Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1857-05-30
An Interoceanic Ship Canal.


When Lieutenant Strain, of the United
States Navy, returned from his ill-starred ex-
pedltion in search Of ship.canal route across
the lsthmus Of Darien, he denounced the scheme
as utterly impracicablc-a dream never to be
realized. This was serious damper to the
ardor of those progressive spirits whose alien
ton had been turned tu the subject, and who
had believed that the path had been pointed out
by which so important an artery of commerce
might at some day be opened 10 the world.
Tho revolution Of public feeling was as decided
and general as the disappointment, when all the
bright anticipations growing out of the propos.
ed enterprise were TINS rudely brushed away
and those who had been the most ardent sup
porters of the ship canal theory prior to Strains
expedition, were the most disheartened when
its results were made known. Even DR.. Black
Of London, who as the associate and agent Of
such men as Sir Charles Fox and company
Of substantial English capitalists, had come TO
this country and induced our Government 10
Join that Of Great Britain in a reconnaissance
10 verify previous explorations Of the proposed
route, made by private en,erprise-even he re-
turned to England dishcartened aud deeply NOR
tilted.
Still there were those who did not despair
of accomplishing this, the greatest enterprise
which has commanded the attention Of any age.
DR.. Black, we remember, -while acknowledge
ing the uselessness Of attempting then 10 resis,
The current of public opinion adverse 10 the fea-
sibility Of the projec: was free TO say to his
friends, that Lieut.. Strain had missed the route
pointed out by the English Engineers Osborne
and Ford, and suffered every conceivable hard.
ship in consequence Of an attempt to cross the
Hsthmus by line which was in fact nearly par.
allel with the coast. II seemed impossible that
the distinguished English Engineers above
named could have been so utterly mistaken
when they made report in 1853, confirming
from actual surrey, one previously made by
DIR. Cullen in 1890 and 81. Either thest
three gentlemen must have been guilty of in.
territorial deception, or Lieut.. Strain did mis-,
altogether the route designated by them. There
is no other alternative to the proposition, fol
the country described by either party is entire
ly different in every essential respect from tina
described by the other. Nevertheless, the col,
bath which the Canal project received at Lieut.
Strains hands, gave it chill from which it il
only just beginning TO recover.
A lew weeks ago, DR.. Caldwell, an Assist
ant Surgeon in the United States Navy attach
ed 10 the frigate independence, stationed at Pan
ANA, made a private reconnaissance Of tn. Pa
cifc slope of the supposed route, his report o
which corresponds with Gisborne's observation
with remarkable accuracy. The Doctor ha,
no difficulty in following the track laid dow
by Osborne from the Gulf of San Miguel Of
the Pacific to the summit of the mountain ridc
of the Is,hmus, and point from which the A,
lantic was clearly visible; and like him, he ex
presses the opinion that ship canal is practi
cable-that the dividing ridge 10 be overcome
is not much, if any, over $50 feet IN height
and that canal only "a miles long may b.
found amply sufficient. Thus, again, pubi
attention is attracted 10 this great enterprise
and we may expect it to be agiated until tn
question of its feasibility is definitely settled b,
an official exploration which shall comman
public confidence, and be accepted as compe
tent arbiter between conflicting opinions. Up
on the importance of the proposed work TO tn
world, it is unnecessary 10 dilate. That ha
been long conceded by every rejecting mind