The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-08
The Darien Canal.

From the ". y. Times.
The attention of the world has once more
been drawn by Mr.. Cushing's mission to that
narrow neck OF land which joins North and
the map without feeling it is there to be cut
through. TO aid the Ruilotiuing of that
tempting neck, in the interests OF American
commerce, is the object Of Mr. Cushing's
journey. That the result of his negotiations
with the Government OF New Granada will be
the concession to the United States OF a right
of way to build an interoceanic canal can be
confidently anticipated. AS to the rest, it
may be laid down as a safe proposition that,
great as are the difficulties in constructing a
canal across the lsthmus, there are none to
which the existing devices of modern engi-
neering are not fully adequate.
To this stupendous engineering feat COM
pared with which even the Suez Canal dwin-
dies in magnitude, none OF the petty States
contiguous to the lsthmus ever dreamt, of
course, of addressing themselves. More than
one commercial Earopean power has, how
ever, carefully watched and weighed it.
Everybody will recall the uneasiness with
which in our country the surveys and expert
ments Of English engineers, many years ago.
were observed; and still fresher in memory is
the outcry OF Indignation wherewith the
French occupation OF Mexico was instincMvey
conpec ed by our people with this same grand
|
pressing schemes Of internal policy, now by
| political difficulties, anon by the war, and
always by the prodigious character of the un-
| dertaking, this magnificent enterprise has vet
never been lost sight OF by Americans. What
| it means is no less than the grand highway of
commerce between Asia ana the rest Of the
world, and as such it was felt that it must be
built by American capital, under American
auspices, and established forever under Ame-
rican control. The proper time for the task
has now apparently come, and the sudden
and vast increase of transpacifc trade de-
mands that it be pushed forward without
delay.
A correspondent in yesterdays Tines sets
forth what has already been done and what
remains TO do to open this grand conduit OF
commerce. He shows that the various aud
shifting lines proposed in former years have
| now been reduced to two routes, either of
| which is, by the testimony OF able engineers,
perfectly feasible. One of these routes runs
| from the Gulf of San Miguel to Caledonia Bay,
the other from the Bayano river to the Gulf
of San Bias. The latter, whose total length is
thirty miles, embraces the audscious feature
| of q tunnel through the COrdileras (to which
that under Mont Cents is triviaD sevsn miles
long, 100 feet wide and is feet high, through
which, of course, the largest mau-ot-war could
be made to pass. A tidal lock and an aque-
duct over the Mamoni river are also embraced
in the plan The rude estimate of the total
! cost of construction is $G5, 900, 900.
1t is to secure the privilege of further sur
veys and final right OF way that Mr.. Cush,
ing is now despatched by the Department OF
State to New Granada. Should his mission
be satisfactory, a strong company of New
York capitalists and engineers stands ready
to begin the grand enterprise of an later
oceanic ship oanal-an enterprise which, il
brought to a successful issue, will stand
unmatched even in modern engineering
! science.