Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-03-19
A Great Enterprise,

The subjoined article from the Cincinnati
Times gives some interesting information.
"The project of ship canal across the
Is,hmus of Darien has long been entertain.
ed BY the leading minds of the world, and
the construction of this vast work is now
but question of time. Congress has ap.
propriatel sum amply sufficient for the
thorough survey and exploration of the pro-
posed route, and corps of army engineers
with appropriate assistants i'll soon be de-
tailed for the service. Thus has the United
States taken initiatory steps in one of the
most magnificent ideas OF modern times -
Napoleon, in his expedition to Egypt, dis
covered the site Of an ancient canal across
the lsthmus ct Suez, and his engineers by
survey estimated the cest of reopening the
work. but il was never accomplished.
sour readers will remember the terrible
sufferings of Lieut.. Strain and his compsn-
ions, who endeavored to Cross the Isthmus
of Darien on preliminary reconnaissance
BY order OF our Governm nj. Profiting By
his experience, we trust the expedition now
about TO commence operations wi!l D. bic
to AVOID disaster. A 'eW deta:l- in relrt Oh
10 the scensof opersiilLs may be interesting
to ouy readers.
The Isthmus cr Darien, or, as it is more
commonly STYLED, the lsthmus of Panama,
connects North and South America, and il
principally comprised in the Republic Of
GranaSa On the northern side is the
Csribbesn sea and the Gu.fsof Dsren on
the south the Cult of Panama. In length
the Isthmus proper is about two hundred
miles, with an average breadth of for y
miles but in longitude 79 it n8rrows
down 10 less than thirty miles. At this
point it is proposed TO establish the ship
canal. The country is undulating with
chains of small mountains, but very fertile
modious ship canal, say thirty miles long and
two hundred feet wide, would not be less
than fifty millions OF dollars. England,
France, and Holland are anxious TO aid in
the work, and become joint owners with .he
United States. When it is considered that
one-half the worlds commerce. would in all
probability pass through this canal, the ex-
pense sinks into mere trife. All the India
and China trade, instead o doubling Cape
Horn, would find passage through the canal
Ii should be free to all nations who assist,
in the construction by money or credit"
The appropriation sllnded to was en-
braced in the naval appropriation bill. 1t
gives a sun. not to exceed Ss5 600. to be
paid to officers selected by the Secretaries of
War and Navy "for the purpose ,of making
explorations and veri6cation of the surveys
already made of ship canal near the 18th
mus of Darien, to connect the waters of the
Pacific and the Atlantic by the Atrato and
Truando rivers" Mr.. BoeocK, member Of
he committee of conference on the part of
the House of Representatives, explained this
provision, inserted blythe Senate, in brief
but forcible terms. He stated that the
Government of Granada had given a COM
pary Of Americans theI right to explore and
build ship canal, if practicable, through
the lsthmus of Darien. They have made
the survey and believe ship canal to be
altogether practicable; but they had come
to the conclusion that capitalists ,willnot in
vest in this exploration unless it be endorsed
by competent afficors of the Government.
They merely ask that their exploration shall
be tested by officers of the army and navy.
The House coneurred in the proposition of
the Senate.-Nat. Int.