Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-06-03
The Isthmus Canal.


THE United States Isthmus Exploring
Expedition has returned to Colon, and
reports that it's labors were eminently
successful in running line for ship
canal across the Isthmus OF Darien.
There are now three routes designated
for passing ships from ocean to ocean,
and al of them have their advantages.
The most northern route is the Tehuan-
tepec; the middle, the Nicaragua, and
the southern crosses the Isthmus Of
Darien. From one of the locations
engineers declare that practicable
path can be chosen to shorten the
distance from ports on this CONT
nent to those of Asia. At the pres
ent time all ships starting from the
eastern side Of North or South Ameri-
ca have to pass far south around Cape
Horn before they can run either north
for ports along the coast or start sheets
for islands in the Pacific or points in
Japan, China or other parts of Asia.
This is q ruinous waste of time, es-
pecialiy when the Cape of Good Hope
has been practically biotted off the
nautical charts by the Suez Canal, which
is now in working order. In a short
time all the facts in relation to the
three projected routes will be laid be-
fore the country in an official shape,
and the next Congress may be asked
TO take some steps in regard to
the matter. That a canal can be
cut from ocean to ocean is conceded.
The opinions of engineers settle that
point. Of course there are impediments
of no trifing character in the way, but
they can be removed by the hand of
science The Suez Canal has been con-
structed; there is a tunnel beneath the
Alps; the telegraph cable speaks with
"most miraculous organs" from under
fathoms of deep sea waves. In few
years it is expected that cars will be
speeding from France to England with a
depth of water above them sufficient to
float the largest man-of-war. If these
works are possible why not a ship canal
from ocean to ocean across the waist of
this continent? The croakers declared
the Suez Canal could not be built. They
predicted it would soon be choked with
the shifting sand Of the desert They
have proved false prophets. The same
men put in print their estimates to con-
vince the public that the Suez Canal
would make no returns Of satisfactory
financial character. The business foots
up in totally different direction. In
the year 1878 the working expenditures
of the Suez Canal amounted to % per
cent. of the gross receipts. The revenue
for that year was $3.50, 900, of which the
preferred charges absorbed So, 345,000,
leaving $1,485 900 for a share divi-
dend, which is 81 per cent. In 1872
there were 1,092 vessels passed through
the canal, representing 100000 tons In
1878 the vessels increased to LIB and
the tons to 2,085, 900. Again in 1874 there
was an advance both by vessels and ton
mage. The former amounted to 1854
and the latter to 2,424,000. The British
standard of commercial growth is ap-
piled to the advance of the canals bust
ness, which is " a minimum increase of
3 per cent. per annum." Less than this
would have added one-half Of 1 per
cent each year to the dividends Of the
company. If the affairs of the Suez
Canal Company exhibit such results as
those given from official sources there
need be no fear for the cash returns
from q work that would pass vessels
from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
If the Suez Canal is success its parallel
enterprise will not be failure These
facts are sufficient to draw attention to
the report of the Darien expedition,
which will soon be made public and in
duce a more careful consideration of the
whole subject.-PhjL0d6yp75iG Times.