New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-02-24
IRON WASHING TON.
rug. WILD sCHEHE OF THE ATaATo
- SHIP CANAL.


- On, sxssssl Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb. 90, 1859.
Amosg tho schemes to which The attention Of
an, ,sepS,hrifs Administration has beea devoted
1. a new one for making canal, or rather chan
rel ssros, the Istbmus by the way Of the Atrato
River, Mr.. Elijah Ward of New-HOIk City drew
attention to il in the House the other day I'D an
elaborate speech which has been published in The
GioS,, in which the project IL advocated.
lisa speculative job, whose history is briefly
tais: Baron Humboldt long ago, suggested that, ID
any attempt to fnd feasible route across The
Is,hnus for canal, or road, be would recon-
mend an examination OF the valley of the river
Atr,to. which falls into the southery waters Of
NE Gulf of Dsrien. At the instance Of parties
interested. the Secretary of the Navy, lest year.
detailed Lieut. Craven; an officer OF energy
and intelligence, 10 go down and exam
me the route. Lieut.. Craven entered upon
the service with aacrity, notwithstanding
fhe great perils Of the excessive unhealthness OF
tbe climate. from a laudabe ambition TO honorably
associate his name with the enterprise, in case it
should be found practicable. OF course, his hopes
were that il might Prove to be so. These hopes
mere dashed By his exploration, aud he made his
report accordingly to the Navy Department. This
report was not satisfactory to the parties inter
ested and great efforts have been made by them,
and by Secretary Toucey himself 10 have him
change some of its features. That the men en-
gagged in the scheme should entertain such desire,
n not 10 be wondered at but that the Secretary OF
the Navy himself should not be willing to have
Lieut. Cravens report laid before the country pre-
risely according to the authors views and cOnylc-
Mons, 10 discreditsble TO that functiOnary. That
report must ultimately BE- printed as 1t was writen'
and it would appear far better for Secretary lou
.eey to allow it TO come without any hndrance irou,
him, for such bindrance cannot ish 10 De linpuecu
70 interested motives. Indeed, the circumstances
of the case forbid the imputatIon OF any otner'
Yby should Secretary Toucey desire to conceal
sin,le fact. or single consideration OF any SORE
submitted by competent engineer semitic examine
a subject of such magnitude and importance oueh
nc attempt is not the act OF frank ana honoiaoe
man. or of a faithful public officer. Whether IT be
the act of narrow selfish POLITICIAN others can
judge.
ven presents substantially, these facts: The dis
tance across the Istbmus by the way OF the Atrato
in about 1875 miles. The mouth OF this river IL on
the Atlantic side. Here it enters lagoon or body
of shoal water about three feet in DEPTH that con-
meets il with the Bay Of Panama. This stretch OF
shoal water extends three miles over bed OF slip
perry blue mud. When any portion OF this mud is
removed by dredging or excavation, the surround
ing mass Iusbes in to supply its place. The BAY
of Panama holds good water for shipping, and the
water of the river after the three miles spoken OF Is
passed, il deep and ample for ships OF large burden
tor sixty odd miles, until 1t reaches the dividing
ridge of the continent. The country through which
the river runs is one vast submerged swamp, COW
cred with rank tropical vegetation throughout It's
entire length. 1t is is the abode OF disease and
death and the prolific mother Of every variety OF
horrible reptiles and BOsOme insects. The dlvld-
ing ridge that separates the two great oceans SINKS
here, cOnfOrmably to the suppostlOn OF humboldt.
Lieut. Craven found the highest summit TO be but
GOO feet above the sea. BY following winding
course, a passage can be found over much lower
level even than this. Passing the ridge and follow
ing the direct route to the sea, the Pacific is
resehed in something over sixty miles from the
head of the navigable waters of tho river. The
coast at this point is without iDdentaton or hirbor
The broad Pacific here leans against the land, and
to make use of the route would require the con-
structon of an entire harbOr, labor in itself of gl-
aantic magnitude.
According to Lieut.. Craven, \ passage carrying
30 feet Of water can be accomplished by an expen-
dture of three hundred or four hundred millions of
doBars, if men can be found to sacrifice themselves
IN its construction. In Mr.. Wards speech, the
cost IL set down at S75, 100000. But here Is the
primo difficulty. The deadly character of the eli
mate almost il not totally, tOrbids the undertaking.
Everybody knows what dreadful mortality attended
the construction of the Panama Railroad, which Is
paved with the bones of the workmen engaged
npon it. Thousands upon thousands mlseraoly
persisted in making railroad of fifty miles, and
costing Eve or ten millions. What can be expected
in this respect from the construction OF WORK H.
yolyirg an expenditure of three hundred or four
hundred minionsl Must not whole armies Do sac-
rifcedi
The present state of the Treasury fOrbids any
active B,en,s in pressing this scheme upon pub
I've attention. But it prepared Tor presentation,
aud will be brought out fully in due time. J. $. ~