Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-12-13

obligations. and who Will clearly realize that
duties constantly postponed are certain to be
more dificult and much more expensive when
performed In haste, under the pressure OF i'm
perious necessity. The department has mad
NO NECESSITY TO OVERSIZE IFS APPROPRIA-
TIONs,
even If il we're lawful TO do so but the press
ing demands Of the prescott VIII consume now
what was provIoed for the service OF the year
in several of the working bureaus. These
must be promptly relieved. If their work Is TO
go on. The occasion has clearly shown, [
think, that our navy as II exists should at
least be put IN a condition for active service,
and, in any event, moderate appropriation
for this purpose ought at once to be made,
and If war should by any possibility come, we
must be literally provided 10 Utilize the means
we have aud to provide others to meet the
emergency.
THE PoLARls.
The Secretary, in speaking OF the Polaris,
say S her cruise has been decidedly the most
successful of Arctic expeditions. The geo.
gra phlcal knowledge of the Arctic regions has
been largely advanced. A very particular
questioning of every one of the officers and
crew of the P0laris and of the scientific corps,
except the three persons as yet Unexamlned,
has completely satisfied his associates and
himself that Capt. Halls death 0e. urred from
purely natural cauEes ; that his H6uisal JFeSst-
ment was judiclOusly adapted to his case, and
that he was tenderiY nursed and cared for to
CDe laSt. Il6 eVlu6DOS mas also Lnau6 III uauE
fest that Capt. Hall was always faithful to the
trust Tep0sed In him IN assigning him the COM
mand OF The expedition; that he was KIND,
firm, and humane IN Sbe exercise OF his au-
tnority that he was earnest in his desire and
in his attempts to reach a high northern latl-
tude, and, if practicable, the Pole itself, and
that his untimelY death was an irTepaTable
loss to the expedition. IL Is also apparent that
Capt. Buddlngton, who succeeded to the chief
command on the death of Capt. Hall, proved
himself to be good seaman, AMI that IN all
dangerous positions i'll which the POlars was
placed his conduct as her commander was
skllltul and jud1cOus, the natural result OF
long experience at sea and IN command in
northern ATTITUDES. The department takes oc-
CaslOn to express It's Indebtedness to the Otfi-
Gals of the Danish Government In Greenland
for their uniform courtesy to the officers of the
United States Navy connected with the recent
expeditions 10 the Polar seas, and for the facl,-
itles extended to those expeditions TO promote
their success
INTEROCEANIC CANAL.
The expeditions organized under the author
ity OF Congress for the survey of the Darlen
and Nicaragua routes, with the Wow to the
construction of an interoceanlc canal, have
completed the duties intrusted to them.
DARIEN SURvEY.-The favorable report OF
Commander Seltridge OF the survey OF the
Isthmus of Darlen, IN 1871, rendered 1t desira-
bic to explore more thoroughly the region OF
the Nappi, and to definitely settle how tar the
surveys to the south could be proftably car
Selfridge was accordingly ordered to organize
another expedition, which arrived IN Panama
in January last. The TuscarOra, Com mander
Belknap, Of the Pacific fleet, was ordered to
cooperate with 1t, and form O base for the de-
sired surveys Itis very gratifying that the
expedition has been so successful as to mate
rally improve upon the route already dlscov-
cred and surveyed, and has marked out a line
for this great enterprise that can be construct
ed within the limit of an expenditure more
moderate than could have been expected,
when compared with the immenslty OF the un-
dertakng, and the great benefits that cannot
tali, upon its cOmplet0n to occur to our COM
merclal interests.
