Connecticut western news., 1873-12-12

1 for this purpose ought at once to be made, and If war should by any possibility cone, we must be hberaly provided to utilize the means we have aud to provide others to meet the emergency.
 THE POLARIs.
 The Secretary, in speaking of the Polaris says her cruise has been decidedly the most successful of Arctic expeditions. The geo. graphical Knowledge of the Arctic regions has of ene of ne csfs crew of the Polarls and of the scientific corps except the three persous as yet unexamlned, himself that Capt. Halls death occurred from purely natural causes that his medical treat mont was jud1clously adapted to his case, aud that he was tenderiy nursed and cared for to the last. The evidence has also made it mani- test that Capt. Hall was always faithful to the trust reposed h hlm ID assigning him the com mand 0t the expedition; that he was klnd firm, and humane ID tho exercise Of hls au tnority that he was earnest in his desire and in DIS attempts to reach hlgh northern latl tude, and. if practicable, the Pole itself, and that his untimely death was an 1rIeparable loss to the ex xpedltion. It IS also apparent that Capt. BuddlnRton. who succeeded to the chet command on the death of Capt. Hall. proved himself to be good seaman. and that lu al dangerous positions in winch the PoIarts was placed his conduct as her commander was skllltul and judlclous, the natural result o long experience at sea and ln command tn northern latitudes. Phe department takes co raslOn to express It's indebtedness to the oth clals of the Danish Government Tn Greenland for their uniform courtesy to the officers of tDe Uuited States Navy connected with the recent expeditions to the Polar seas and for the facli. tues extended to those expeditions to promote their success.
 INTERooEANIc CANAL.
 The expeditions organized under the author. ity Of Congress for the survey of the Dar1eu and Nicaragua routes. with the view to the construction of an tnterOceanlc canal, have completed the duties 1ntrusted to them.
 DARIEN SURvEY.-Tne favorable report ol Commander Sel1ridge of the survey Of the lstnDus of Darlen. Tn 1871, rendered It tdesira ble to explore more thoroughly the region o1 the Naplpl, and to definitely settle now tar the surveys to the south could be prof1tably car ried on tn the Valley of Atrato. Commander Selfridge V as accordingly ordered to organize another expedition. which arrived in Panama iu January last. The Tuscarora, Commander Belkusp, of the Pacific fleet, was ordered to cooperate with 1t, aud form base for the dc sired surveys. It IS very gratifying that the expedition has been so successful as to mate rlaliy improve upon the route already dlscov for thls great enterprise that can be construct ed within the limit of an expenditure more moderate than could have been expected, dertaking, and the great benefits that cannot tali, upon it's oompletiOn, to occur to our com merclal interests.
 Briefly stated, the route selected by Com mander Selfr1dge, includes 100 miles of r1vel navigation of the AJrato, winch has been care of being navigated by the largest class oi ocean steamers. Between Atrato and the Pacific canal or artlticlal cut IS made but 2t distance passes through 8 plain. with a grdual rise of 90 feet. There Will then remain SIX miles to the Paci1ic, of which therc are a mudeI ate open cut and three miles or tunnel between $50000, 900 and $60 600 000, and that il can be completed within ten years. A careful
 oi steamboats, even in it's lowest stage, to Out beto, the head Of shlp-navigation was reacned but short distance above the line select ed for tue canal. Surveys ot the interior settled the fact that It would not be profitable to ex plore south of the Napipl; not only because that would have to be canaliZed broader in ex tent, but also that it was traversed by numer 0us streams, forming the water sbed of noun tainous ridges that would have to be cut trans versely. Moreover, the COrdilleras, which present 0 marked depression near the heuO waters of the Naplpi, increase rapidly in altl tude as you proceed south. The health of the expedition has been as satisfactory as the pre- cedIng ones TGese surveys. whIch include the whole Isthmus or Darlen, have not resulted in the loss of single life thrOugblcllm t'clcauses Much of this immunity from disease ln sickly climate and an arduous duty, IS due to tue pIovident care ana well-laid plans of the officers lD command.
 NICARAGUA SURvEY.-The Nicaragua sur veyiug expedition, ln charge of Commander E. P. Lull, sailed from the United States ln December. 1872, and returned ln July last. The result of It's labOrs prove the existence of Q practicable route for an lnteroceanlc ship canal, having Lake Nicaragua at us summit level. It IS proposed to connect the lake with the Pacific by equal 1883 miles Tn lengCh, beginning at the mouth of the Rio del Meoio, and termlnating at Brito. The first 7.5D miles will require an excavation averaging e4 feet In deptn, and will be the most expenslve parL of the whole work. The profile tor tue rest eHe % 6e s loWer Y" M shan .ne meuts will be built up with the maternal ex- cavated; Ten locks and one rde-lock will DC required between the lake and the sea. There Will be 66 miles of lake navigation; 26 feet Of water can be carried within 1850 feet of the mouth Ot tue RIO del Medlo. On che east side m st W o nave to De ns from six hrtn mud without a single rock.
 Slack water navigation h the San Juan, from sldered perfectly feasible; and 1t is proposed 10 improve the river by four dams. one each at Castillo Rapids. Baas Rapios. Machuca Rapids, anu at tue mouth of the San Carlos, at all of winch places excellent locations for dams exlst. A short section of canal With one lock will be required to get around each of the upper tbreo dams. From just above the fourth dam Jo Greytown au Independent canal will be required, A90 miles in length, of wlich 36 miles will require an excavation less than the prism Of the canal; the remaining four miles are made up Of short reaches. wDere the llDe cuts through hills. Seven lOcks besides those abreast the dams, will be required, ana should be located in tue hills in order to take advantage of the natural rock foundation. Some improvement will be required ln places Ill the river-bed. for winch the amount has been com mputed apd the cost estimated.
 The total length Ot the proposed canal Is e1.- "A miles, of which 47.37 miles are in excava- Ilon and embankment. The average depth ot excavation throughout is but nine feet aoove the prism of the canal. No tunnel IS required. The harbor of Greytown has been partially destroyed oy a silt winch comes from tue San Carlos, and others of the lower tributarles of tue San Juan. and the Draucn Of the rlver leading to Grey town has become so much filed up that 1t Is now. at the lowest stage of the water. but SPA feet wide and six iDohes deep al tho fork. It IS proposed to shut off this branch entirely and send all the collaborating water through tbe Colorado mouth, which empt1es into tue sea IS miles from Greytown. and tc admit 10 the harbor only the water of the canal. which being drawn iron the main rlvel above the mouth of the San Carlos will be per fectly clean. The harbor then once cleared out, will leave nothing to deteriorate it agaln A short breakw ater will be required 10 protect tho entrance frOm the surf, also one at Brito both Of which ale included Tn the estimate fol the work. Careful gauges at the lowest stage show that Laks Nicaragua will supply 3i times tue maximum possible demand of water Tho climate is considered perfectly healthy tor temperate people who adopt the simples sanitary precautions. Part proof of thls it that not man has been lost in either of tho expeditions lately operating m the country though constantly subjected to severe labol and exposure.