The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-12-29
CUTTING THE AMERICAN CONT.
RENT IN TWO.
Panama ship Canal.
MIR. CushIng'n Mission.

FTOW tHb lEOlHitWtC bO"H"s
1t Is now generally conceded that Mr.;
ments so much speculation has been
had in the newspapers, has gone to Bo'
gotta to hasten the progress OF treaty
which our government is making FOL
securing tho right OF way for the canal
across the ISthmus Of DRFien. There
ia some hitch in the business, very like
ly, on account OF the hold which CAPT
Ialisis and spectators have gotten
upon ii, and Mr.. Seward is naturally
DESTROYS to settle that important mattel
while he holds the treaty making
power in his hands. The grand shiT
canal 80 long talked OF, ought TO have
been made years ago. But now thai
the Pacific ocean is assuming such new
importance in the commerce of the
world, il is becoming more needful
than ever. The Union Pacific railroad
cannot do all the vast transportation
which is to take place over this central
continent OF tho world rs ours is ere
long to become. The ships, and espe'
Clally the steamers that take their car
goes on the shores of China or Japan
will not all run to San Francisco. They
will make an entrance into the Allan
tic, and not IA few of them will come tC
the ancient centres of American COM
MERGE on our eastern waters, while
others will carry their freights direct 10
Europe.
The channel through which this vast
trade will be largely carried on, musi
be ship canal around the Isthmus oil
Darien that shall connect the waters oil
the Atlantic and the Pacific ocean. 1t
must be built by American capital, and
guarded and made secure and open to
all tue world by our own government.
For this purpose it appears that new
treaties arc required before the work
can be finally accomplished, When
this is done, great benefits Will obvious
ly be secured, not only to our own COM
merce, but TO that of all mankind. A
route of transit for ships will be opened
SO as 10 reduce by more than one. hall
the voyage from New York to Canton,
and that too at moment when the
trade between these two ports is greatly
on the increase. This narrow strip Of
land, less than fifty miles in width, has
been crossed by IL railroad for ten years,
but the time is now at hand when II
must be opened for ships of the largest
burden TO pass from ocean to ocean.
The project so long ago conceived and
so often on the point OF being begun,
must now be entered upon in full earn
est and prosecuted to its final COnsum-
nation. We trust that Mr.. Cushing
will fulfill his mission with entire sue
cess. II is AN erraud in which the
whole country will bid him God speed.
AT this very time also another grand
enterprise of similar character Is near
Its completion in Il distant quarter OF
the world. The ship canal across the
Isthmus of SueZ has been ten years in
progress, and It Is now stated that IL
will be finished in 1871. Water has al
ready been let into part of it even
before it is dredged TO its fullest depth
and some OF the smaller gunbOatS of
the British navy passed through 1t on
their way TO join the expedition 10
Abyssinia. More recently small
French vessel, and within a few weeks
past, an English craft OF moderate di-
mansions have crossed from the Medi-
tcrraneHn to the Red Sea through the
vet unfinished Suez canal. 1t is one
hundred miles in length, and Is alrea-
dy navigable without much hindrance
for about fifty miles. The cost OF the
work now going on Is said to be two
hundred thousand pounds sterling
every month, and the Iaborers engaged
in It's construction at different points
number some thirty thousand. Its
width is to be n hundred yards at the
surface, and Its final depth Is TO be
twenty five feet, and it is to be capable
of atfOrding transit for vessels of two
thousand tons burden. When COM
pleted il will be the most important
work of inter. communication which
has been constructed in the Old World
during the present century-perhHps
even i'll all past time.
The near approach Of the Suez canal
to its completion should hasten forward
the corresponding work of at least
equal Importance, that remains TO be
accomplished on this continent. The
Panama canal will be Il far less expen-
sive undertaking. Its length will be
less than fifty miles, even without tax
ing advantage of the rivers of the 18TH
mus, and with the aid of these rivers 1t
will be smuch shorter. But by what
ever route it Is built, this opening
bet ween the two great oceans of the
world will form one Of those epochs
which give new character to the COM
merciaI fortunes Of mundkind. The
time now appears To have come for its
cOnsumatiUU.