie union OF the At
| lantc end Pacific waters. Many surveys hvve been
made OF the country between Nicaragua and New
Granada. Let each of them be carefully examined
| II II appears that we have no more Information r.
expect from tie surveyors, then let the best exist
ing plan he chosen. II, on the other hand, the sur
veys imperfect and unsatisfactory let competent
men lie despatched To The scene Of action. 10 very
fcw weeks, With proper data before tgem Our own
engineer n and those from tie other side Of the At
Inmates.
Now. a. we before said, We have not the smallest
prtfererce or the slightest preconcdved opinion on
the side Of one project over another We are not
dcsircus TO the cana exclusively in the hands of
British monopolists. The work affects the common
interests ~ aDkbo. and the more numerous Tn
nations which ale concerned IN II the fewer are the
chances that the free passage will be Interrupted
by the contingencies Of iuture warfare. We are,
however, about 40 make particular mention of Que
scheme which was propounded yesterday Ia our
columns. THIS scheme may, for aught VIC know.
he The best, or the worst, bit vt least
Is clear and precise. Thus public no.
uce OF II may elicit discussion and provoke
objection, ard thai y the end which we
have in view. Mr.. william M'Dermott describes
himself as naval surgeon. late Of Her Majesty 5
ship BSpiosie. on tue Dsnen expedition. He tells
us that three years ago an expedition was sent out
by the Governments II England France and the
United States, to survey the proposed cansl route
acTCss the lsthmus of Darien from Caledonia Bay
on the Atlantic side 10 the Gulf of San Miguel ON
that of the Pacific. The result, according 10 this
gentleman. IL. that The thing may at this point he
done. The whole length d the canal would be IS
miles. The harbors on both coasts are exceentiy
adapted for the termiDi Of great ship canal. The
Savannah river is nsvigabe ~ the mouth OF the
Lara. This is the trt stage there remain
six Others. From the Junction Of the Lara
with the Savannah 20 the Chuquapaqua the distance
il twelve miles. The country presents no engineer.
ing difficulties for oaual purposes. The third sage
is from the ChuguaDsqua 10 the confluence of the
rivers Sucubh and Asnsti, distance Of D,ne miles;
the country il Of the character in the last
stage. The fourth section is SIX miles in length,
from the confluence Of the rivers sboveramed 70 the
little Indiau village OF SuSubti. There il no
| difficulty here. Ia the fifth stage, three miles
long, the land gradually rses from ls0 TO 420
| feet. In the sixth stage, slso three miles long,
the real pinch occurs. The ground rises into a
peak $50 feet high. Here tunnel would be re-
quired. The seventh stage takes In a distance
Of but two two miles, from the peak 10 the Atlantic
seaboard: but here is plain sailing and level ground
IL seems vet 60 remain question II this mountain
which encumbers the sixth stage might not be
turned and In order 70 ascertain This point further
| and more accurate surveys are required. Such il
the substance of Mr.. MoDermotts communication.
which we have abridged from his letter, and which
we now leave 10 the consideration Of our readers.
We ere no engineers but when we look at the enor-
nous works which have been executed at different
point sin the civilized countries Of the world we
cannot but think that the construction OF a tunnel
three miles in length II scarcely work from which
the human race need turn b OK 10 dsmsy. IL may
well be, however, that even this difficulty may be
avoided; what seems wanted at the present is more
accurate information.
On every ground, political, social and CONNER
| cial, we would invite attention TO this important
| subject. Were the canal formed we should be
brought into easy communication with the Pacific
! seaboard Of the two great American continents
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