The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-20

-
leaving this pestao,e lor Panama. Ia ieeard TO
TIE ToFoGrAPElCAL FEATURES -
OF the Cue river, commencing at ihe NOUN, huis
are 10 lie found averaging rom 100 70 100 ieet In
hei Qtt the river itself lowing IN many places
from disiniegration. Further up the character Of
the country changes In the immediate vicinity OF
as @ s f oyer asss( sSss% & %ss sa 0as soS
winch have an elevation OF twenty ieet, Nm, Inc
"livide' Is covered with cactus; the crest BENG
over eight feet and descends very steeply on tue
Atlantic side, having nearly 500 ieet OF perpendicular
altitude. on the Pacific side, however, 1t Is steep
only for short distance and seems TO possess cha
rscIerstics similar to those Of the Cue river
short, quick fan Of about forty feet. After
as y again evS aad n ss so,
GIGANTIC STAIRCASE
from the summit half way down the Cue river.
TINS, them Is the great divide" aeout which d,, SO
stances presented travelling would clearly ee out OF
the question, and should tho route be deemed prac-
ticable winch Is doubttul, a through cut might be
recommended. whether indeed, after all, the sur.
Seys shall have been worked up the route should
pense OF such an undertaking vii! no doubt form
matter OF serious consideration. At present many
sucn vast enterprise engineering Skill backed by
substantial supply OF funds, would mol stop even ut
extraordinary physical difficulties, though IN this
case they seem insurmountabe. Thls IN brief is
the exact condition OF AFFAIRS and thus lar the re.
Set forth iH' under iH such brilliant auspices in
December last Although the antlclpatons in reler.
enCe TO THIS TyrdAtrdt0 route nave hot Dcen real.
lied, especially In regard to tie character OF tho
country the expedition has been extremely service
able In opening up section 9, the isthmus hitherto
Ioure was well known before. that II has been sur.
veyed, &c; but those people found their views ON
little OF the details OF any expedition, although
when the question OF rival routes ever raised are
ready to enter INTO elaborate arguments, never
failing to advocate their own favorite as If they
were fully acquainted with the Objectionable iea-
tunes OF others. THIS expedition has established
CERTAIN RELIABLE FACTS
which cannot be controvered and Its survey OF the
Gulf OF BARREN ana OF the Atrato and Tuyra rivers
win ever be referred to by all desiring accurate
knowledge OF the places mentioned. Moreover, the
features or the country itself through which the ex.
deal OF ignorance exists in regard to the interior OF
the ishmus, and it Is only uy Intelligent aud au.
almost concluded. that the community can
learn ANYTHING Of the nature OF the country;
III reference to the feasibility or the socalled Napipi
route there seems to be decidedly favorable OPT
mon, the only question beng as 10 whether the
Atrato Is navllable up 70 the confluence Of the two
rivers. The line completed by Mr. Frederick Col.
| Inns, muster, in company with Ensign Payne, III
Aprl issl, wnen the kesasa was anchored IN Linen I'll ION
Atrao, III straight line, to be less than thirty miles,
end that there was plenulul supply OF water Tor
locking purposes. Taking everything into. considera-
ton II Is evident that no time has been lost by che
expedition TO carry out the commendaoe object in
! view. While explorers have been busy ia the woods
the officers RON the snip have been daily employed
| III hydro.raphc work, under the immediate super.
| miendeuee OF Commander Seliridge and conducted
| by Lieutenant Norris. over fifteen miles OF sound.
ings have been made from the mouth OF the savanna
river up the Tuyra, the latter being navlgape Tor
large ships sixteen miles above Chipagana at HI
water The Resaca is now anchored opposite that
current runs al least four Knots an hour. Lie here
is dull IN the extreme, especially since
TIE RAINY SEASON
has set In with all Violence Torrents pour both
night and day, and the surroundings OF the place
are anything but agreeable TO the ave senses.
