The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-07-04
A TITANIC RAILWAY.

CAPT. EADs SUGGESTS MEANS WHEREBY
SHIPS AND CAEGoEs WEIGHING 10000 |
TONS MAY BE TRANSPORTED FROM TIE
ATLANTIC ACROSS THE IsTHMus TO THE
PACIFIC IN "a HOURS.
In communication to the New York
Tribune Captain James B. Eads suggests
means for lifting loaded Sean vessels
across the :thmus of Panama in "a hours.
To the canal project he urges what seem to
be insuper2ble objections Abiding to the
estimates made by the congress of engineers
that recently convened in Paris, he says:
From these it appears that the most econ
omic solution of this great question by
means Of canal must involve the eXpendi-
ture of at least Sl40,000,000, and possibly
much more, and that the execution of the
work will occupy from fifteen to twenty-five
years from the time the work is COM
menced. These facts justify the concu-
sion; 1st. That the amount of capital re-
quired is so vast that it will not pay to exc
cute the work with private means alone.
3D. That the amount cannot probably be
obtained unless the governments of the
several maritime nations directly interested
in the work aid the enterprise. Sd. That
the time required tor consummating the
work is so great that the enjoyment of the
completed canal must necessarily be re-
served to the next generation.
In view Of these facts, is it not wise to
carefully consider other engineering expe-
dients which have. been, or may be suggest
ed for the transportation of ships and their
cargoes across the isthmus2 1t is, as | am
informed, recommended by the Paris con-
gress that the isthmus be cut down below
the level Of the two seas TO such depth
as Is needed for the passage of ships from
sea to sea, and thus avoid the use of locks
in the canal. To do this involves the con-
struction of tunnel four miles through
the Cordilleras of such dimensions that
the one under Mount Gents dwindles into
insigniicance when compared with it.
This method has been justly termed "the
heroic treatment" The term, however. is
not limited In its application, and suggests
similar treatment to the Panama railroad,
or to some other road which may be con-
structed for transportation of the largest
ships with their entire cargoes overland from
ocean to ocean.
My own studies have satisfied me Of the
entire feasibility ofsuch transportation by
railroad, and have no hesitation in say
ing that for sum not exceeding one-third
OF the estimated cost Of the canal, namely,
about, S50,000,000, the largest ships which
enter the port of New York can be trans.
ferred when fully loaded, with absolute
safety across the isthmus, on railway
constructed for the purpose, within twenty
four hours from the moment they are taken
in charge in one sea until they are deliv-
cred into the other, ready to depart on their
journey
HOW SPEED NAY BE RAISED.
On such a railway across the isthmus
there need be no grades sleeper than those
on Our chief lines of railroads, and the road
bed need not be over forty feet wide, nor
have more than eight or ten rails laid upon
II to sustain the car or cradle upon which
the ship is placed. The vessel should be
lifted from the sea to the level of the road
by lock or by other well known hydraulic
devices, and placed upon a car or cradle Of
ample strength to sustain the vessel with
her cargo without the possibility Of
injury. The lock should be twice the
length Of the ship, and only one half Of
length should be deep enough to receive |
the ship from the sea- The bottom of the
other half Of the lock should be at the sea
level, and on this the railway should COM
mence. Into this upper part of the lock the
cradle to carry the ship should be run, and |
the gates at the land end should then be
closed, The ship should then be foated
into the deep end OF the lock and the sea
gates closed, after which water should be
admitted to fill the lock to a height suffi-
cient to float the ship on the car in the up.
per lift, after which the water should be |
drawn of and the gates of the land end |
opened and the car and its burden be then |
started on its journey by rail, AT the other
end of the road the car should be run into
similar lock. the gates closed over the
track. and those at the sea end OF the lock
closed also This being done the lock
would be ready for filling, after which the
ship could be hoated off the car, and moved
to the deep end Of the lock. The water
would tEcn be allowed to escape from the
lock, the ship lowered to the ocean level,
the sea gates opened, and the vessel would |
be then ready to resume her voyage in the |
other seas.
Aaothcr plan Of the eminent engineer Is
to dispense with locks aud substitute plat