The daily gazette., 1875-11-17
THE GREAT SNIP CANAL

- - ~ LII Il NA " III u.
UNITING THE PACIFC AND THE ATLANTIC
ocEANs-oNE or THE GEASDgsT PRO
JEcrs OF MODEM TIMEs-A NEW ERA IN
COMMERCE,
WASHINGTON, Nov, 1.-The project of
opening canal between the Atlantic
ana Paclhc oceans, suitable for the pas
sage OF ships OF the largest class is of
such acknowledged importance to the
United States, and indeed to the world
at large, that any information bearing
upon the question is always eagerly
sought for. The following brief digest
OF the results Of the latest survey OF the
proposed route by way of the Atrato, Ma
plpl and Dognato rivers will therefore b.,
read with interest. The expedition was
the work. The expedition sailed from
New York on the 9Th of January by the
Pacific Mail Steamship. On arriving at
Aspinwall they went on board the
United States ship Canendaigna, and in
1t proceeded to the mouth of the Atrato
river in the Cult of Craba. In the ships
boats, towed by steam cutter they as
cended the Atraio river l60 miles to the
moueh Of the Sapipi, in the valley of
Wntch stream lay the scene of operations.
The boats having landed the party at
10 TtluTutu 10 Ile 5llD and
the explorers were left to their work in
he wilderness. Having secured a sufi-
clent number of native assistants and
canoes for transportation, the regular
labors OF the survey began on the 9th of
tebruary. The woyk was continued
without interruption till the 28th of
April, when a complete line of survey
from the Atrato to the Pacific having
been secured, the party re-embarked in
the boats that had been sent to take
them off, and on the 5th Of May all were
once more on board the Canandaigua.-
In reference to the character of the
country Lieut.. Collins says that their
| observations in every port showed its
Typographical features to be wonderfully
systematic. From the main divide"
which skirts closely to the Pacific coast
come down 10 the eastward long ridge
forming the divide between the valleys
| of the various tributaries to the Atrato.
These ridges send of the northward and
southwark smaller spurs, and these di-
vide again and again till the whole
country is overspread with hills, running
the one into tine other like the veins on
| n leaf A detached hill is hardly to be
met The country Immediately along
the line of the survey may be divided
! into four divisions as regards its topo-
graphical characteristics.
For about five miles back from the
Atraio the ground is fiat and swampy
lhls region Is frequently under water
during the wet season, and even during
the dry becomes barely passable. The
great difficulty was experienced in carry
| ing the survey through the dismal part
OF the route, and all the members of the
expedition there engaged suffered from
fever as the result. beyond this swampy
l =. uE.T1 hal e .s.4V-
through very hilly region where the
spurs and ridges butt directly on the
river and could not be avoided by turn
ing the line in ether direction. These
steep hills delayed the progress of the
survey very seriously. Beyond these
| hills length of about seven miles was
found where by keeping the line well
down towards the river all bad hills were
avoided. At the end Of this section the
line crosses the Napipi and follows the
valley Of the Dognato. From the point
of crossing to the Pacific, the country
was found extremely broken and hilly
The divide between the Valley of the
Atratto and the Pacific was crossed at an
elevation of rs feet. So steeply does
| the Pacific slope descend that the sum
NIT of this divide is but about a mile
and half from the shore of the ocean
\ Lieutenant Collins has prepared est-
mates of the cost of canal by this
/ route, following the general plan pro
posed by Com. L. %. Selfridge. This
plan involves a summit level of l43 feet
with % locks and tunnel three and
half miles in length. The total length
of the artificial cut required is thirty
two and two-tenth miles.
The estimates alluded to exhibit the
supposed cost of all the works necessary
| to the proper working of a canal They
| include the items of excavation in rock
and ea-th embankments, side drains,
culverts, dams, aqueduct for feeding
canal, tunnel, harbor improvements,
&c. They foot up $751; 5l4. To this
25 per cent. is added for contingencies,
which brings the probable cost of canal
by this route up to sos, 1856 SPOT
this sum $il ,552, 400 are allowed as the
cost of the tunnel