There has been good deal or sickness connected
With the expedition, officers having succumbed as
well as the men; but prompt medical treatment has
an 20 ha,n
that Mr.. Eaton's party VIII arrive on board Within
week at the farihest and so, with the prospect OF
a speedy release from this promising plague spot,
matters are becoming comparatively cheerful But
the sad incident winch occurred few days since
trbuted 90 dampen the Frightening prospects OF
the homeward trip. have ALREADY telegraphed the
ship's tweve-oared launch while conveying the
mails Of the officers and men IRON this place to
Panama. 1t was indeed deplorable catastrophe,
one brave man. IL Is supposed, having been
DEyOuRED BY A SHARK.
Most Of the letters contained money, and nearly all
Tue officers lost more OF less Dy tle accident. One
bag containing about one Thousand dollars IN specie,
forwarded ior the purchase Oh articles IN Panama,
Went 10 the bottom with the rest As the telegram
Informed you Lieutenant Commander barclay, the
Executive oiicer OF the SHIP a Mgny popular gen
excellent record whlcn he bears In connection
with the service, started In the launch, with four
men, at nall past I'VE O'Clock on the 9th inst The
little craft was sloop rugged, and had already made
tie trip on two previous occasions, your cores
pondeni having gone in her TO Panama on the
voyage preceding the one in question. The dis
lance from Chlpagana to Panama Is about one hun
dred and twenty miles, but owing TO the very uncer.
tam character weather along the coast between
three ana four days ale allowed for the trip. The
h a as sy c ,on once clear e
Kesaca she proceeded down the Iuyra In good style,
the nde Moving at rapid rate. Al noon she was
four hours, when slight breeze sprung up enabling
her to beat out towards Point Lorenzo. Alter
getting clear she kept her course westward along
the coast about twenty miles oil shore, and nothing
OF unusual interest occurred until the following
aninr phpn
VoA1'' A TERRIBLE THUNDER STORM
arose, accompanied by torrents OF RAIN which COM
pletey deluged the occupants OF the boat. lie sea-
which but few minutes before had been smooth as
glass; rose III ali ITS fury, tossing the boat about
like q feather. She'was reefed down. however, and
having laid TO emerged from the storm in complete
eatety. A tine run was subsequently made during the
and The following morning the launch was only few
miles OH Chepilo Island and Within about thirty
miles from Panama. In fact the occupants OF the
boat concentrating themselves their speedy
passage, when the wind died out and they were
again becamed. Tne sun shone forth brilliantly,
and all hands were screening themselves nom Its
burning rays as best they could when all at once
the clouds dalkened slighs though ireacherous
breeze made rippics on the CLASSY sea. But this
warniug symptom was sufficient for the experienced
officer In charge. Orders were being given to reef
oown, when, WIN awful suddenness, a squat, black
as midnight struck the launch on the quarter, ana
IN the twin&ling OF an eye she was almost bottom
up, with the i've human beings
fLoUEDERING IN THE WAVES.
There was 10 help Tor it, and nothing could have
been done 70 prevent It. She mad been running be-
lore the vino Win HeT out, but me nghtnlnR
like rapidly VITA which she was struck behind did
NOT give time even Tor thought. vi the i've per-
sous IN the water one could not swim, but lie man
aged 10 scramble with the others on the rail- In
less than minute the launch was emptied " every.
thing. seeing the oars floating on and knowing
them TO be OF the greatest importance they I'm.
medIatey seized and lasLed to the boat. seaman
named Bradenhsl, German was out on the end OF
the mast and seeing the mail bag carried away the
poor fellow attempted TO recover 1t. He was an
cellent swimmer, but had scarcely make two strokes
when, without any apparent cause he threw up his
hands and disappeared. lie ID described Is having
been
SUDDENLY DRAGGED DOWN,
aud the terrible thought forces Itself upon the mind
that he was devoured by sharks, for now since the
boat CapsiZed their fnS were seen sticking out OF
the water on all sides. Meanwhile heavy sea
swept over the launch, frequently washing OF those
VINO chung TO the rail- for grim death. One OF the
men, ct imminent risk went under the boat and
MANAGED uulagten the chaina that held the