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

IsrHMus OF PANAMA. History Of the Panama Railroad
and OF the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. Togethel
with Travellers Guide and Business Mans Hant
Book for the Panama Railroad and the lines Of ste1m
ships, connecting it with Europe. the United States
the North and South Atlantic and P1cfc coasts, China
Australia, and Japan. By F. n. OTIS M. D., will
Illustrations by the Author. New York Harper &
Brothers, 1857 Charleston. s. G.. Courtenay, No.
Broad street.
This book, with the above very long title, will
not interest the general reader except in so far as
it incidentally describes some portions Of Central
America. But to the man Of large views, in what
ever sphere of life, and more especially to railroad
and steamboat men, and to enterprising mer-
chants, rich mine is here offered, source OF in
struction and of vast, nay boundless speculation.
The Panama Railroad is in itself splendid monu-
ment of American industry and enterprise. Eng
land and France had both looked with longing
eyes to the project of connecting by an iron road
the worlds two great oceans; but it required tco
much money to carry it to successful issue, and
both England and France gave up the idea. The
accession OF Oregon and California to the United
States first directed the attention Of our people to
this highway. Messrs. WIN. H. AsPNwALL, HENRY
CHAUSoEY and JOHN L. STEPHENs, entered into a
contract with the government Of New Granada for
the construction Of the inter-oceanc railroad; but
not until 1850 was the work entered upon, under
the direction Of two sklful and successful en-
1t was completed after many vicissitudes, always
to be looked for in the course of such enterprises,
on the 9th day Of January, 1856.
The entire length of the road was AZ miles, with
q maximum gaade Of 60 feet to the mile. The en-
tire cost Of the road was about eight millions Of
dollars, and the gross earnings of the road to jan
uary, 1852 were $S LAG COS. The running expenses,
together, with depreciation in iron, etc., amounted
to 81 174 876.51, leaving balance Of S. 971, Sc
as the legitimate returns for the money invested
in the road in period Of seven years, during the
first of which but u miles were in operation the
second 49, the third ST. only for the last four years
was the road in use throughout it's entire extent
More than 400, 900 passengers have been trans
ported over the road during the thirteen year,,
ending December, 1866, and it is not known, says
our author, that single case Of sickness has oc-
CURED in consequence Of the transit since the en-
tire opening Of the road in 1856. The average
time Of passage over the road is three hours, and
the Panama fever need not be dreaded by travel
lers.
The amount Of specie conveyed over the road
from 1855 to 1867 was over $3.50, ,OOO, ,OOO without
the loss Of single dollar. Erroneous Impressions
in regard to the source whence the business Of
the Panama Railroad is derived, prevail extensive
ly even among intelligent business men and men,
bers Of our National Councils, many regarding it
as entirely dependent upon our trade with Cali
fornia. The fact seems to be overlooked that
while California has population estimated at only
5000 the population of Central America is over
20OO, ,0OO and that that portion Of South America,
whose only means Of communicating with the At
lantic is either by the Isthmus Of Panama or
around Cape Horn, contains nearly 100000, and
that regular and direct steam marine communities
ton exists between those countries and the Pana-
ma Railroad. Thus, in 1858, the business oyer
the road from the South and Central American
States exceeded in value nine times the freighting
business Of California pia the Isthmus, and by
1860 less than onefteenth of the freighting bust
ness OF tha road was due to the California trade.
We do not know the precise object to be SUBJ
served by the publication Of this book. As it falls
outside the pale Of literature, we naturally look
for some special motive, and this, We presume,
must be the establishment of lines of steamships
between Europe and China, Japan, India and Aus
tralia, by way Of the Isthmus Of Panama. To show
its relative position the globe, we copy the fol-
lowing table Of distances, it may interest some
Of our readers: The Distance from New York to
Sydney, Australia, oia Cape Horn, is 2,s7O miles;
u,a Panama only $3.50. Distance from New York
to Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, ota Cape Horn
1850; pta Panama $500; distance from New York
to Hong Kong, ola Cape Horn II, 40; ola Panama
Ii, $50; distance from New York to Jeddo, Japan,
ola Cape Horn 1910; uia Panama 10 22O; distance
from England to Sydney, Australia, ola Cape Of
Good Hope Il, 1923; oia Panama II, 7sO miles. The
price Of passage on the Panama Railroad is $25.
Pretty well for AZ milesl We incline to the belief
that il Mr.. MAGRATH could collect half dollar
mile on his road the hearts Of his stockholders
would soon be gladdened with tidings Of coming
a luxury they have been debarred Of
for some time if we not mistaken; and this the
South Carolina Railroad could accomplish, with
ont transporting 700 MILL ons Of speoi,, and all the
products Of the mines Of California Mexico, Peru,
and the Indies.
There is in this volume the fullest information,
even to the minutest 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.