The New York herald., 1869-11-29


name. Alter the discovery OF the Atrato river the
attention OF the Spanards was directed to thevaley
aud some feeble efforts were made 10 discover either
strait or some other water connection between
the oceans We have seen now the jealous Tears OF
the Spanish King induced him TO prohibit the nayi
CATION OF the AIfato on pain or death, thus. with
| much effectiveness, exciullng auventuIous men
Nevertheless the attention OF scientific men fre-
quently directed TO the valley, and. by some means
not clearly stated rumor became current tna con-
nection actually made. Humboldt, In MS "Essai
Ponquem published in Paris IN ISL, says that such
connection was made by priest OF Noyita, In
a rayine OF the Raspadura, who united this river to
the waters OF the san Juan by means OF snort
canal, which Was navigable In heavy rains anu tnat
canoes loaded with cocoa, have passed from one
sea TO the othern The explorations or Trautwlne,
Lane, kennish and Mchier have quite exploded
this rumor, they having by actual observations
demonstrated the lmpossiDlty or Its truth. AT any
rate the most careful search has failed to discover the
faintest evidence OF the existence Of cana IN
part OF the valley, either near 10 or distant from tue
Raspadura or other river. We may therefore assert
positively that no canal was ever constructed by the
good priest OF Noylta whose very existence Is en-
| veioped IN such maze OF conjecture TO make 1t
| also u matter of much doubt Humboldt also eX-
pressed the opinion tnat the bay Caplca winch 1t
nas been proposed to make the western terminus OF
| The canal on this route, and which Is Sit
| uated near the entrance 10 the bay OF Panama,
III latitude q degrees 40 minutes norSh, and longs
tude II degrees so minutes west, '0ught 10 be for
the new Continent what suez was for Asia"
| The prominence gwen TO the Atrato valley Dy
| HUMBOLDT attracted the attention OF Mr.. +. NJ. Ke
ley OF New YORK, gentleman whose devotion TO the
| project OF connecting the oceans, whose treless
| energy in making ex xploratons aud whose abors ~
obtaining for the world the most valuable informa-
| ton. nave won tor him q foremost position in the
ranks or those wno have devoted their time to the
saOJecs To this gentleman we are indebted Tor tue
st accurate survey OF the Atrato valley. Aided by
friends, who shared with nun tue expense. he en-
ployed the services or Mr. J. Y. frautwtne the Welt
| known engineer OF Philadelphia, to survey route.
| rms was IN 1892. In November of the same year,
after time spent IN explorations he reported
plan Tor canal by way OF tue rivers Atrao and san
| Juan. Mr.. rrautwlne proposed TO enter the Atrato
| river from the Gulf OF Darlen through one OF It's
'noutas called Boca Coqulto ascending 1t TO QuiDdo,
distance OF 30 miles, thence to ascend the river
quito IA continuation OF the Atrato) TO the conhu-
ence OF the Certqul and san Pablo; from the latter
| TO the Raspadura and santa Monica, and from the
same TO The mead OF canoe navigation. Az this
point 1t was proposed to construct canal
TO the river san Juan, which flows into the PacInc.
Mr. lrautwlne examined several tributaries OF the
Atrato, including The Pao, the Bauuo ito reach tne
latter he crossed the dividing ridge OF the Cordille-
rasl, Pepe The Surucco, before selecting the
route named. Although he believed this the
practicable route, Mr. Trantivme fairly stated that
| was open to serious objection. Ine most serious
was tnat the san Juan at the point at when
was desired to unite II To the santa Monica, lU2
leet below the head waters or the Atrato; and the
liability OF the course to frequent and extensive
lnnundations precuded the possibility OF constructing
| a canal upon system OF dams and locks" MIR.
TrautwIne represented the country as visited Dy
almost daily rains. subsequently he made another
! survey OF the route during which he nayigated th,
san Juan river TO It's mouth In the bay OF ChranDlIa,
on the Pacific coast BE admitted tnat II was quite
possible TO construct canal and gave his plan AT
| length and with much clearness, but thought the
cost which he estimated at s325000 900, destroyed
| the feasibility OF the project
Mr.. Kelley, though mortified at the unfavorabe
report OF 4Ar. Trautwne, not dsheartened. He
had carefully studied all tue maps aud WORKS de-
scrlp,iye Of the valley that could nnd and he re-
manned irmly OF the opinion that 1t contained an
| easy route. During the year following 1853 the
Atlantic and Pacltc canal Company was formed,
| with Mr. Kelley as the leading spirit III It, Under
Its auspices Mr.. James q. Lane was sent out wIth
| Instructions TO explore the Atrato and find con-
| nectlon with 1t and the rivers Andagada. Patio or
Baudo. Like Mr.. Irautwine ne entered at the Roco
Coquito mouth, assembled the river to Quibdo ana
from thence went up the Pato TO the head of canoe
| Navigation. Mr.. Lane then crossed over the Cam
try TO the naylgaDle waters oil The Baudo which ne
followed Tor one and three quarter mics then noss
| ng ng over the alyldhg ridge struck the san Juan.
