The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-29
ven our present knowledge Of the American ist n.

the British navy, and subsequently by the Chiriquf
Commission sent by the United States, and COM
manded by Commodore Engle. Lieutenant j. St. Clair
Morton, wao accompanied IT in the capacity OF topo-
graphical engineer twice crossed the isthmus, land
ing at Frenchman's creek. In these trips he Eek
plored swamp of great extent and discovered
hitherto unknown pass through the COrderas.p The
harbor OF Chirqul, on the Atlanuc, and that OF COL
nto IN Colo Dulce, are reported as being admirably
adapted In every respect TO the needs OF commerce.
Lieutenant Morton thought II practicable to connect
THESE harbors Dy railroad but as he ..let no map
journal notebook In the archives OF the War.De-
partmenp' IL Is not possible to trace precisely the
route proposed by him. Mr.. Evans who acc0mpa-
MED the expedition as geoogist reported that there
II an abundant supply OF coal IN the region, which
Is also rich In minerals. Whether this route Will be
explored by the present commission or not we can
not say; neither can we condemn praise it, the
present state OF our knowledge being limited.
we now &c come 70 Inc isihmuses Of Panama ana
winch have also been the held the most numerous
and extensive explorations ON these lstamases
from ,Chagres TO Panama Chepo to San Bias,
San Miguel to Por, EScosces, m n G Ss,S,
ana Cupica. To these Admiral Davis adds one from
San Miguel to tine Gulf Of Uraba or Darien, which
ascends the Truyra and crosses the valley OF the
Atrato." But little is known OF this route although
at Is expressly pointed out by Fltz Roy and men
Gogorza q native OF New Grenada, he discovered an
easy transit the Cordieras, where 'the noun
tain Is depressed TO an elevation OIL nltyeght metres
geo feet above the level OF Underwater; the distance
between the waters, navgabe by canoe, on the two
sides OF the mountain Is only three miles," In 1860
plan for a survey projected, but we have heard
nothing from IT, and OF the opinion that IL came
10 DaNlS, WHOSE lepOTb Is OHc u
The most interesting ana valuable OF documents,
thinks ga regular survey by the government would
be desirable" In our present ignorance OF the adj
vantages presented mere are estopped from refer
ring further 10 IT, and must therefore, dismiss 1t
present surveying expedition We shall, therefore,
confne sketch 70 those routes which have been
most frequently explored and one Of winch WIN
general interest to the public, we conclude this
resume by giving below table OF the various
prominent routes proposed and their ascertained
leDgths:-
Route. Maes;
Nicaragua. from san Juan del Nore to Brito... 1914
Cnagres TO Panama COLOMBIAN. ......... -. OIL
san Miguel to port Escosces caledonia Bay " SO
Atrato Valley, by Napipi and Cupica. III
oHAGREs TO PANAMA-cHEPo TO SAN BIAS.
"After passing the equator, the great C0rdiieras,
a which hitherto has been tending westward and
| north, suddenly turns north-northeast 70 aDut
! against the Caribbean sea, writes HumDoldt IN HIS
"Essal Poitique.n paris ls1l) The mountain range
runs parallel with the isthmus connecting North
| and South America, with numerous valleys, OF
which that OF the Magdelena OF the Cauca and OF the
! Atrato are supposed TO furnish opportunities to
| connect the Atlantic ana the Pacific oceans. We
have already referred various proects OF the
Spaniards and others aiming at the construction or
ship canal, and OF their falling through, some from
| political causes and others from lack Of proper
| energy combined with steady perseverance we
now arrive at the peroa when tne ohtsa ot s,
to ascertaining Its practicabity. or Its necessity
| no intelligent person entertained doubt TINS
Continent was discovered ia the EFFORT TO Hnd sh0rs
| passage to the indies
In 1885 the Senate OF the United States adopted q
resolution requesting President Jackson TO cOnsluer
the expedency OF opening negotiations win various
! governments, and particularly with the govern
| nents OF Central America aud New Granada,n for
the construction OF snip canal across the istnmus
In accordance with this resolution President Jack
| son appointed Charles Bddle TO visit Mexico, New
| Granada and the republics OF Central America, the
| results OF whose Investigations We're reported To
| Congress on the I'd OF March, 1889. Mr.. Badle, on
arriving at Bogota found that Baron de Thierry the
| notorious adventurer, eX-usher OF Cambridge Uni.
