The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-01
INTER- OCEAN CANAL.
The Nicaraguan and Darien Routes.
A Revolution in the Commerce of the
World-How New Orleans
Will Be Benefited.

western passage to the indies stumbled upon
the vast continent Of America, ana not the
least interesting portion OF our continent ls
that narrow crescentrshape neck OF land pop
ularly known as the Isthnus OF Darien and
Panama, which connects the two Americas.
1t comprised the provinces Of Panama and
Veraepua and during the rule OF the Spanish
monarchs formed part OF the viceroyalty Of
New Granada
When the South American States threw off
their allegiance to Spain 1T was Incorporated
with the new republic Of Colombia. In 1856
New Granada was divided into several States
and Panama became q separate one. This
curving neck Of land LIS about four hundred
miles in length and Its average breadth may
be something more than sixty miles, but Its
narrowest part between Porto Bello on the
Atlantic and Panama On the Pacific is not
more, In o direct line. than thirty-fives miles
OF rock, forest Jungle and moraes separating
the two oceans. and compel the mariner
whose destination is China, Japan, the Indies,
California and the entire western shores Of
the Americas. to the long, stormy and peril
GUS voyage round the capes.
From the summit of the mountains in the
centre of tho 1sthmus, which form part Of
the broken continuation Of the Northern and
Southern CordilIeras. the two oceans may be
distinctly seen; but, up to this time, this
~Gate Of the Seas this "Kev to the Uni
verse" remains, iniurlously and yexatieusly,
closed to navigators, the commerce Of Europe
and the great enterprising and adven.urous
people Of our republic The discovery OF
gold In California greatly stimulated the
previously ardent desire OF commercial
nations TO break through this tantalizlng
barrier 70 a direct and rapid intercourse be-
tween the two hemispheres; but nothing has
yet been done In real furtherance OF an object
80 much talked OF and 81 vehesnently de-
sired.
There was a belief during the advent of
Cortez that a secret passage existed, for the
Emperor Charles the Fifth, In a letter written
ut Valladolid In 1928. enjoins Cortez to search
carefully for "ei 3Secrefo del Eetre thO," the
secret Of the strait, IN reply to this GEM
mand Cortez INDUCES in the expression of the
highest hopes or making the grand discovery
Switch" he adds, "would render ths King OF
Spain master Of SO many kingdoms that he
might consider himself Lord of the World"
Cortez sought In vain-no strait ever existed
From that time 1t May be justly said the
project Of opening navigable communica-
# tien seized the minds of men. Is
-..fn.
There have been several projects.
/. The Isthmus of Tehuantepec, between
the sources of the Rio Chlmalapa, which falls
into the Pacific ocean, and the R.o goatzacalca,
flowing into the Atlantic, 1887 miles.
q. The Isthmus between the Rio Atrato,
falling into the Atlantic, and the Rio Choco
which empties into the Pacific, which was
originally conception OF Humboldt. The
Atrato river takes a nerthward course OF
about 200 miles, and enters the Gulf OF Darien,
west of the Bay Of Choco. and Is only navi-
gable for small crafts for about 120 miles. 1t
was proposed to connect this river with the
San Juan, which flows south, and thus by q
canal unite the two seas.
8. Louis Napoleon suggested that Mica
ragua canal or q railroad should debouch
further northward on the Pacific than pro-
posed by Bailey and others.
4. The Isthmus OF Darien, via Cupica.
s. The Isthmus OF Daren via Chagres and
Panama, tfty-one niles
6. The Isthmus OF Nicaragua, via the Rio
San Juan, Lake Nicaragua, to the Gulf Of
- hphEhyo, t'iO ~ - A'ot1AoJo' - 'AAo -. =
Tonseca, 17S miles.
The two latter schemes have been consid-
,ered the most feasible, and now we learn that
the Darien route, via Chagres and Panama,
has been selected by the council in Paris,
who have been engaged settling which Of the
two routes Is more promising to the capital
Jet and less formidable to the engineer and
the scientist. z.M5s....~ .5@
We have always regarded the Nicaragua
route the most practicable and advantageous
Or the two to the commerce of New Orleans,
and upon Mr. Lesseps' further examination
of the practical difficulties to be surmounted
on TIE Darien route he may yet come to the
same conclusion.
Col. LLOYD, who was appointed in 1927 by
Gen. Bolivar to survey the country gives a
glowing account of the Darien routes and of
the whole country-and he was greatly sus-
tained by her Brittanic Maiesty's surveyor
genera. who suggested the laying down Of
a railroad from Manzanilla. or Navy Bay,
about five miles west of Chagrcs, to Panama,
or to the Bay of Chorera-hut at the same
time urged the absolute necessity that snip
canal be cut IN the same direction. The rail
road was subsequently built ia 1890 by Amefl-
can enterprise. .==-..=..
After the Atrato route was denounced by
Ftzroy. the Ell glish surveyor general enef-
getically and eloquently called upon the pup
lie as the only means Of really effeetng any
thing great to -anpport him in the suggested
cut through the Isthmus from Chagfes 70
panama bay and urged the necessity OF send
ing disintereeted surveyors to decide between
the Chagras and the Atrato routes. let
nothing was done, and the canal is one OF
those things left until to-day for the great
Lesseps to grapple with.
The Nicaragua route was sustained oy the
Pacific and Atlantic Canal Company, formed
at New York, whose concession from the
Nicaraguan government appeared at one time
likely. nnaar the management of Mr.. Chat