The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-14
Arrival Of the Interoceanic
Surveying Expedition.
A Feasible Route Discovered
Across the Isthmus.
PLAN OF OPERATIONS.
Hard Times on the Chagres
River.
FEELING ON THE CANAL PROJECT.

The United states surveying Expedition, In
charge OF Commander E. P. Lull, sent out In Janu-
airy last to determine the feasibility Of inter
oceanic canal from Aspinwall TO Panama, arrived
in this city yesterday on the steamship Acapulco
Assuredly, no work OF the kind Instituted under
the aus pices OF rhe government has ever been
executed with greater rapdity ana lhoroughness.
Favored from the start by all the elements that
contribute to the success or the undertaking. the
result has proved exceedingly gratifying from the
TACT that the labors or The party have been re-
varded by the discovery OF cheap, speedy and
practicable route across the sthmus IL has been
previously intimated that the object OF ths expe-
dition not make the survey with the view
to commence actual opera tions 80 lar as the con-
Btructon OF the proposed canal in concerned, but
simply 70 add 10 the geographical knowledge
already obtained in reference to inter-oceanic
communication ana to examine the basis OF the
claims so strongly urged In favor OF the Aspinwal-
Panama route.
REASONS FOR THE SURVEY.
II may be asked why, II feasible line mad al
ready been discovered elsewhere. farther surveys
were necessary. When It IS understood, however,
that by leaving no ground unexpored ana mar
rowing the limits OF investigation the question
that has puzzled the greatest minds Tor decades
Will be nearer solution the ACCESSIBILITY or this sur
vey will be apparent. TrEe the railroad has de :
veloped 10 some extent the character OF the coun-
Try through winch IL runs ana mas naturally Gre
ated the impression that feasible route existed
contiguous the line oil travel. Yet l. il only by
actual examination that any conclusion relative
TO It's merits can he arrived at. In this instance
although the line OF survey just completed runs
near the railway track, as Will be seen by reference
10 the map, there other parts OF 1t which open
MP the virgin forest on either side and the geo.
graphical character or which was never known
until determined by this expedition. Thus IL Will
be seen tnat the task entrusted TO Commander
Lull's party was much more important than
might at frst be supposed. and the result or the
experiment Will set at rest all doubts as TO the
practicabiity, cost and advantages or q line
when has certainly received o careful and consci.
entious survey.
TIE NICARAGUA ROUTE.
The survey OF the Nicaragua route and It's
minute inspection last year by competent engi
neers, under he auspices OF the Interoceanic Canal
commissioners, have dissipated all doubts as 20
its feasibility. The TACT been established that
. snip canal can be constructed from Greytown
on the Atlantic TO Brlto. on the Pacific, and the
question that win arlse Is whether the route re-
Gently surveyed can be made more practicable
and at less cost. ana whether Its situation would
present greater advantages to the commercial
world at large me Aspn wall- Panama line has
certainly the merit OF being much shorter. Tor
while that by way OF Nicaragua Is 1sl miles In
Nngh, Including 62 miles OF actual canal the
stnef woulu be only al miles from ocean to ocean.
II would perhaps be premature az this stage 10
state with certainty which would be the better
line. for the reason that though we are In posses.
sion OF all the estimates OF the Nicaragua sur
vey, Tor they have been already made out
with great care and accuracy, the cost
OF the AspinwaLP Panama route can only
o. the present time be roughly guessed
M, and cannot, therefore, be set forth definitely
unin all the details or the work OF computation
and allowance shall have been completed-mar-
ters which Will require much studous calculation.
IL Is known. however. and admitted that the esti-
mates from the recent surveY will be much lower
than those for the Nicaragua canal; next that the
Panama line has the advantage In point OF dis
tance, and that so far as has been determined no
serious engineering obstacles are encountered on
tne line. With these facts In view. therefore,
there can be no hesitation in saying that the
line just surveyed has everything 10 recommend
&C. ana that should the proposed cost or its con-
structon be very much lower than that OF any
other line yet surveyed the choice would be in It's
tavor. This. however, Is a matter or conjecture
and must remain 80 Tor at least a month or two
when the entire Official reports OF those at
Iacned 10 the expedition will be made known.
Whatever may be the result. however, It Is GER
tain that OF ali surveys heretofore made under
che auspices OF the United States government the
two most worthy consideration at this day are
those referred to, and should ever q canal be made
she selection will hardly TALL outside or these.
THE ATRATo-SAPIPI ROUTE
or this once prominent line, VITA which the
name Of Commander selfrdge Il insepnrable, but
little can be surmlsed. The prejudice AGAINST the
tunnel through which ships would have 10 pass
before descending 10 the Pacific seems 20 nolu
ground stil. Several cheers, however, including
Leutenants Collins, sullivan, Eaton. Payne. In
sign Barrol, with DR.. NoFneet, are OF present en-
gageo In completing some work along the pro-
posed route. near the Napipi River. but whether
their persevering and indeiatigaDle labors viii
meet with that favorable result they so well de-
serve IL problem dlnicult OF solution. Equal
credit, nevertheless, must attach to every expedl.
tion OF this kind sent ont by the government. for
tne labor 10 most cases IL the same. At BEST In.
deed, IL 10 tnankless task. III requited ana M
judged; ano cannot help stating In this conncc-
non that the action OF the authorities at
Washington 10 limiting Officers to what
u known as 'snoren pay In return for
duty lar more dangerous and health-destroying
than any sea" duty can suggest, IS, TO say tue
least, niggnrdly and discouragIng II wading to
Ine neck IN horrible swamps or riding in canoes
the llveiong day beneath oroillng sun. the prey
OF insects the victim OF fatal Ievers can
not come within tue meaning OF 'duty on the
water,r one must say that the nresde philoAo-
piers, who regulate the pay OF naval officers aud
draw such shabby lines OF distinction between sea
kndland, have little gratitude toward those whose
faithful services contribute much 70 keep them In
bread and butter
rHE RECENT LINE or SURVEY.
without. therefore, discussing Of present the
relative merits VI the Nicaragua and Panama
routes, since they cannot be compared until the
estimates TOR the latter are completed, we will pro-
reed TO give lew Of the more interesting features
Of the expedition a. showing lne character OF the
WORK performed, It's extent and general surround
ings. No time lost Ia arranging prelimlnarles.
The entire party went into camp In tue vicinity
OF Matacbin, q little village equi.distant between
Aspinwall Anu Panama. Tyls was the nrst polnL
from whlch the line was run. the expedition was