The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-08-24
RAILWAY.

From the date Of the successful establishment
of the Panama Railway the scientific and engi-
neering talent and genius of the world have busted
themselves with the problem of finding shorter
and more convenient routes for and
international communication. The Suez Canal
has become an accomplished fact in one direction,
while several explorations for n similar work
have been made across the Isthmus of Panama,
and through Nicaragua, in the other. Itappears
from the reports of the expeditions in the latter
direction that the natural obstacles to a success
full completion of the work are so great as to be
almost insurmouptable. There is no doubt that
q favorable report by competent engineers would
at once lead to a commencement of an inter-
oceanic canal to unite the Atlantic and Pacific.
AS it is, steam has an advantage with which
sails cannot cope with any success. The Central
Pacific Railroad and the Suez Canal are the two
great arteries of m and travel between
the Occident and the O~rient-Europe, Asia and
Australia on the one hand. Asia, America and
Europe on the other. Both these steam routes
are expensive; and the bulky commerce that
seeks low charges cannot well bear the burden.
Still, it strives to avoid the stormy capes that
bound the two great Continents, and such a route
now seems to be found in the projected Mexican
Pacific Railway, first brought to public attention
by Mr.. Leon Lewis, a resident of Penn Yam, n.
Y. We give two maps illustrative of this enter
prise, together with the facts upon which Mr..
Lewis predicates it's success. See the accompany
ing maps of /" Great Ocean Routes between Eu-
rope and Asia. 3" together with the Statement of
Facts, upon which the Mexican-Pacifc Railway
is founded. These will bear careful study.
They will give a perfectly clear idea OF the
project in its majestic proportions, and seem to
us to answer the great requirement of the age
cheap and rapid transportation of products which
make up the bulk of the worlds commerce. In
further calculation of Mr.. Lewis plan, we give
the two following translated extracts, one from
the Annonces-Journa of Constantinople, of
July 25, 1877, and the other from the Courier
de Port Sad egypt, of August 5, 1877:
from the AnnOnces-Journa of COnstantinOple, Of July rs,
lST7.l
Mr.. Leon Lewis. an American citizen Of Penn
Yam New York; is the fortunate author OF this
magnificent idea. In an expose excessively sim
pie and perfectly correct he exhibits the enormous
advantages that will result from the carrying out
of this vast scheme. . The boldness Of
this project, in a country so advanced, so rich,
where there will be no lack OF Encouragement,
leads us to hope that Mr.. Lewis-already called by
the Herald the Railroad King"-will succeed so
completely in this vast operation as to leave far
behind it the celebrated Suez Canal.
From the Courier de Port said (EgypD, Of August 5. 1911
= 1t being granted that sailing ships will
always have the advantage, the author has
elaborated a project that, according to him, will
leave out of the question all the troubles OF navi-
CATION. For Mr.. Lewis, there is no Cape of Good
Hope. no more necessity of any talk about open
ing the Isthmus of Panama, no more Suez Canal!
The only, the one great, the one true line exists
by way of the Gulf Of Mexico! The ships leaving
Western Europe push directly for the Cape Verde
Islands and thence as directly to the West Indies.
= . The return is made by the Gulf Stream.
which greatly accelerates the speed or the sailing
ships. On the Pacific side. the situation OF things
is equally satisfactory. Leaving Acapulco for
the East Indies. China and Japan, the navigator
will take advantage Immediately OF the northeast
monsoon, which carries him directly into the
north equatorial current, and thence INTO the re-
zion of the northeast trade winds, and these two
forces combined carry him rapidly, surely and
with great facility into the China Sea, where he
encounters the monsoon IN his favor. dis bust
ness transacted. the navigator takes the Japan
current and returns to his point OF departure.
In a letter to us, dated the Doth ult., Mr..
Lewis saws his recent domestic bereavement (the
death of Mrs. Lewis) has almost decided him to
change his residence to Honolulu, to bring with
him the great cosmopolitan library which he and
Mrs. Lewis had been forming, and to make the
same in due course the property of the Hawaiian
nation; to also establish here a great publishing
house, for the publication of the great Spanish
Classics, as indicated in the following extracts
from a circular in his letter:
{" The 6rst and principal object we have in view
in founding a great publishing house is the uniVer-
sal dissemination of works Of religious science.
| such publications being the first and principal
necessity of every sensible person of whatever
creed, profession, or station. The majority OF
these works are now printed for the hrst time, and
are our copyright property.
"Our second object is to reproduce. with due
criticism and establishment, the great classics re-
Iating to America, in the original tongues, thus
giving anew to the world. in ennObled forms, the
principal works of the great authors who have
written concerning America. its discovery. geogra-
INV. colonization, history. etc. These works are
without exception works of universal and perma-
nent interest.
In the third and last place. our object is to re-
produce in the original tongues, those recent
foreign publications, including voyages and
travels, which are especially recommended by