The Arizona sentinel., 1879-08-16
The Panama ship Canal:

The feasibility of building g ship cana across the Isthmus of Darien has more o 1 less occupied the attention of commer
 cial men aud scientists for the last twen
 ty-fiye years. Its practicability appear
 to be beyond doubt, and its accomplish
 ment simply question of means. It 1:
 the most stupendous work of the kini
 ever undertaken, and its achievement will
 reflect imperishable renown upon bin
 who shall be the successful builder. Thai 1 its building will prove of vast importance
 and benefit to the United States Is beyond
 the question of doubt.
 The Isthmus was early settled by the Spanish, it being the first colony estab. lished on the Continent of America. Al. terward the Scotch sought to colonize l.,
 their idea being to establish settlements on both sides, and unite them by roads or
 a canal, but their settlement was soon
 broken up by famine and the Spanish. The first survey was made by a com
 pany in 1S48, who designed building a
 canal through Tehuantepec, in Mexico.
 It was to have twenty eight locks, and be one hundred and ninety eight miles long,
 including the river and lake equalization.
 Its estimated cost was from 97OOO, 900 to
 e13,OO0,O 900, according to depth. In 1850 it was surveyed by a Dr. Cullen, who esti-
 mated the greatest depth to be cut at one
 hundred and fifty feet. On his return to
 London he organized a company. with a
 nominal capital of el5, ,O00,000. A sharp debate followed in the English and Amer jean papers regarding the relative value of these two projects, which ended in EBglaEd, France, and the United States sending a joint survey. Dr. Cullen went with the English division. The United States survey accomplished nothing. The English and French surveyed the region about Darien. The harbor at Caledonia Bay, on the Atlantic side, was found ade- quate to the wants of any fleet that might desire anchorage. The estimated cost, according to Dr. Cullen, of building a canal free of locks, thirty feet deep and one hundred and forty feet wide, from H,lo Ray tn ho vii flows info the Gulf of San Miguel on the Pacific side, was $60,OOO,OOO. Its length would be thirty-nine miles, and its great est elevation one hundred and fifty feet. The level of the two oceans Is about the same, although the tide on the Pacific i. thirteen feet higher than on the Atlantic. This would cause How from the Pacific at flood, and from tEe Atlantic at ebb tide, sufficiently strong to carry vessel through in one tide of six hours.
 In 1850 treaty was maue at Washing ton between the United States and Eng land, each agreeing to consider the canal, to be perpetually neutral, neither to build Notifications on either side, or U permit others to do so, and to combine in assist. ing the progress of d canal by their ingu- ence ahG VrOtection.
 In 187q another survey was sent out by i inc Uni, .d States It examined the coast ! of Dariene and found the Gulf of DArien ! del Norte, a the Atlantic side, to be one | of the fi- harbOrs in the world that | the Atratro River Is navigable to the | mouth of the Napipi; that the distance to | the Pacific from this point is but thirty two miles, twenty y-four of which runs through fiat country, gradually rising, which. in the next four miles, attains | maximum height of six hundred and | twelve feet; that beyond the divide the incline to the Pacific is very rapid; that on the Pacific there Is good harbor in Simon Bay. deep enough for the largest vessels; that the district is we'll wooded and watered, with sufficient granite for building purposes, and limestone for lime on the spot.
 The elevation between Panama and is less than :hat of the above route, being only two hundred and eighty seven feet, but neither place has a good harbor, and the conditions of health are more unfayorable than those of the Atra- to route. The survey found plenty of coal, which could be mined and used for vessels coaling from this point.