New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-12-31
THE DARIEN SHIP CANAL.
FEASIBILITY oFTHE PROJECT CONSIDERED.

EI SUPPLIED BY sTEAM-POWfh- DIi AiLLD
EXPLANATION AND DEFENSE OF TIE eChhhE'
50 -. r6ffor Of The Tribune
SIN. The last survey of the lsthnus OF Da-
r. scarh of practicable ship canal route. was added
- bo long list OF previous failures Tac dream Of the
d,seovery of gateway between the Atlantic and Pa'ie'
indnlged in the days of Columbus and lhnp H. ~
span is still unrcs sed But 1t was reserved ior Tue
Administration President Grant to give the lslhuS
patient thorough, scientific examination. Last season.
from February 10 July was spent in this work, and ev-
cry probable rum0rcd or suspected pass. from Apn'
wall to san Bias Bay. diligently and carefully OK
pored but all in vain Tho mountain was found to IN
tcrposc u every point Where was lowest there were
no suitable natural hah0rs ana where the ater were
GOOD there was no route for canal except by downright
cutting tmueling through high ami broad ldse Oh
solid rock, at a cost which tho bodest engineer dare
hardly estimate.
The search however. is not abandoned With char
acteristc pcrtinacty the President has sent f0th
second expedition under Commander selirdge resolved
that no stone should be left unTncd" before giving
up the quost eligible ship canal route. The south
part OF the Isthmus still remains to be explored ana
the route that offers the promise Is sad to be the
AratO route from the Gulf OF Daren up the Atrdto TO
the divide thence down the Tuyra to the Cur Of san
Miguel the Pacific side. 1t stated in favor OF TINS
route that the channels OF the ATaO and Tuyra RIVERS
arc wide and deep enough all times for vessels OF the
largest class FOR considerable distance from their
mouths and that xcelont harbors exist ut both ends
which require but little improvement. and are at all
times accessible. pt admitting all this TO be true, how
high the divide above the level and how deep
aud long must De the cutting that viii enable ships pass
ti In few months this question viii be truth
fully answered. and TIL then must possess our souls
in patti iec But venture the prediction that Com
mandcr Sclfridgo will ind the COrderas several humid
red feet above the ocean the lowest point Of depres
s0n and that he will be obliged to report 30 line dis
covered that does not require exceedingly deep cutting
or long tuuneng But to sink such enormous trench
bore such huge hole through the back OF the noun
tain would exceed the capital of any private company,
and might tax the resources OF rstcass nation Yet
shall this international enterprise he abandoned and this
wasps waist of the American hemisphere forever compel
the standardization Of the continent OF South America
The necessities Of civilization demand water way at
Darien connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific. II con-
sructed would bo the door OF the and the key Of
the universe the interoceanic portal through which
must noa, the commerce OF empires and continents.
| But how shall the obstruction be surmountedl Does
the very word surmOunt' suggest the solution Of
the problom Why attempt TO hew channel thirty feet
below the ocean level across cXcayate ship tunnel
Eve to ten miles long under mOuntani Rather let The
engineers search for the most feasible surface route aud
construct a canal orer, instead Of Vnder the COrdcras.
Let them seek the obstacle rather than TO
burTow in it, to climb over it, and not ylnly butt their
| brains agoinst this granite wall
Capitalists and projectors have taken it for granted
that the canal must be horizontal with the oceans,
because of provide the locks cannot
be found the crest Of the mountain and therefore it
must down below the level OF the TO draw its
supply thcrefrom. This assumption has been nowhere
challenged by the press. Everybody seems 20 have ac
ceped elfcyideDt necessity OF the situation. But
- assumption may be safely denied II is necessary
g. cut canal down to the level at cost of hund
reds Of millions; nor IS 1t necessary 10 tunnel the
tain CXcayate immense chasm across the Isthmus
1t is wholly unnecessary to expend than a mode.
rate fraction of the vast supposed to be requisite for
! the cons ructiOn Of the work.
railroad be operated the Ale Shanies, the
Rocky Mountains aud the Sierra Nevadas, can canal
over the comparatively low Corilleras II stcampower
can drag the locomotive, tender train, and load up
ACTIVITY it can raise the requir amount of
iii the locks and levels, and float the ship and it's cargo
over tue barrier between the Atlantic and Pacifca dis
tance of hut 10 or so miles, and elevation only few
hundred feet. 1t requires far less steam-power 70 lift
1000 tuns of water perpendcuary given hight than
push locomotive and train OF equal weight up grade
to e hight, because there is far friction OF
machinery aud direct and simple application OF
power
r1consruct ship canal on the natural surface over
the IstLnus, and 20 equip II with double locks would
require deep cutting and tunuelng, and will be
conceded by engineers to be entirely practicable nor
would the cost exceed the of company OF capt
talists which easily he organized to execute it, All
that remains would be to supply il with sufficient water
and the cost o: doing is readily cOmputable and viii
many persons by q it, comparative small
ness. take 1t for granted that route may found
where the elevation would not exceed go
The Aspinwa route is only feet but the harbOrs
are bad Perhaps 9the Atrato route, where excel
lent harbors found the pass be at
elevation not exceeding 500 feet But whatever the
altitude may DO on the line selected for the canal only
part of the for the locks and levels would need
TO he supplied by artificial power. The rainy season on
the Ishnus lasts wO-thirds Of the year Feeders from
tho ,fofr
part OF the lockage water Reservoirs could be etab
lshed to increase the supply and only on the upper
levels would the canal have TO depend entirely upon
pumps. The rain fall into the canal would make good
for eight months in the year all loss by evapora
ton percoaton leaving for steam power streams and
| reservoirs to furnish loCkage water.
All objections that be urged against the feasibility
Of filling locks by steampOwer to GOat ships cleva
lions, viii also lie against attempting to trains of
cars mountains by the power In both cases
it is only question Of overcoming the gravity of given
weight 20 be elevated given hight. The locomotive
ia obliged 10 move itself up a grade as well as TO
drag its load. A stationary engine can expend
! its whole power to lift ,its load. and has not
TO lift tse or stock of fuel and water. On grade OF
70 to 90 feet to the mile locomotive e1pends perhaps
quarter of its to itself tender and in wet
weather, when the track is slippery, than that
proportion. The loss OF power by traction and friction
of train moving up moderate grade is great yet the
cost Of coal TO prOpe trains any moderate grade is
inconsderable item In the total operating expenses
few uns OF cheap coal will roll huge locomotive and
twenty heavily laden trucks the train and load weigh.
ing not less than 400 tuns from the bottom to the summit
Of the Allegheny Mountains in few hours hight OF
half mile. few hundred weight Of coal burned under
the boiler Of locomotive will produce steam-power in
such force and quantity to elevate tuns engine
trucks lad freight up grade 400 feet high in hour
stationary engine Of the horse power would lift
twice the weight the same hight in the same time.
What proportion does the weight Of the freight on
Iy loaded train bear to that Of the train itself The
about equals the other