The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1868-12-16
The Isthmus Canal Project.

The project for constructing ship canal
across the lsthmus Of Darien has been taken
hold Of in apparently good earnest Con-
gress, two years ago, directed an investigation
On the subject. Admiral Davis reported that
the route traced by Scotch eolonists in the
seventeenth century, and strongly urged By
Patterson. founder of the Bank Of England,
wss not only feasible, but the most practical
Die route known. The same route has the
eminent endorsement of Humboldt IL has
not been definisively located, but from all the
testimony adduced it is believed that ship
canal can be cut from ocean 10 ocean in a
distance not exceeding twenty-six miles
perhaps twenty-between the deep and spa
ciOus harbors of San Miguel and Caledonia
Bay. On this route, only single ridge rises
between the two oceans, and this is scanned
by deep ravines which fayors the enterprise.
II is said the canal can BE- made for less than
one-third the cost Of the canal across the
Isthmus of Suez, which is 100 yards long,
100 yards wide, and 10 yards deep; while Il
would be of infinitely more value 10 the com
meree Of the world.
II belongs to the United States, with
front on the Atlantic and Pacific, and such
varied resources and expansive energies as
no other country can boast of, to construct
this work, aud IL is gratifying to learn that New
York capitalists have formed Il corporation
for the purpose, styled the Isthmus Canal
Company, of which Peter Cooper is Presi-
dent and Frederick A. Conklin Is Secretary
Secretary Seward and ATTORNEY General Ev-
arts were present at q recent meeting Of this
company, and took an active part in the pro-
ceedings. The venerable Secretary, after
contributing more than any other man to re-
form the domestic and elevate the foreign
policy OF his country, is devoting the remain
der Of his days to promote its material great
ness. He sees in the completion of this canal
xrrhfah ha ,f
the early future, an important means for
Strengthening the Republic, increasing its in
huenee, and expending its commerce. At
the meeting which he addressed, the highest
estimate Of the cost of the canal was $780,
CO., coo. This is about the cost Of the Pacific
Railroad, which is worth to the nation a
thousand times that sum, although 1t is not
near by of the value which the Darien Canal
would be.
Tables compiled for the use of Congress
show that by means of this canal, ships ply
ing from New York to San Franciseo via Cape
Horn, distance of 1900 miles, would save
"A, 600 miles. The saving in trips from New
York to Calcutta, Canton and Shanghai
would be from 96O0 to nearly Il, 600 miles.
The saving on trips to South and Central
American and Mexican ports on the Pacific
side, would range from 5000 to Il, 600 miles.
As railroads cannot supersede ships for the
transportation of much of the freight be-
tween the Atlantic aud Pacific sides of the
Continent, the importance of this saving in
time and distance is apparent, if we only con-
slider our domestic commerce. The money
value Of the saving to the United States Is
estimated at over s35, 009, 600 annually The
tonnage and trade that would yearly pass
through the canal, diverted from the Cape of
Good Hope and Cape Horn routes, are esti
mated in money values as follows: United
States, Sl9S, los. 957; England, $780, Gas, 5S4;
France, Sol. 2lo, 6O9; other countries SIG, S02,-
coo; total, S467, S3l 100 The annual saving
to the commerce Of the world BY shortening
the ocean routes so much as We have seen, is
estimated at $50, OO0,0O in round numbers,
the United States being far the greatest gainer
The subject is OF peculiar interest TO Cali
fornia, for the canal would furnish such
direct and short transit to European and
Eastern markets that the production Of our
agricultural staples would be immensely in
creased, and the State would have almost
unrivalled facilities for supplying Europe
with breadstuffs. During the year 1867 there
were 70 vessels despatched with grain from
the port of San francisco. including 161 full
eargoes Of wheat for Europe. During the
first nine months OF the present year. 1856
grain ships were dispatched. The wheat car
goes for either year averaged about 900 tons.
The ships carrying the eargoes make but one
round voyage 4 year. The Darien canal
would enable them TO make at least two. and
screw propellers for freight purposes could
make five voyages years. F. BtsllsfiR-