Briefly stated, the route selected by Com
mander Selfr1dge, includes 100 miles of river
navigation OF the AUrato, which has been care
fully sounded, and found to be fully capable
OF being navlgated by the largest class of
ocean steamers. Between AtratO and the
Pacific a canal or artificial cut IS made but 2S
miles in length. The canal for % miles of this
distance passes through plain, with grdual
IlSt OF 80 feet. There VIII then remain SIX
mlles TO the Pacific, OF which there are
mOdel ate open cut and three miles OF tunnel
log. 1t is estimated that the work Will cost
between 0,000 and $50, 100000, and that il
can be completed within ten years. careful
survey and soundtngs Of the Atrato resulted in
the fact that, though capable of navigation for
steamboats,, even in its lowest stage, to Oui-
beto, the head of shlp-navigation was reached
but a short distance above the line selected
for the canal. Surveys OF the interior settled
the fact that lt would not be profitable to ex.
plOre south of the Nanpl; not only because
the westerly trend of the coast made the area
that would have to be caualizod broader in ex
tent but also that 1t was trayersed by numer-
GUS streams, forming che watershed of noun
famous ridges that Woul1 have to be cut trans
versey. Moreover, tho COrdilleras, which
present a marked deprtsslOn near the head.
waters of the Naplpi, luGeas3 rapidly in alt,-
tude as you proceed south. The health of the
expedition has been as satisfactory as the pre-
cedlng ones. These surveys, which include the
whole Isthmus of DarIeD, have not resulted in
the loss of a single life tlrougbEchm t cIcauses
Much OF this immunity from disease IN u sickly
climate and an arduoas duty, is due to the
pIovident care ana vtll-laid plans of the
officers in command.
NICARAGUA SURvEY.-The Nicaragua sur
veying expedition, III charge of Commander
f. p. Lul, sailed from the United States in
December, 1872 aud returned IN July last
The result OF It's labors prove the existence OF
practicable route for an lnteroceanlc ship
canal, having Lake Nicaragua at us summit
level. IL is proposed TO connect the lake with
the Pacific by d canal 1888 miles IN length,
beginning at the mouth of the Rio del MeGio
and terminating at Brito. The first 7.5O miles
Will require an excavation averaging 81 feet
in deptn, and Will be the most exp pepslye part
of the whole work. The profile tor the rest
Of the distance is lower than the proposed
level of the surface of the water; embank-
ments Will De bullt lp with the material ex-
cavated. Ten locks and one tlde-lOck will be
required between the lake and the sea. There
VIII be Sc miles of lake navigation; 26 feet OF
water can be carrfet within 1850 feet of the
mouth OF the Rio del Medic. Ou she east side
a channel Will haveto be deepeued, from six
to eight feet Tor nine miles, The bottom is q
firm mud without single rock.
SlackWater navigation In theSan Juan, from
its head to the mouth of the San Carlos, is con-
sldered perfectly easlbe; and 1t is proposed
TO improve the river by four dams, one each at
Castillo Rapids. Baas Rapids, Macnuca
RAPIDS, and at tue mouth of the San Carlos, at
all of winch places excellent locations for
dams exist. short section of canal with one
lock VIII De required TO get around each of the
upper three d&ms. From just above The
fourth dam to GreytOwn an independent canal
VIII be required 41.90 miles in length, of which
36 miles Will require an excavation less than
the prism of the canal; the remaining four
miles are made up OF short reaches, where the
line cuts through hills. Seven locks, besides
those abreast the dams, Will be required, ana
should be located in the hills in order to take
advantage Of the natural rock foundation.
Some improvement Will be required IN places
III the rlver-bed. for which the amount has
been computed aud the cost estimated.
The total length OF the proposed canal Is 61.-
"a miles, of which 47.37 miles are i'll excaVa-
non and embankment. The average depth OF
excavation throughout is but nine feet above
the prism of the canal. No tunnel is required
The harbOr OF GreytOwn has been partially
destroyed by a silt which comes from the San
Carlos, and others of the lower tributaries OF
the San Juan. and the branch of the river
leading to GreytOwn has become so much filed
uD that it is now, at the lowest stage of the
water, but 324 feet wide and six inches deep at
IA N off n 10 hrnt ,ah