The New York herald., 1870-05-15
UNITING THE Pacific AND ATLANTIC.
Argument In Defence OF the Nicaragua Ront e.
Its Advantages and Practicability Over Al
Others.

Others.
NEW YORK, May 49, 1870.
10 THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
The interest you manifest In the interoceanic
transit route is my apology for trespassing your
columns to correct error which appeared in your
journal OF to-day respecting the elevation OF the
summit level Of the Nicaragua route for canal TO
unite the Atanssc and Pacihc-wiat you state To no
about 500 feet ". !, '.-~ ~rf-----. .-~rs's
Acting undar $780, -. $3.50. .,
very nueral instructions from MT.
Cornelius Vanderbilt and his associates 10 ocae anu
nx the best line for interoceanlc canal survey
was made and embodied In a report OF 'he cost oi
constructing the interoceanic snip cahai roin 'ne
harpor of San Juan del Norte, or Greytown, on
the Atlantic to the harbor OF Brito on tue Paclnc'
In the republic of Nicaragua, Central America,
made TO and for the American Atlantic and Pacific
ship Canal Company ia the years 1850 and 1851, by
Oryiile w. Chids Chief Engineer; ]. ID. Fay princi-
nal assistant The said report embraced also
geographical description OF the country, thorough
reconnaissance for line from Salinas bay, on the
Paclnc to the river Sapoa an anuent OF Lake Nica-
rapua; also line to the north OF kivas
which, after investigation, were deemed I'M
practicable and were abandoned in iavor
of line to the scuh OF Rivas city, Id
the department of that name, from the Lake
OF Nicaragua Brlt0 harDor, using the river Lagas,
which la.s into the Lake OF Nicaragua and the Rio
Crande which falls into the Pacific at Biito. The
suyn,nt lere. betlceen these rtUers Is ORlv 46 eet
above high water in the Lake of Nicaragua and hts
q width u only Ia miles, and Is approached on each
side up generally Droai and vefy unl orm plane; q,
The level OF Lake Nicaragua at high water is lo3
feet yove high water The Pacific, and Ill u leet
above lowest tide level. The fail TO lhe Atlantic
and io,X to the level Of low water,
in San Juan Del Norte or Greyown har- M
S ae e Of water S
the-river is only half 1ull. The preeminent advan
tage Of the Nicaragua route Tor an lnteroceanic
canal Is the inexhaustlble supply OF water at the
summit level. the great Lake OF Nicaragua has an
average length oil about ITO miles by IA average
GreauIh OF about 25 miles, and receives the rain la
OF more than 2vO miles 10y 5F 1t Is the great reser
vOr Of ater OF Central America, which unquestion-
able TACT marks 1t as the natural line Tor an inter-
Colonel Cnlds estimates the quantity Of water to
supply canal navigation from the summit level, IN
GUIDING evapo aeon. intltratiOn and leakage to
locks at l05 13o cubic feet per minute ana the same
emf ent authority shows Dy the test OF MS gauges
that the average outflow Of the lake Is $4,000 CUBIC
These tests were made from the 23d Of December,
1857 TO the 27tn OF April, 1851 They began when the
lake was ~ feet above low level. about the mid
die stage and they give the result that III
that period OF 125 days, the supply from. tne
lake was LAB o22 cubic feet In excess OF the
requirements for the canal and its navigation. to
pass three ships through its LOCKS every hour. Ins
great rise Of water ca ised by the autumn rains mao
about half run OF when the OF Colonel Cnilds
was made. rise Of water In the lake OF iive leel
Ony is u low supply. 1t Is frequently SIX feet ard
Increased volume In excess OF the low water stage
may be Ioundy stated at 400,000 0G0O0O cuD1c feet
without estimating tile immense quantity which mas
to run out OF the lake during the time when the rise
OF water is gong on The rainfall, which Is the
heaviest In the known world, having been gauged
repease .ly and found to give ninety eight lncnes
I,r year, or fail OF solid water eight Zee,
deep over an area iour times the surface exten
ar ine Lake OF Nicaragua isel. Large as Is une
a,,ppIy Of water In Lake NJ aragua. winch now low
on Jy the San Juan rIver does not contribute one
half Of The waicr which the san Juan river dis
cIaraes iEfO tie Caribbean sea- rs Is shown by Inc
gauges OF Colonel Childs, showing that the san Jua
kas other great resources independent ol the LAKE
nj NicaraQua the greatest value 0f which Is It's posi-
ton at The summit lever. a.. ..,. =,
We bel.eye ourselves justified IN saying that NJ
conditions exist this Continent so lay orlbe .o t
construction Of an tnterOceanc caal as arc onc.e.
bv Nicaragua and this OpiniOl we hold IN coInhlo
with very many men disngushe ID sc.ehCc' Wno y,
views are on public record, and wnicn hAeu ouI a'
tention 10 this PROJECT and cunnaied IN lo ~ ,a
an American company 10 CONSTRUCT tne eann y
uDop the report or Colonel Childs, our eng n'ei ~
the report ITSELF desire 10 say ihlt IL leus',is u
challenged, after nearly twenty " ars OF uuhv ga
position and mas received the appiovti OF Tue civ.
neers speclal appointed py Inc British gove,nmmen ~
T. examine II. rs also Of our own Board Of IoPo
graphical Engineers, 70 wh9m was te.sssse ~ ~