The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-17
THE INTEROCEANlC CANAL

To THE Eprron THE HERALD
The editorial article upon the interoceanic canal
through the American isthmus in the HEnAIps issue
Of the sth inst greatly in and does njus-
ticc to the United States In tho first place, IL says
that Lieutenant y. b. wyscs report to the French
Interoccani> canal Association the operations Of
the exploring party under his command reduces to
certain simplicity the chaos Of projects for the
struction OF canal which shall connect the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans" How this simplicity is attained
the article does not clearly state but it that
adding lines to those already surveyed and
reporting favorably upon them il certainly seems
that such an addition would increase the chaos
alluded TO in the article. supposing any existed;
the only other way out OF 1t Is by believing Lieu
tenant Wyses Judgment to be infabc in the science
of engineering. and hence the ease with which SIM
plicity can be obtained
The article considers that zone Of the discouragng
aspects of the great enterprise has been tho
difficulty Of finding any to determine which
of the multitudinons routes already proposed was
really preferable for solid reasons to all Others, and
in doing Is greatly in error for the reason that
commission consisting of General HUMPHREYS. United
Navy and Professor Pierce United States Coast Sur
vcy appointed by President Grant for the purpose OF
investigating the claims of the different laid
down for the canal gave the subject exhaustive
study, and from an abundance OF reliable data was
able TO report very decidedly upon the advantages and
disadvantages OF each route, and to recommend tho
Nicaragua line the most practicable. Instead of
condition of chaos regarding the project the loca
ton Of the canal there is every evidence OF system
since the United states instituted the explorations
and surveys of the different portions OF the sthmus,
and it would seem that the imaginings of chaotic
condition resulted from the supposed existence Of
sixteen plans. There are, exclusive OF the two nes
surveyed By Lieutenant wyse, only routes that
have held out any encouragement for survey from
ocean, and four of these have by thor great
proportional impracticability been considered az out
OF tho race
From the fact that Lieutenant wyse rejects by
wholesale all the lines surveyed save his own, u
must be considered that he stands prominently forth
of the class which, according to the article
contributes to the supposed chaotic condition. The
article IL certainly right in regarding the work OF
Lieutenant Wyse as important material for tho
sdcration of the Interoceanc Canal Commission but
its importance Will be TO prove that the surveys
made under the direction of the United States gov
ernmcnt were exhaustive 20 degree. which confrma
tory proof will be very acceptable
To enter into discussion OF the merits Of the diff
ferent routes would nccessitate lengthy article nor
there occasion for such discussion the present
purpose Is attained in correcting tho mistakes which
reflect unjustly upon the United States upon tho
officers who zealously and faithfully performed
the difficult duties of prosecuting the surveys
that terrible country. At the International Congress
OF Commercial Geography held in the Trocadcro.
Paris, last september, tho subject 30 which tho
greatest attention paid was the project of canal
the American isthmus, and IL there known
and recognized in q very complimentary manner
that the United States deserves great credit for the
excellent results of its surveys.
JOHN T. SULLIVAN
Lieutenant United States Navy.