The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-01

extending from the lake to tho Pacific. tn sec
onJ epmprisinR the lake nay'gati 20. and the
WESTERN DIVISION.
Proceeding north from Costa Rica there are
several transverse valleys across the Uorn,nra,
from tho lake to the Paciic to their examlna-
ton the efforts Of Com'r Chester. Ha,fleld.
commanding the surveying expedition or 1872.
The most sontherly of these depressions is
| that through which runs tho II iver Sauoa. ex-
tending from the north OF this stream. 1T I tte
| lax .. to the summit, aud thence TO Bay Of
| Salinas. on the Pacific a compass ami level
| 'ine was carried from tho lake to the SUNNI
and d reconnaissance without inst lumentss ak,
| tended to the bay. and the results obtained
we're 30 unsatis sfactory that tho Inc was mt once
abandoned IS imprnctlcane. The eliminating
point Of the pess was found to be- about 9oo feet
above the lake or 1000 feet above the Pacific. re
quiring at least 300 fAet Of lockaga 70 overcome
ths elevation above the lake rs the d.p'h OF
cutting required to extend the level OF the lake
| to the Pacfic slope would be too formidable
and u tunnel Of the necessary dimensions 0
meet the traffic of the canal altogether too x
peneive. A large reservoir would alno have TO
| be constructed at hesumInit 10 feed this branch
Of lhe canal. with 50 limited water shed tnat
cient for tho demand. The length of the line
would be about twenty four miles: and lastly.
would be necessary In tho Bay Of Sal iDas t.
| reach the desired depth for the propOsed cannl.
| The nexf pnss whore promising features In
vited an mutation is that leading from the
mile and half north Of virgiu bay. alonR the
valley OF this stream TO NE t,,a,e M san paot";
narrow valley of the III Grande, AM across tn
more extensive plain Of Tola to the harbor of
Britp.
This line had been surveyed by Col. Child in
1851 and the results obtained by him agree ia
the main with those establi- he'd by the -xpedi-
ton under C,m'f Hatfield The survey Was
commenced G ut the mouth Of the River L.1as and
carried by the most favorable points TO the har
Dor Of Brto. giving tctal length OF me line oi
surface of the ground OF 499s tnet above the sur
| face of the lake rs itstood on May2 1872. and I
| total fall from mean high keto high water at
Brlto OF 1893 "a feet and lo1 s3 ftet % mean tide.
In leaving the lake the lins occupiea tho cnan-
nel OF the river Ln,as TO the Estate San Pablo
l.s4 miles from fhe lake. where the streau,
turns to the left. and ia proposed to be diverted
By means OF an embaukment and artificial
channel about two miles long. and made to dts
| c arge into the lake about on- mile sonfh oi !ts
present mouth After leaving San Pablo the
iine crosses plain Of moderats elevation. and
gin fails Into the valley Of the Guscoyol. a t. ibu.
4 tary Of the Lains. proceeding from the sll mlt
and which, with iis numerous tributaries. vii
have to be taken into the canal. following the
i valley OF the stream, and lntersectlnR IL al
many points to the summit.
| This point lies in u valley from one and ha
70 two miles wide 43 ~ feet above high lake. anC
nearly horizontal in direction perpendicular
~ the limo. immediately after crossing the a.
vide the line falls into the Ravlne Cruz. Whlch
as it descends ut tho rate of nine fe1t to tilt
mile soon acquires large dimensions. when the
line leaves it. and, after crossing Il moderatetJ
broken country. &C 81 miles from the iake. ~
north. and which has already rece ved tht
Kavins Cruz. much enlarged after diverginni
from the line This brook becomes fOrrent II
have to be constructed to take 1t into tho canal
Some 1000 feet after crossing & the Espinal NAL tn,
and drains a largo area Of ihe eastern side Q
the Cordiilers. and. descending with rapit
J INCLINATION aud receiving en ~ va Tay many nr.'
cipitous gulleys coming from the b1gn noun
Gus and pr-cpitous valley. confined by hist
SPoaeh pPpoaeh 1T it from from both sides The,e being
room in the valley for the creek and canal: th'
latter would have TO tate ia the waters and oc
cupy the channel of the former.
, ship canal OF the dimensions proposed fo
the one under consideration could not. how
follow the course ~ b Ga .1 nn,
across rapid bends. and Ia 80 doing: althougn !
[ minimum radius consistent wi b the work D.
OF these high spurs and bluffs, producing deep
) ar cuttings than would be required IN c,osslnt
\ the divide or summit OF the Water shed Of IA
; line Ioca ed. and with but title nr no 70 IN T.
deposit the vast materials resulting from IN
I. excavations without having | washed back int
!. the canal BY the gnleys. and main a. d portion
! the mora extensive valleys east and wes
q the rjdg:-. This canon would have t t
lance OF one and half miles At is wester'
8 end the line leaves the stream and runs owe
an undulating ground near the Estate Las Ser
3 das and thence along the vail Cf tba Ri
! Grande and across the plains Of Tola and Britc
OF gradual inclination and firm soil. to the har
Dor.
. pedition OF 1872 from the mouth OF sma
stream called Rio del NJ dio. emptying into I'll
) lake thraa miles north 81 the Lalas. t. pass Il
. the divide at the Estate Los Ho,cones. ahou
! ak miles from the shore of the lake and fou
miles south west of the City OF Rivss, AID con
4 nee ing with the Lajas liue. previously SUI
r waved, at the place where the plane o. the sur
face of high lake. i conntctsd " nld inierset
nbianing shorter. more direct and iess tortu o, u
ous line, avoiding the necessity OF admitln
/ into the canal the streams Gusnot ol. fspin
3 and Rio Grande; and. all houSh the cnlmlnat
r ING point of the new line was found 70 g
L higher than that of the water shed OF the Ls,a
: NO deem excavations, as those encountered
t The valley Of the Rio Gragds. would T. be ,enn, M
8 with and. at any rat. the difference In lsnkt
8 between the lines and the. simplteity ana pc
2 manence after cons ruction of tha no a
3 Medic route offered advantages that couiu g
q be overlooked. . .,a :.
II coftlinR to your insfrnctlons.. this line WI
lcarefully located and Ieveied from me Lake
|. Brito: Introducing convenient modlhcafiol.s ID
|: ifhS Lsjas line below tho point of tnterseclol