New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-07

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nation satisfied him that none of them
were practicable. The last spring was
devoted to the survey of the two remain
ing routes, by which he believed that the
Isthmus of Darien might be crossed.
Both were by way of the Atrato river.
1 This route has several times been surveyed
at the instance of Mr.. Frederick Kelly, of
New York, who, for many years, has
urged it upon the attention of the public
and the government as the most feasible of
any that has been suggested. Compe-
tent engineers have surveyed it, and their
reports sustain Mr.. Kelly's views, and
the conclusions have been confirmed by
the explorations Of General Michier.
One of Mr.. Kelly's plans involved tun-
mel eleven miles long and ninety feet
high, and the lowest estimate Of the cost
was S140,000,000. The Tuyra route was
believed by Captain Selfridge to be less
expensive than the one suggested
by Mr.. Kelly, and his surveys and ex-
plorations have been mainly in that direc-
ton. Entering the Gulf of Darien on the
| Atlantic side the canal was to ascend the
Atrato in direction almost due south,
cross the Cordillera by a series of locks,
and SO reach the Tuyra, which flows North
west to the Gulf of San Miguel, ON the Pa
cifc, nearly opposite the mouth of the
| Atrato. After careful examination it is
understood that Captain Selfridge has or
will report this route to be impracticable,
or at least that it involves engineering
difficulties too great for any amount
of capital to overcome. What these
| difficulties are will be made known
as soon as his report is finally submitted
Captain Selfridge has, however, examined
another route in the same region of coun-
try, which appears more favorable and
preferable to that Of the Tuyra. In
crossing the dividing ridge near the head
waters of the Napepe, one of the affiuents
of the Atrato, he found spot where
canal of fifteen or twenty miles would
| open a communication with the Pacific at
Cupica Bay. This is probably the same
route surveyed by Mr.. W. Kennish under
the orders Of Mr.. Kelly in 1854; the ex-
| penditure by that survey which the canal
was estimated to cost was $50, 900, 900,
but the estimate made by Cap.
tain Selfridge is a little over one
half, or $4,000, 900. With regard to the
elevation at which the dividing ridge
| must be crossed, there is wide difference
between the two surveys. The Kennish
survey gives that elevation as 612 feet,
while later advices make it at least 1900
With these discrepancies before him,
Captain Selfridge ordered new survey,
which will be completed before the final
report is submitted. Upon the whole, it
is said that these reports in regard to the
Atrato route are rather discouraging.
Turning to the Tehuantepec route, the
reports are much more satisfactory and
| encouraging. The survey under Captain
Shufeldt has been very thorough and COM
plete, he having devoted his time to the
route which had already been indicated by
surveyors in the employ of the Tehuante-
pee Railroad Company as practicable one
for both a railroad and canal
In regard to the work Of Captain Shu-
feldt, as has been stated, it appears that
''four or five different places have been
suggested by the railway company all in
volving the utilization of the Coatzacoalcos
river, from its mouth ON the Atlantic side
to the head Of navigation, and the open
ing of trench thence to some one of the
streams communicating with the great
lagoons on the Pacific coast.
His decided opinion is in favor of a
route commencing at Coatzacoalcos,
crossing the dividing ridge at an eleva-
ton of not less than eight hundred 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 one hundred and
ten miles, and besides this feeder would
have to be constructed at the summit not
less than thirty miles long. The pros
pectus Of this company as now published
allows for one hundred and fifty locks,
and an elevation Of six hundred and sixty
feet. In the opinion of Captain Shufeldt,
not more than seventy locks would be
needed on each side, which, it is be-
lieved, would not be sufficient for
an elevation of eight hundred feet,
and that this estimate is erroneous. There
seems to be wide difference in regard to
the cost and distance between the old and
new reports. The Tehuantepec company
| gives the length of the line as only fifty
miles, and the cost of $1,000, 000 Cap
tain Shufeldt estimates the cost of the
work as high as 500, 900, but he as
sumes that the canal will be from one
hundred and seventy to two hundred feet
wide twenty feet deep, and one hundred
miles long; while the company proposes
to allow for width of fifty feet at the
| bottom, and one hundred and twenty feet
at the top, and a length of only fifty
miles. The estimate Of cost by the COM
pany was based upon the cost per mile
and per lock Of the great Caledonian, but
the correctness Of this estimate is not as
sured unless it is established that the
work can be done as cheaply in Mexico as
| =, Scotland All tbece differences how