The New York herald., 1879-08-10
THE INYEROCEANIC CANAL.
Pracdcabilly Of The Various Routes Discussed
and Comparisons Made.
A DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE WORK.
Interesting Interview with Colonel George N. Iottel
Builder Of The Panama Railroad, on the Subject


mus of Panama. is one of the few in the scien-
tifc world who give personal weight to their
views and observations born of years of study and
occular investigation concerning the practicable
ity of the De Lesscps or other canal pro-
ject across the isthmus. Colonel Toten is
now living in this city. vigorous, well
preserved man alive to the interests of the age and
quite prepared to advance arguments in furtherance
OF his beliefs and facts in support his arguments
Knowing how implicitly men Of science would trust
Colonel Totem assertions HERALD representative
sought and obtained from him great deal of infor-
nation concerning the proposed Panama and
Nicaragua routes. the comparative merits OF each.
the probable cost and in general such facts as are
of essential importance in the earlier stages of the
enterprise. In reply to question Colonel Totten.
with much deiiberation, said;-"A canal OF the
proper width and depth at level to unite the At
lantic and Pacific across the American isthmus by
any known route will cost at least s250.ooOo 1000"
Chow wide and deep should the canal be?'
"well the proposed canal, 100 feet wide ut the
water line and 25 feet Deep will not be wide enough
deep enough for the class of that will be
required for the traffic of that route"
"why not?"
'.Twcnty -fvo years ago, when began to study
this subject devised canals for sidewheel steam
crs of 1900 to $500 tons burden. Later. when
had taken the place Of sdewheels, canals
planned for steamers OF 1000 to $500 tons bur-
den which were then frst class Now that steamers
of 5000 tons burden found in the service of
commercial lines our plans for the canal must be
proportionally enlarged"
''How is the physical problem to be solved"
Large ships carrying large cargoes the ocean,
like heavy locomotives and long trains the rail
roads, being the true means for the practical solu-
ton of the economical trade requirements of the
of the future; but the canal must be constructed
of such dimensions to accommodate the largest
class of ocean steamers now in service or that may
reasonably be expected to be found in service by the
time it shall come into operation"
'But not greater steamers than now employed
in service?"
Eyes. As sample of first class ocean steamer
now in service-which the nteroceanic canal must
be made to accommodate-let take the
steamer Arizona of the Grion line which is 462 feet
in length and 46 feet beam. with propeller % feet in
diameter and a measurement OF nearly 5000 tons.
Her load draught must be 25 or 26 feet. Other
steamers Of similar proportions running in the
Anglo-American trade They first class now. but
will probably be second or third class by the time
the canal is completed"
".well. NJ. de Lesseps can make the canal as wide
as he pleases can't hep?
''The width and depth of the canal which NJ.
Lesseps proposes to construct is limited in di-
recton by the terms of the contract with the Couu
article of the Wyse-Salgur contract provides that
the canal shall have the width depth and all
in length SO beam and 26 feet draught to pass
with their topmasts taken down.. To satisfy
these conditions, assuming the depth of water at
% feet go feet would be beter and the slopes of the
banks at to in earth and one-half to one in
rock. the width OF the canal should be LOG feet at
bottom and 162 feet ut top water in earth. and 100
ut bottom and 14S feet at top water in rock. Ie
these dimensions adopted. and the locks
made GOO feet i'll clear length by G5 feet in clear
width the canal will be adapted for the ships CT the
near future As earth slopes under water should be
walled and slope of one to one is less subject to
wash from rains than fatter slope. this slope has
been adopted in these calculations.
"What is the most feasible route in your judg-
ment?"
THE MOST FEASIBLE ROUTE.
"The San Bias route is the most feasible known
level route The Bayano River which has been
considered favorable feature of this route may be
avoided If it is found advisable to avoid it upon
thorough investigation into its character. and
an independent canal may be substituted for the
seven miles of its bed which 1t has been
TaToo y oocaPy rSue as Wyse
is not favorable. 1t requires mile
more of tunnel than the San Bias route and has to
contend with the rupisa and formidable Chuqu-
naque rivers which give ar imprao ticable unsafe
character to its usefulness, If not 10 its consruc
ton. The Atrato routes are not true sea level
routes They start at the river twenty thirty feet
above mean tide and must lock down to mean tide
level on the Pacific side. canal through the San
Bas-Bayano route. with its seven-mie tunnel. will
cost what have first stated. s25Oo0o.ooo"
"What should be its dimersonsY'
"rhe dimensions of the tunnel must correspond
with its purpose. IL should have q width of 1870
at and above the water line 30 that vessels going
throu.h it may pass each other freely, and height
at the of the arch of 1i0 feet above water
face-l6s feet from bottom. The narrow. low tun-
nels proposed by Captain Selfridgo and Lieutenant
Wye would exclude first class vessels and seriously
delay the passage OF Others Notwithstanding the
jects. the Ways and Means Committee Of tho
Paris Congress reported that they would
be paying investments; ana yet. deferred by the
magnitude these works. especially by the time re-
quired TO construct the long tunnels involved III
thcm the Congress decided against them and in
favor of the Panama route and u lock canal"
do you regard this as practicable route?"
while it is generally understood that u sea level
canal is impractcabe by the Nicaragua route. 1t Is
not well known that the Chagres River and its
tributaries present insuperaLlc obstacles to sea
level canal BY the Panama route. canal with locks
is perfectly practicable by either OF these routes
what is meant by the American routes'
'ln the discussion OF this subject by the press OF
this country growing OF the decision of the Paris
Congress in favor OF the Panama route. the
because II is the nearest to Except tho Tehuan-
tepec which is out Of the question:. and 10 supposed
to be the shortest route between our Atlantic ana
Pacific ports. BY the m y 1t is tho shortest route
between these ports. But. practically while New
Orleans is nearer to Grey than to Aspinwal New
ships sail or steam. On the Pacific sidc
Brito. the proposed terminus OF the Nicaragua
Canal. is said to be 600 miles nearer than Panama
to San Francisco But the Nicaragua Cana viii DO
139 miles longer ana will require three more days
to pass through than the Panama Canal, which moro
than Offsets the difference in ocean distance; SO
way TO reach Brto from New York would be by
way of the Panama Canal"
AN IsrEREsIIso coMPARIRoN.
"What is the difference between these routes?"
"1he difference between these two routes in other
respects will be best shown by u comparison of
their general features. For this purpose We will
suppose them to nave the same height of summit
level, lO1.G3 above mean tide level which is the
height gwen for the surface of Lake Nicaragua. and
the same cross section and depth of water, the
dimensions being the same before given. The
comparison will then stand as follOws:-
"FUst-The total length of the Panama Canal, from
10 ocean, according to the measurement OF AIR.
Menocal, will be ~ miles. Tho total length of the
Nicaragua Canal, from to ocean, according TO
the authority, will be sl miles. Difference in
favor of the Panama route 1j9 miles.
"Second-Tho Panama Canal will occupy miles of
low ground, followed by ~ miles of the valley OF
the Chagres River-2G miles in all. The Nicaragua
Canal will occupy As miles OF the valley OF the san
Juan River. followed by 6J miles of the bed of that
river as slack water nayigaton-1Os miles in all.
Difference In favor OF the Panama Canal, 81 miles
pa,n ttaua al lxxtll hp