| versty England, and pretended sovereign Chief
| OF New Zealand king OF NukaVeVa, one OF tile
| Marquesas Islands, had previously been granted
| sive right OF opening canal across the isthmus.
| .'by the and OF the waters OF the rivers Grande
and Chagres the grant to mold good for rty years
| alter the completion Of the canal, which was then
to be surrendered TO the republic In the course OF
time Mr.. Blddle returned 70 the United states and
Secretary OF state, addressed him letter, remind
ing him OF mis- ana requiring sucn report as he
| would have to make. his was In SEPTEMBER, 1886.
In the following month Mr.. Forsyth received an
answer, which sci iorth that as ne mad obtained
Blddie ana otner American Citizens 10 construct
a canal he advised, as unnecessary, entering
INTO any negotiations. such conduct, at the pre-
sent day, appears IN an extraordinary light. Mr..
Blddle was sent by the government Tor a specific
purpose and devoted his time to the requirement Of
right when the unlIed States. Tor wnom was
commissioner, indirectly sought 1t only remains be
stated that Mr. Biddle's canal project was Stubborn.
In 1874 the French government employed Mr.. Ca
rella, the distinguished engineer, whose scientlnc
operations ia the Pyrenees mad added greatly TO hls
/ reputation, TO survey Isthmus OF Panama and
ascertain a route for canal. IN the month OF May
/
1 OF the result OF his Investigations lie favored tue
| Chagres route, and recommended canal, which
required not only locks ana deep cuttings. but also
the literal construction of new harbors. For the i'm
| provement OF the harDor III the bay of Vaca del
Monte on the Pacific side, he estimated the cost at
Sl,250 200. The magnitude OF the WORKS which IN
! Guided gigantic tunnel, appeared TO appal the
| French government. The great cost II would entail
| maze 1t ImpracticaDe.
Another and far more important route is that from
/ the Cnepo or Bayanos river TO San ias or Man
4 dlngo. II was not until 1864 that anything oil a
really definite character was known OF Tins, the mar
rowest part OF the isthmus. The territory occu-
pied by the abofgines, who persstenty refused 10
permit its investigation by strangers. An Indian
rumor says That the aborgines 'are IN the habit OF
hauling their canoes ON wooden slides across the
! Cordiieras from the Mandingo river anu aunch-
| ing them IN the waters Of the Bayanos,'
| Mr. ophant the secretary OF the Royal Geographic
cal Society, IN paper read before that society on
the 24tn OF April ls65.n The paper also referred to
the attempts which had been made by Messrs. Hop
kns ana Wheelwright 10 cross the lsthmus at this
regimes. In 1864 Mr.. Frederick NJ. kelleJ, OF New
York, whose services III tnls enterprise have given
HIM a deservedy distinguished position among
scientific men, and OF whom we snall SPEAK more az
length hereafter, surveyed the route the Chepo
to the Gulf of san i5las lie found the narbor Of San
BIAS spacious ana deepn while the Paciic SIDE
the channel had mot less than eighteen feet ol wafer
al mean low tdeo with an ordinary rise OF tide OF
sixteen feet. This result OF the examination or the
Clepo, says Admiral Davis. rs entirely unex pected
and does not accord with the Admiralty cnarts.,
From this survey Mr.. Kelley projected canal for
the construction OF which he reported tunnel or
about the length Of That at Mont Gems, through
VIC APPS. Ic, hVWSNol, puloucu Single line,
without devatIng 10 the right or LEFT. although the
surveyors were satisfied that they saw evidences az
greater depression 10 the westward this course .
such being the fact 1t most likely That a passage
can be found, somewhat sinuous IN Its course, by
means OF winch the necessity for a tunnel can be
obylated The eXpeoitloh organizing now Will, we
feel assured, make a close survey TINS route.
FROM SAN MIGUEL 10 PORT EsCosCES CALEDONIA
BAY.
To the route we are about TO describe greater At
tention has probably been attracted than to any
oiher. The region vi country Is OF the richest
on the Continent-rich In both agricultural and
mineral resources. cold Is PLENTIFUL and IN the
seventeenth century the many gold mines worked
excited the cupdity Of the buccaneers which led TO