New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-09-26
ROUTES FoR rHH GREAT cAyAL
DISCUSSION BY THE AMrmc,y SOCIETY or CIVIL
LN6ISEERs.

DISCUSSION Fly THE AMfuctf SOCIETY or CIVIL
LN6iEEERs.
A special meeting Of the American Society
o. Cls Engineers he ID Thursday cveung, 40 Va" IL
East Twentcth-st, for the pur'o-' of Discussing ih'
various proposed for lhe iu.eI-Oceanc CANAL l.
A. Clark presided
JIM. Kelley. WHO IA IN advocate Of tho san Blss
route. WAS rcqg.s tei 20 give narration OF bis eA
plorations Of tine I.tlmus drng tho last twenty
years. Mr. Koucy SAID that 40 began 10 study
The subject OF an iutci-oo guic canal In l-'i.
The first route 20 attract his attention WIS t.t
Atrato rouic which ihat uus appeared 10 him most
practicable. UanODIat had stated -omc"n.ro Ia Dis
wriiiugs that s,n, canal connecting the Arato ani
Ifando rivers Dad been Constructed once by stall'n
presf brt noration- hldlei hm IN ci-crctf
TIE fsspsrt5 oil engineers out b, ST. K'lley made
th,,r surveys IN 1852. In 1883. 1851 ana lsa'
otler parties were sent ont tho last ono ~
charge OF Colonel lotion, VINO has since con-
struc,ed The Panama Railroad. Mr. Kelley san
ne mad FROM the FIRST been in favor ~ saltwater canal
lie had been forced 10 conclude alter careful study 81
the subject that thc shortest AMI quickest route was the
best TIE results obtained hy hi engineers ne hf9 laii
many gears ago before the D-t engineers IN En-a4d
France aud oer countries o. Europe al " whom hai
given their approval. Subsequently these pans were
approved by Congress The rl1n he T. po,.l V ~
would ue about l1il'y n',s' nle or c.
10 feet al tue ION tunnel turOncu the ino"h-
f.iy- would .Lilr dimensions 90 allow ihr pas
a - 0f the Largest .Dluc vessels. O.ing 10 the SNORT
di. nre and oi lock- 200 ship 'nuid he io"tu
rom orc ocean the Other ssry tveLu-tDuT h1ui.
: T. Shallournc followed Nj Ncley. lie pointed ont
various routes on charts ~ic" h1 h"h ~ n"' ipl
tle purpose The H. AaunteprD oir-dN octtc" ~ ar
a.. a. IrV before il. +acilf. .a-' lriv cFrl!n--hdd
rrrai many Objectionable features. it- vicinity J." INC
United sttcs Mate il ras' 80 'i'i "a, 10, 'h"' W.
fe oni, tliag tnat hc SAID g. is favor II was 700
long beng 176 mites i'm cng IL IFS elevation oil
TlG feet mad" necessary great number OF
Locke one being required lur ten feet OF elevation
Tne Nicaragua rou.c was Isl miles n .csi c'orlinS
10 che -rlV,y. 10 construed ms rcii" w"uil r.
auilc S5G 300 cubic yards ct submarine excaydil u
Nn.cl oild involve an enormous rs. MIXTURE oI ume
and munev. OIlcr Obi cfluilH to tlr NitafhSNi Piah
,rrl. urgri ST.. rhelhouruc said that he r-recd win
alr Kelley thinking the san Bias route
the most pracdcaDs. lie would. however. nave
tie canal o. a hyel Win tnS a., A,i'"b by
Mr. Kelley, wnicn would make no change IN the tunnel
hut would require open cut deeper by several ieet
Tins tunnel could be shaped something Ike cOhlcal
beehive 100 feet wide at the base and los feet To tie
npry az the crown tunnel OF these Dimensions would
al uw largest els o pass. The backbone or The
mountain WAS granite With on. side n&pruck lorina
fions 70 was proposed. where the arches needed
biIriug, mai So ctsf-ifOn ahutrlrnts ana nrches
General Wtl-hi of Philad .lpui. called upon 10
= he lie , did not cou-ld = cana.
practicable withou. system Of locks. He could
not how ships could pass safely through
a tunnel Of sucl great length as that pro-
posed lie was In favor az the Panama route. which
down is3 cet the top oi the ridge the elevation
wOnd he reduced t0 100 fee, which could easily DC At
tuncd bY ri locke. IA" "stiina cost OF such
canal lac SAID Ae would put - .lOO,oOO,OUO.