, 1879-05-19

The sessions Of the international Canal
Congress in Paris begin to assume more in
,terest than any Of their predecessors, as the
discussions now indicate that tho Congress
may decide favorably upon the route advo-
Gated by the representatives from the United
States, Rear-Admiral DANIEL AMMEN and
Engineer MEsocAr, also Of our navy. The
New York Herald, which has given great at
tention to the projects Of this inter-oceanic
canal, prints description Of the seven diff
ferent routes that are under consideration by
the Congress, from which We condense such
facts as will enable our renders to understand
its proceedings. .
The first route isknown as the Atrato-
Napipi, and was surveyed by American OIL
GERS IN 1871 and 1876 It commences at the
Gulf Of Uraba, ascends the Atrato River,
crosses to the Napipi, and then descends
through the Dagnndo to point on the
Pacific known as Chiri-Chiri. The principal
objections urged to this route are the num-
ber of locks, twenty-five, the tunnel kilo-
metres in length "a klometre being five-
eighths Of mile), and the'inadequate depth
of water at the Pacific terminus. The esti-
mated cost is 500, 900 1000, and time for COM
pletion nine years. The second route starts
from the same point as the Atrato-Napipi,
nnd when it leaves the Atrato follows
series Of rivers aud small lakes, finding its
terminus in the Gulf Of San Miguel. It is
much shorter than the first route and does
not necessitate a tunnel but its objection is
the difficulty that arises from two different
systems of water supply. Its cost is esti-
mated at $3.50, ,0o0, 600; time for completion,
twelve years. The third route follows the
first two very closely. It starts at Acand
and ends in the Gulf of San Miguel, with
total length of only1 125 kilometres, but it
involves tunnel seventeen kilometres in
length. Its estimated cost is $4,000 600;
time for completion, twelve years. The sec
oud and third are known as the Central
Darien routes. The fourth, the Darien
route, crosses the Isthmus Of Darien at its
narrowest point, commencing at the Bay Of
San Bias, and, tunneling under the mountain
range, terminates in the Gulf of Panama.
The actual length of the canal is only forty
two Kilometres, but sixteen OF these COM
prise an immense tunnel under the mount
aims, capable Of accommodating the largest
vessels. The fifth and sixth routes are sub
stantial1y the same, both leaving Navy Bay
aud terminating in the Gulf Of Panama,
crossing the two departments Of Colon and
Panama in the State Of Panama. The only
difference between them is q slight de-
Election on the Pacific side which adds
a mile to the length of one Of them.
They follow the line OF the Panama
Railway Company, which would have to be
paid aheayy indemnity, as its franchise se-
cures to it the monopoly Of transportation
across that part of the isthmus. The fifth
route will involve canal seventy-two kilo-
metres in length and twenty-five locks. The
cost is estimated at $9G,0oo,ooo, and the
time for completion six years. The sixth
will be ono kilometre longer, and includes o
tunnel six kilometres long. The cost and
time for. completion are about the same as
those Of the fifth. =.
The proceedings in the Congress on Satur-
day last indicate that the seventh or Nlcara-
qua route, which was strongly advocated by
Admiral A,naEx and Engineer MEsocA1, may
be adopted, as nearly all the experts in tho
Congress favor it. OF this route the Herald
says: .'.;. = st
4'1t traverses Eicnragua and Costa R'ca, in Cen
tral America leaving the Atlantic at Greytown and
ascending the River Sun Juan into the Lake Of
Nicaragna, and thence dropping BY series OF
locks and the Rio Grandc River into the Pacific at
Brito. The total distance to be trasersed is 2o2
miles, OF which 1856 will have to be canal. It
contemplatcs excavarionto the extent Of 48, o0o,-
600 cubic metres and filling to the amount Of
g. 500, 600 cubic metres. In al twenty LOCKS
will have to be used. The ADVANTAGES are that the
land follows the water 1efel Of the caua. Against
this to be set rhe entire absence OF pose. and,
worst OF ALL the instability Of politics Of the coun-
try trave.sed. This project hos been examined by
nearly every exploring purity since 1851 It's cost is
estimated at s1o5, 0oo oo0, and believed to be the
work Of ten years. - ,a.. -.
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