New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-01-30
GAMBLING THE IsTHNUS.


Congress, at its last session, at the instance
of Senator CONFESS, called for maps, reports,
and profiles, of the various routes whereon it
had been proposed to construct Ship Canal
across tie Isthmus of Darien. Rear-Admral
Davis, after examining the whole subject, re-
ported, as preliminary to thorough survey,
that the San Bias, Darien, and San Miguel, were
the three only routes worthy of especial con-
sderaton. Congress, acting on this report, APP
prOpriated $4,000 for a survey of those routes.
Here, 80 far as the public is informed,
the enterprise came to a full stop and,
though this is the dry season on the 18TH
mus-the only season favorable to the re-
quired survcys-we believe none are in pro-
gress. The appropriation may have been
deemed insufficient, but il was certainly
enough TO begin on; and more would doubtless
have been added whenever Congress should
have been convinced that tho $4,000 had been
properly applied, and that more was needed A
Ship Canal across the isthmus whereby vessels
of 1000 tuns could be towed from ocean
to ocean in the course of few hours,
saving the decentralization of South America
1000 niles in voyages from our Atlantic to
our Pacific coast, could not be worth less than
$5,000,000 per annum TO the industry and COM
merce of the United States. Were such
Canal to-day in existence, the production
of Wheat of Wool and of other staples, in
California and Oregon, for consumption or
manufacture on this seabOard, would be rap
idly and enormously expanded; nay, Grapes,
Figs Peaches, and other delicious fruits, would
be grown in California for consumption in our
great Atlantic cities. 1t would not be
extravaganza to estimate the increased legal
valuation of California at $10O,0O0,000 more,
ten years after such q Canal shall be
opened, than it would be if no such Canal
were or could be constructed. If, then, the
survey waits for larger appropriation, we
hope if may not long wait in vain but it would
be far more satisfactory to learn that what Con-
gress has already appropriated had in good
faith been applied to its object, before more
was required
That Ship Canal across the isthmus is
practicable, no engineer will deny: the only ele
ments to be considered are those of time and
cost. Now let us suppose that a canal suffi-
GENTLY capacious TO float vessels of
1000 tuns would cost s1OO,OOO0OO, we esti-
mate at that sum its resulting advantages
To California alone. But California is but
hand-breadth of the vast region to be surely,
permanently benefited thereby Oregon, West
ern Mexico, Central America, New Grenada,
Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Chill, Polynesia, Aus
tralia, India China, would all feel the i'm
pulse and share the blessings of such a
work. The great Pacific, with all its
coasts and isles, would be thrilled as by an
electric shock. A Canal across the isthmus
1 would practically insure the elevation of One
Hundred Millions of our race from idleness, ig-
norance, squalor, and barbarism, to industry
plenty, civilization, and Christianity.
We do not know, nor choose to guess, in the
absence Of defnitive surveys, which of the
proposed routes is preferable; but, simply as
proof that an Interoceanic Canal is practicable,
we will state what has recently been done. 49,
Mr,F. NJ. Kelley Of this City-Yho has given