Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-11-03
IEtercceanio Passage Through the
ISthmuS

There are several parties, in various cities
oh the Atlantic board, who havo caused sur
veys to be made at different points on the
Equatorial 1sthmus, with the intention of con
structlng a ship canal between the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans. An American made the
proposition, about fifteen years ago, to follow
~ the French survey, by building dry docks
aud ship railway across the country there,
the income to sustain which. would be derived
from lcvying toll on the vessels of every
nations We remember that the saving of
time and wages, in making the voyage to the
Pacific, would have rendered an average toll
Of one thousand dollars an economy to ship
owners and it was computed that with a cap
Ital Of hundred millions of dollars the stock
would be the most productive known to civil
izatlon. The canal project had been proposed
prior to the ship railway project, but the lat
ter was urged as preferable because it would
lie more speedy, equally safe, and advanta-
geous In other respects. The vessels were to
DC Graded IN docks extending inland. and to
be moved off upoh number of rails across
the country. The project is certainly very
splendid one, and competent engineers pro-
nounced 1t to be simple and possible. Indeed,
Il company, at one time, conyisting of Euro
pean and American capitalists was near for
4 lDd'lou " CUT ilc ucSlGn.
| The project now under discussion does not
contemplate the use of ship railway, but
merely the cutting of canal at the TIuando
River, in the province of Chcco, woere locks
| will be unnecessary. During the last four or
five years private individuals and the govern
ment of this country, have been making sur
veys at this point, witch seems a favorable
one for the proposed enterprise While this
has been done, the British and French Gov
eremcnts have been advised of the progress o
| the work and we are now enabled to state
that company has been organized in Eng
| land that will furnish one-thrd of the capital
while the Emperor of tile French has agreed
to find another third. The capitalists of The
United States are now invited to examine tht
question, to enter upon complete organiza
tion for the most speedy ard effective mode
of carrying out THE plan, SO that the long anc
dangerous roRte around Cape Horn may b'
obviated. With the plethora of ofcapital nov
IN the United States, we can easily afford t.
turn some of it to so magnificent an enter
prize, and We doubt hot that the time is full,
ripe for action. The establishment of ney
States on the Western coast, the discoverie
of gold on the Pacific, the opening of trad
with China aud Japan, the groxieg impor
tance of islands in Occanica the rising up @
a great nation in Austrila, urge the necessit
of facilitating the egress and ingress to th
Pacific Ocean by overcoming the paltry bar
rier that is so great hindrance to commerce
The world is whirling rapidly, and the bes
way is TO live with fall sense of the impor
tance of lengthening life and increasing hu
man happiness, by saving every moment {
time that mere money and enterprise can ac
complish. Pennsyluanid Inquirer.