The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-06-27

look for tho Panama Railroad aud the lines OF slesm
North Atlantic and pioo eossss cSas
HIsrnlis 1str and d. Japan n ~ F. n oys NJ D.. will
Irothors. 1867. Charleston. q. @. Courtenay, No.
Broad street.
This book, with tho abovo very long title, vii
not interest tho general reader, cxcopt in far
| IL incidentally describes Homo portions Of Contra
America. But to tho man of largo yiows, in what
ercr sphere of lfe and moro especially 10 railroad
and steamboat men, and to ontorprisng mer
| chants, rich mino is here offered, source OF in
struotion and OF vast, may boundless speculation
Tho Panama Railroad is in itselt splendid monu
mont OF American industry aud enterprise. Eng.
land and franco had both looked with longing
oyes to tho project Of connecting by an iron road
tho worlds two great oceans; but it required toe
much money TO cnriy 1t to successful Issue, and
both England and Franco gavo up the idoa. The
accession Of Oregon and California to tho Unitod
states first directed tho attention Of our people to
this highway. Mossrs. WM. II. AsPRwAlL, HENRY
CHAuSCEY and JoHN L. STEPHENS, entered into a
contract with the government Of New Granada for
tho construction Of the interocoanio railroad; but
not until 1850 was tho work entered upon, undor
tho direction OF two skilful and successful on
gneers, GEO. III. ToTrEN and JonN @. TRAuTwRE.
It was completed aftor many vioissitudes, always
to bo looked for in tho OF such enterprises
on tho 9th day OF January, 1855.
Tho entiro length Of tho road was AZ miles, with
maximum gaade Of co feet to tho mile. Tho en-
tiro cost Of tho road was about eight millions OF
dollars and tho gross earnings Of tho road to jan
uary 1859, wore IS, ,146 Cos The running expenses,
together, with depreciation in iron, etc., amounted
to ,l4 ,S7G51, leaving balance OF IS 971 72a &C
"a the legitimate returns fuf the money invested
In tho road il, period Of sevon years, during tho
Init Qfr1i1aa 10,
second 23 tho third 91 only for the last four years
was the road in use throughout it's entire extent
More thnn 400,o0o passengers hayo boon trans
ported over tho road during the thirteen years.
ending Deccmbcr, 1885, and it ia not known, says
our author, TINT single case of sickness has oc-
Cured in consequence Of tho transit since tho on
tiro opening OF tho rond in 1856 Tho average
timo OF passage ovor tho road is thrco hours, and
tho Panama fevor need not be dreaded by trayol-
lors.
Tho amount OF spocio conveyed over the road
from 1855 to 1867 Was over $3.50 600, 900, without
tho loss Of single dollar. Erroneous Impressions
in regard to the source whonco tho business OF
tho Panama Railroad is derived prevail extensive
ly oven among Intelligent business mon and MEM
bers OF our National Councils, many regarding it
as entirely dependent upon our trado with Cali
fornin. The fact seoms to be overlooked TINT
while California has population estimated at only
500 oo0 tho population OF Central America is over
100000; and that that portion of South America,
whose only means OF communicating with tho At
lnntic is either by tho Isthmus Of Panama or
around Capo Hum, contains 7rly 80OO, 900, and
that regular and direct eteam =. yine communica-
tion exists between those countries and tho Pana-
mo Railroad. Thus in 1858, the business oyer
tho rosN. .ium the South and Central American
States exceeded in Snluo nine times tho GeightinR
business OF California uid tho Isthmus, and by
lSG0 loss than one-hfecnth Of the freighting bus-
ness OF thu road WAS duo 10 tho California trade
We do not know the precise object to be sub
served by the publication Of this book. As it falls
outside tho pale Of literature, wo naturally look
for somo special motive, md this, wo presume,
must be tho establishment of lines OF steamsbips
between Europe and China, Japan India and Aus
tralia, by way Of tho Isthmus Of Panama. To show
its relative position the glob. wo copy tho fol-
lowing Table OF distances, SIT uay interest some
OF our readers: The distlnco from New York to
Sydney, Australia, uia Cape Horn is 1850 milee;
c,a Panama only $3.50. Distance from New York
to Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, uta Cope Horn
1850; uia Panama 6s00 distance from Now York
to Hong Kong. ufa Cape Horn 1920; uia Panama
1850; distance from New York to Jeddo, Japan,
utd Cape Horn 6,710; uid Panama 10, 200; distance
from England to Sydney, Australia, pia Cape of
Good Hope II, 1928; uid Panama 10 $50 miles. Tho
price of passage on tho Panama Railroad is SIS.
Pretty vol for At milesI We incline to the belief
that if Mr. MAaRATH could collect half dollar
mile on his road the hearts Of his stockholders
would soon bo gladdenod with tidings Of coming
dividends, luxury they havo been debarred Of
for somo time, il we not mistaken; and this tho
South Carolina Railroad could accomplish, with
out transporting 700 miilions OF speci, and all the
products Of the mines Of California, Mexico, Peru,
and tho Indies.
There is in this volume the fullest information
eyen to tho minuteat details on everything per-
tanning, not only to this said railroad but likewise
also to the States Of Central and South America,
and their commercial relations with the rest Of the
world.