New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-24

very careful examination. Capt Selfridge Is
understood to have arrived at the conviction
that this route Is impracticable, or at least
that it involves engineering diincuiueS
too great to be overcome by any amount
of oapital that will probably be avail
able. The precise Eature Of the difficulties
has not vet been made known. BY ascending
the Atrato still further. however. the Selfr1dge
| party had previously examined route VINO"
seems preferable to that of the Tuyra. Cross,
ing the dividing ridge near the head-wa.eis u
| the Napipi, one of the aflluents OF inc h'l on
spot is found where canal OF 10 u ~
miles would open communication W."
Pacific at Cupica Bay. This is pIoo"o.y 'I W.
stantially the same route surVeyou " w.
Kennisb. under the orders OF mr' he'icS' III
] 1854: but whereas those gehtlenen ooiiovou
that if called for the expenditure Oh eioo'-
ooo ooo Cont SoIfridge is said TO estimate the
900 90 onIv S900OO,OO0. The estimates OF
100, oa3cers on such matters arc necessarily
CON, what loose, and all the information we
have thus far received from the expedition ia
roo vague and contradictory to inspire much
confidence. With regard to the elevation at
which the dividing ridge must be crossed
accounts gave it as 6t2 feet; but later advices
represented that it was no less than 200, and
that Selfridge, dissatisfied with the result, had
ordered new survey. Upon the whole the
reports are considered discouraging.
From the Tehuantepec survey under Shufoldt
the accounts are much more satisfactory. Capt.
Shufeldt has apparently devoted his time to
thorough exploration of the route which had
already been indicated, by surveyors III the
employ of the Tehuantepec Railway Company
as practicable one for both a railroad and
canal. Four or five different plans have been
suggested by this Company, all involving the
utilization of the COatzacOalCOs River from Its
mouth on the Atlantic side to the head OF
navigation, and the opening of trench thence
| to some one of the streams communicating
with the great lagoOns on the Pacific coast.
Whether Shufeldt has adopted one OF these
plans or devised new one we are not IN
| formed; bat he has given decided opinion
in favor of a route commencing at the
Coatzacoalcos, crossing the dividing ridge
at an elevation of less than SoO feet
ON the plain of Tarifa, and terminating
at Salina Cruz on the Pacific. The length OF
the excavation, exclusive of the rivers and
lagOOns, would be 10 miles, and besides tins
| a feeder would have to be constructed at the
summit not less than 80 miles long. The pub
| lished prospectus of the existing company al
lows for $50 locks and an elevation of $50 feet.
Capt. Shufeldt thinks about 70 locks would be
needed on each side of the divide, which
would certainly not be enough for descent
of 800 feet, and we are therefore inclined to
believe that there is an error in the report of
his conclusions respecting the elevation. With
regard to cost and distance, the old and new
estimates differ materially. The Tehuantepec
Company gives the length of the line as only
80 miles, and the cost as about $170O0,0OO.
This estimate was reached by ascertaining the
cost, per mile and per lock, of the great
CaledOnian Canal, and there is of course no
assurance that the work can be done
in Mexico as cheaply as in Scotland. Capt
Shufeldt estimates the cost as high as
S1O00O0,000, but he assumes that the canal will
be from 40 to 200 feet wide, 90 feet deep, and
100 miles long, while the proposal of the Com
pany allows for width of 50 feet at bottom
and 100 feet at top, and length OF only 90
miles. The question of cost, however, can
only be settled by experts after careful ex-
animation of the details of the exploration.
We must content ourselves for the present
with knowing that a practicable route has
been found, which from its geographical posi-
ton promises peculiar advantages to the
United States.