The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-07
THE TEHUANrEPEo ROUTE.

{ In our sketch OF the Tehuantepec rout,
across the Isthmus, published In the DEMO
J Graf Of Friday last, we omitted certain facts
which are essential to even an epitomizee
history Of that enterprise.
An interview since with gentleman prom
inently connected with the enterprise has re
freshed our recollection Of several of It's Incl
dents.
From his testimony, and after further
investigated, we are more than confirmed
J In the conviction, which prevailed In this
} community at the time the surveys of this
route were made, OF its great superiority
to all the other proposed transits in respect
to facility, cost of erection and permanence
of structure.
II These surveys demonstrated that the Co.
atzacoalcos river, when its bar was once
passed. afforded fine harbor for ships of the
largest size as far as Suchel, some thirty OF
forty miles. From that place there was o
good carriage road through a mountain
gorge, the highest elevation Of which road
for the whole distance to the town of To
huantepec did not exceed eight hundred
feet Reaching the town of Tehuantepec
you are within eight orh.en miles Of the Pa.
cific. Near the mouthhef the Tehuantep pee
river Is fine harbor w, De the largest ships
can float Ia safety durf,... 4 +he most violent
storms and receive or q. Charge their ear
goes The river Tehuantepec is only adapted
to navigation for small craft. and, like all the
| Mexican and Central American rivers, Is very
uncertain Oh account Of the rapidity of it's
rise and velocity Of its current During the
rainy season Its banks are full and may be
safely navgated by steamers of large
capacity.
| From Suchel, the highest point of nayiga-
| ton on the Coatzacoalcos for large steamers
| to Tehuantepec, the distance is about one
| hundred and sixty miles. For smaller YES
sells there is good navigation on the Coatzaco-
alcos some thirty or forty miles higher. In
1858, 1859 and 1860 several excursions were
made to this point and over the route by Col
Vaudeville Marigny, Mr.. La Sere and others
Of this city. They proceeded to the Coatza-
coalcos In the fine and staunch steamer Cuba,
which, under that well-known citizen, Capt
Mcconnell, was run SO successfully as the
most popular ship plying between this port
and Havana.
The Cuba passed the bar Of the Coatzacoal-
gers and cargo at Suchel. Here the COM
mander OF the surveying and wagon party,
Col. Marigny, was waited on by young
Mexican officer, not over twenty-five years
old, who commanded all the troops in the dis
trict. and who rendered to. the surveying
party most valuable aid in the prosecution of
their labors, furnishing them with horses,
mules, wagons and escort.
This officer was Portirio Diaz, now the Presi-
dent of Mexico.
The steamer Cuba, which bore the party
from this port to the Coatzacoalcos, became
afterward In the civil war thefamous Sumpter,
whose wonderful speed and strength were IL
Illustrated by career Of which there Is no
parallel in the history Of privateering or
naval warfare.
This excursion party, with its commander
and engineers, remained some time in the
lsthmus, and the frequent reports from 1t
were OF the most satisfactory and encourage
ing character. It was only broken up by the
approach OF our civil was Col. Marigny, the
chief. returning to this city in 1860.
Both the government and the people OF
Mexico gave the enterprise every aid and en-
enlargement they could command The
present President. Porfirio Diaz, then very
promising and intelligent young military
was especially jealous and earnest
In forwarding the enterprise.
There were good reasons, however, for
very prevalent belief that the enterprise was
with great Jealousy by persons in
terested In other routes and with the practi- |
cal opposition and obstruction of the Panama |
Company. 1t was said that agents of that
company charged with the expenditure of
large sums managed to create some opposi- |
ton and hostility to the Tehuantepec route at
The capital OF Mexico and In this country. In |
to the present title to the grant in
our former article we stated that it was an |
extension OF the grant to Hargou5. In this |
we were in error. After the return OF Juarez
to the presidential chair and the close of the |
civil war Mr.. La Sere visited the City Of Mex
leo, as we have stated; in fact he made sew
aral visits. The Mexican Congress refused to
ratify and continue the grant to Hargous, but,
cancelling the same, made new grant on |
more liberal terms to Mr.. La Sere. It is this |
grant which Marshall O. Roberts, of New
York, now holds.
We marvel that due consideration has not
oeen given to the facts and arguments in i
'avor OF this route BY the commission at
Paris which had in charge the investigation
of the various projects OF transit across the
sthmus. The inter oceanic canal system of
VI. Lesseps strikes US as on too large and es-
scale, and is opposed by too many
powerful natural and political obstacles to
Justify the hopes OF its eventual or early sue
'ess. There is one great danger of this sys-
em which does not appear to have been prop
'rly weighed by these gentlemen. This is