The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-14
+ 81. way through the jungle. DroDsning canoes

Matachin at once showed the necesslty OF ocat-
ing site Tor large BASIN, the object Of winch
would DE 10 act rs receiving and distributing
reservoir and at the same time turnout Tor
vessels before entering and aite- crossing pro-
posed viadurt The very besr features presented
themselves Tor this Undertaking aud after cross.
sections mad been made the place determined
upon, the IDEA being 10 Keen tue water up a
standard elevation OF eighty-one feet above the
present surface OF the wa er in ths river. the
next important ront 20 be determined was the
location OF Ieeder which work was comm. need
Dv Lieutenant Leutze ana party 1hey assembled
the Chagres River aud In lew days reached a
place called Campana, NOT without good deal OF
trouble and annoyance from tue insects. which
the party and located the position for the dam at
the mouth OF n little stream, the Santa Cavallo
not accomplished until thorough exam nation Of
tae place mad been made anu the character OF the
| water supply thoroughly examined. Indeed it
TIE MOST ESSENTIAL PEATuRE
oil the entire survey, and IL was not therefore
without satisfaction that advantageous site
was at length decided upon. About hall mile
above the site Tor this dam very favorable lOca-
ton for the mouth or the feeder was discovered.
every protection being Afforded by nigh rocky
banks ron IfesRets IN the rainy season. A line
had now to be run along which tue aqueduct
would lie constructed, and TO this task Lied
aacnty. The connection with the receiving and
dstrouting basin having been mace, the same
party commenced the location OF the main line
from the northern emo OF the viaduct TO Barba-
coas. This part OF the line runs through very
Menocal and Lieutenant Leutze gagged the river
Chagres III tue vicinity Of Matacnin and found a
|
acnnr nouch IN nycnsq m mo ma yfnsu m avar
conId be required Tor the use OF inc canal a very
sarlslactorV result considering the dry
ness OF the season. Meanwhile Lieuten-
ant Colby, IN command OF party No. .
had surveyed the line from Marachin 10 Panama,
20 make some special surveys and run cross
sections for The location OF tue receiving basin.
between Barpacoas 70 Aspin wall THIS parr OF
tine line traverses u generally level country Lieu
exnedItlon
HARD TIMES.
M the sxneafion were MISUNDERSTANDING severa hnt
thew were neyertheiess REFORMED vitn that
cbeern,l ana sei-sacrinc,ng sp,rlt which indeed
marxs cd the entire survey Ths novelty OF camp
lie soon wears away ami sucn camn lie too al
Thar along the once terror-striKinr ,hagres
nut what contributed most 10 the successful issue
al Inc enterprise at least SO lar as the actual sur
yeytng went was the dlgcIpline maintained
tnron9hout All surveyors must De prepared to
UNDERGO more or less discomfort in Whatever part
rom exnerisnee thar canal hunting in tue tropics
* attended win more incessa at torment than can
well DE imagined by those who have not hal the
misfortune 10 be partlcpaI ors IN sucn WORK
| rHE PROPOSED PLAN.
The basin or the Matacnil to which we have
Referred WIN PROBABLY nave an area OF 100 acl es
! and n deprh yarylng from 28 to 90 feet 'rDe
| locality selected IL almost surrounded by high
mis-. and Is considered 4 favorable site Tor the
construction of the work liz IS stated that one
OF Inc best features OF the basin will be taat no
stream ca come INTO IL except the water from the
| leeder SO that there would be no danger OF sand
oari,n,, intn ~ wilma The sunnIv ar water IL rao
| mated nv the dam,
@'A's1 - 'As 1 rur sf,.ur
1,ha baobt NJ Tho snnn',s ,.ra:aad bv r,a,+anon+
Conv,s nartv whao Tunn,ns tbe line 10 psna
was lo4 IeeL above he IL vel OF the san ana al the
prop.sed summit level OF the canal would be I24
ieet above the level al rhe sea thar wouIG Give an
| extreme deptn OF cut OF I70 Ieet Tnis deen cut
| however. takes place only at one point as the
pronnd slo ,es down very rapjdly on both aides or
tnls maximum eieyation, giving q mean depth OF
Gu. or so ieet 10 distance OF i've mlles-the entire
len0fh az tha Summit cut
IoCEAGE
ON the Pacific slope the locks are located at a
]
haIf miles between each other until the level OF
! tue swamp OF the RIO Grande Is reached. At that
point the level or the canal goes down TO the level
~ rIde water ma cnntInues al untt ir annroocoes
the peach OF panama where At IA proposeu 10 on
stiuct two Tide locks or ten feet lift eacu so that
vessels can 20 IN ana uut curing any stare OF the
! tide the canal cut according TO the MAN nro-
rees and mo the BSy Or Panama TSe lenetn ' 81
| the llne nom Matacnln TO Panama Is nireen miles,
masing Inc en- ire ZENITH Of the cins iortx.ons
| miles In addition TO tae two tlual LOCKS already
ed tnere Will be twelve locks ON the Pacfrc
slde W ME on the Atlantic side lnirtean LOCKS are
| proposed liz IL further proposed that the width
| OF the canal where the cutting was only earth,
snouId pe $50 eet at the 81 race and ~ eet ~ the
| bottom while Ior rock cutupg the W attn would oe
Os leet at tue surface ana 90 ieet ut the Dot
| tom the depth oil toe canal TO be feet ana
the locks 70 De 400 ieet M length and 70 feet WIDE
1 All the streams met win the me would IL Is
\ culverts on the right OF rne line the COUNTRY IS
wen drained by tue Rio Granoe rom the summit
| to Panama. wnlle the lett would be drained by
| cnanneIs cut aIonesld the canal and along the
ssamp TIL within o mile OF Panama. According
| 10 the scheme submitted the streams to prevent
their 10 Wing into the canal would be drain ed INTO
the sea about Two miles 10 the east OF the outlet
| OF Inc canal ITSELF Oh the AsptnwalI side
TnE CuAGRE5 RIVER
IL may be here sta ed tnat the great objection
TO the bed OF the Chagres that tue required ele-
walton could NOT lie Kept az curing the raluy ssa
son the river rises TOO rapidly and too nigh, and
Jnat which took years to construct might he de-
struyed IN a night Mr.. MenocaI, whose unremlt.
1 ting attention and untlrlng efforts have done so
much 10 render the expedition successful, ex-
pressed the greatest Confidence IN the foregoing
plan after very thougnIfui Consideration and a
thorough appreciation CT all the difficulties as
/ well a. the advantages or the proposed plan.
| COMPLETION OF THE LINE.
Not q single day was lost from the time the drst
STAKE for canp life was driven IN the ground until
I the line was declared TO De completed. on mis-
I return 10 Mutachiu Lieutenant Leutze and party
TOOK up the liue rom the proposed outlet or the