The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-07-06
EMPoRIA NEW s.
FRIDAY. JULY c, 1877.
The Proposed Rsshsnaus of Da.
rEem Canal.

As England was more interested
In the construction of a canal across
the Isthmus OF Suez than any other
nation, SO Is the United States more in
terested in the construction OF a ship
canal across the Isthmus of Darien
than any other nation. The American
Isthmus presents many more obstacles
to the construction of q ship canal than
did the Isthmus of SueZ, but the pro-
ject Of uniting the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans by such q canal as would allow
free navigation between the two, is an
old one. The scheme was proposed in
the sixteenth century, and there was
much correspondence about it. In
1S45, Louis Napoleon, while prisoner
ut Ham, took up and considered the
various American plans to unite the
two oceans, and after his release made
an effort to interest France and other
European nations In the enterprise.
But his own ambitious schemes soon
directed his attention to the Suez
In this country the construction OF
the Union Pacific RaIlroad and the
Panama Railroad put the canal project
for time la the background. But In
1871, 1872, and 1873, United States ma
val officers completed the survey OF
two routes, and their reports revived
interest In the bold scheme, while at
the came time they made very clear
the tremendous obstacles to be over
come. aw
By the Darien route the canal would
be 12S miles long. and 100 miles Of
this would be the river Atrato, which,
It is believed, could easily be made
navIgable for the largest class of ocean
steamers. For twenty-five miles the
canal would pass though plain hsv-
ing gradual rise of ninety feet; for
three miles there viii be q deep open
cutting, and fos three miles a ship tnn-
mel through the mountain. The prop
Osition is TO make this tunnel liz feet
high and 90 feet wide. The canal prop
or is 70 be % feet deep, with a bot
tom width of 80 feet and a surface
width OF 20 feet. The canal on this
route woHld coat about $50, 900 900, and
IL could be completed in'ten years.
The NlcaragUar route eontempiates
q canal from Lake Nicaragua to the
Pacific Q6 miles, and q canal along
the San Juan river, from the lake TO
the Caribbean Sea at Grey town or San
Juan. The canal will then include Sc
miles Of lake navigation; 20 miles OF
slack-water navigation in the San Iu-
an, and 81 mH e. Of canal proPers The
depth Of wetef Is 70 be 20 feet; the
width at Bottom ~ feet, and at the SUR
face 80 feet. The locks will be Fl
In number. and the canal will cost
about So, Coz, eco, ~ Ia LII -
The difficulties Of constructing the
canal are oversha[iowed by the diff
Guilty of maintaining a sufficient sea-
water depth In it, and by the obstacles
to the establishment and maintenance
OF deep water entrance 10 the canal
at Greytown. No, man Is more famil-
lar with these obstacles than ex Pres
ident Grant. and no man Is better cal
culated % push such an enterprise to a
successful conclusion than he, II he
chooses to associate his name with 1t.
It woEIin be \ bofder scheme than was
the Suez undertaking; would call out
more engineering skill, and call for
more courage and persistence on the
part of the projectors.
There are political difficulties in the
way, as Nicaragua insists on certain
provisions that the maratlme powers
will not agree to; but these can be
avoided by choosing another route. "a !
q Ersa 4