| TINS was the route he thought practcabe Al the
| same time he expressed regret that he did not
| examine route across large lake situated
| about fifty miles up the Atrato and dirertIy
| opposite the river Sucio, as from lnformatlon
| received ne thought that at this place "a snip
canal could be obtained through without lock
| ing ana with the deepest cut not more than 100
leeI TO the bottom OF the canal for distance OF not
! more than hiteen miles" In 1854 Mr.. Lane was
| directed TO make another tour Sickness however,
| prevented his making exp orattoDs In person much
OF the tme lie was thus compelled to depend upon
Information from the natives anu upon the strength
OF their statements reported In favor OF canal up
the straits to the Truando river and from thence TO
| the san Juan.
While Mr.. Lane was thus engaged Mr.. William
| kennlsh. VINO accompanied Prevosts expedition, as
! already stated, was, by direction OF Mr.. Kelley,
exploring the same valley IN another direction. His
| Instructions were TO commence operations on the
Pacific side, In accordance with what Humboldt
had been told, to the effect that from the Bay OF
Cupica eastward, for distance OF fifteen eighteen
| miles, the ground was level ana suitable for
| canal, which would terminate in the river NappLn
| The representations made TO Humboldt stated
| further that the Cordllleras is entirely broken
between this part of the coast and the Atrato valley
| Mr.. kennish started along the coast ana "to the
| northward Of PInta Ardita met with remarkable
depression opposite thai portion OF the coast which
| lies to the southwark OF that point, and between
| that and Punta Marzon Opposite this depression
| he discovered an inlet which he named and is now
| known as keeys Inlet large In size, with great
| depth OF water ana well protected. into this tile
| river paracuchich nows. Landing here, Mr.. Ken
nsn and his party began their explorations
deavorng to reach the Atrato by the shortest route
The course OF the streams west OF what is known
mountaa crossed at heignt OF $40 feet, the descent
| made over series OF falls TO the Nerqua riyer.
which was followed to the Truando; thence the
| party entered the Atrato' and thus crossed the
| lsthmus to the Atlantic.
Here, then, was another passage made. In his
report Mr.. Kennish proposed the construction OF
| canal or new river aqueduct,n TO now from the
agoons OF the river Arato INTO the Pacific, forming
| able for the largest ships, and with current OF
| about two miles al hour. The course, as indicated
above was to be from the mouth OF the Atrato on
the Atlantic slde, TO keley's Inlet, the peninsula
| OF Paracuchehi, on the Pacific. According TO bis
plans 1t would be necessary to have jetty or line OF
| the Atrato from thence to the confluence OF the
| Truando works would be required, excepting
| sucn as were found necessary to prevent the wash
| OF sedmenary particles into the main prison. He
also proposed TO the Of the river Nerqua.
But the most conspicuous feature IN tue plan of Mr.
| kennish was that which provided for the construc
ton OF great tunnel eleven miles and 1850 yards in
length the top to be ninety ieet above high water
| mark.
The most Objectionable feature In the plan is this
tunnel. That the engineering sk OF the day IL ade.
| quate to such work admits or no doubt Subter-
| ranean passages Of great length have been made in
both ancient and modern times. The celebrated
| tunnel between the Lake Of CelanO and the river
| Garigliano tanciently Lake Fucnus and the river
Lirisl constructed during the reign OF the Emperor
| Claudlus, and In modern days the tunnel through
the AIDS, az Mont Cents, aud another through Mont
| St. Gothard both still unfinished, and or great
length, acqualnt us not only with the feasibility or
1 a 1nr1t tlarna htTt
| also with the comparatively few dificulties that
| attend construction. But 1t must be borne in mind
that none OF the tunnels that existed In ancient days
| OF that now exist, can be compared with the pro-
| posed work. According TO Mr.. Kennish,s plau
about l25 feet OF earth would have to be excavated
from the bottom 10 the top OF the tunnel and GER
tanly not less than 100 feet IN width. Reduce these