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

ty to any port on the Pacific, thus giving to
st. Louis, the Queen City Of the West, and
the whole valley OF the Mississippi, direct
water communication with the Pacific side 81
word, the completion Of the Tehauntepec
ship canal would be the opening Of the Mis-
sissippi into the Pacific ocean another world
of waters"
Thus spake this great engineer twenty
seven years ago. This was before he became
aware Of the fact that neither this great work
nor the opening OF the Mississippi river with
deep and permanent outlet to the Gulf
equal to that of New York-was not what the
trans continental railways and other great
interests Of that city and section want, and
don't intend We shall have, 50 long as they
can fool us with their jetty and other kindred
Jobs. such is now proposed at the Darien
IsthmuS.
OF this great work In 1871, Admiral r. w.
Shnfeldt said: Every inch of ground has
been gone over BY my own people, and every
observation carefully verified. The supply
OF water is taken from the Rio Corte at a
point never before verified or thought 81 TOR
this purpose. The photographic surveys at
the terminal are entirely original, ana on
these points the problem Is solved. The sat-
istactory solution which we have reached as
the result Of much labor and anxiety, demon
strates the practicability Of this important
work.
81 make no estimates OF It's cost. 1t may be
American progress, peace and prosperity"
[ could 60 on giving similar opinions OF
several other distinguished men, but Will close
this part of my article by quoting from my
own report, "The Route to the SeabOard, n
made III 1877 on the Barataria Ship canal,
when said: Build this canal lthe Barataria)
and the construction Of the Florida and the
Tehuantepec ship canals will as surely follow
as does water seek its level or light give forth
heat The first will not only cut off all that
40 rt nf Elariil coast
shorten the round trip fully 400 miles over
the present route from New Orleans to East
ern and European ports, while the other canal
will shorten the distance from same ports
fully 5000 miles more over the Panama route
to the Pacific ports of China and India and
back, thus placing New Orleans only $50 miles
north from this new and direct line OF trade,
the worlds future road Of progressive com
merce.
This will bring the trade Of Central and
South America the East and West Indies,
China and Europe to your doors, at the same
time make New Orleans the commercial
worlds centre Of trade as well as the great
supply, watering and coaling depot the only
fresh water port In the world where, when not
in actual service, the great naval ships OF all
nations may rest free from the storms.
rusts, worms ard barnacles Of the seas"
/ also have the qualification to know that
the Florida ship canal project IS IN the hands
of men who will soon eonsummate that great
work.
AS for the Tehuantepec ship canal, that
will also b. carried through in spite OF these
tricks and jobs now before the country, and
did the people Of this valley have even one de-
termined, honest, true and incorruptible man
In either house OF Congress, who had ever
given those great questions a second thought,
the next Congress would be forced t. make
the appropriations and take the proper steps
to build the I'ehuantepec ship canal.
In order that this work, as proposed BY
Col. Williams, may be compared with other
similar works in Europe and America, ! will
give the following table from Col. Willams's
report:
TABLE A,
showing the length, height of locks in feet
Ind number Of locks of some Of the principal
canals In the world: