The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-14
TEE lsTHMUS SHIP RAILWAY
noply Of James b. Eads to M. de
Lesseps, Delivered before the
House Committee On
InterOceanic Canal.
How tho Largest Ships with Full oargoes
Nay BE- Transported Over the 1sthnus
From Ocean to Ocean 1t q
Speed Of Ten Niles
Per Hour.
The Railway 70 Cost only One.auArter
- Much - The Canal.

The Railway 70 Cost only One.Q Quarter
- Much - The Canal.
After the famous engineer of the Hues ca
nal, M. do Lesseps. had explained 10 tho
House Committee on the fntsroceanie Canal
hls project for constructing canal across
the fsthmue at Panama. Capt. James y. Eads
made the following interesting argument IN
favor of his plan 30 build q railroad over the
fsthmus for the -ptrpJse Of transporting
ships. He said.
Ia esl. auentips on tho project Of Count De
1ssstps. fehall consider the subject sinply "
"a eAktheeflnx one aud III relation 10 Ivy nraa.
VoSbillty, ls probable cost. the time needed for
~ N.Y. aase s Il ths praatieabtlity 81, Opening
I TIDE ievcl waterway through the Amerteat1
!thmY Y smRs question s 2. ons5 saa an "a
Instead of the narrow and tottuous stream
1s0fb etsom ~ ~ M tsa canon ID IL eat
6foV1h the Octdilleras Vt Panama. engineers
could Give 70 commerce a maRAltlsent strait,
fIds 81 iAe Faeifla would be felt on the shore Of
the OArfibgAA eea. and throuah which the com,
lAeros Of the next century might pass unvexed
Tks suisnce 81 snuineerins teaches these who
ptEetiep. 10 hoy the ierces n nature !nns be
daly al M engineer. when eharsed with the 70
fpohslesllty " SOLVING ~ important ellaineer r.
s asy tss ssasrs ssa Flese + 's,
..S n , sA . In ..es asa aas9s
c% III ianess 81 hsr steses such mesSods
sS 81 sEssl Il see ssa.o Es sa
CT mature. assure him Will certsinly accpinp lish
No oesirvs result In the least time and for the
Where III, arowins demand. d commerce. At
No crossing Ok y river, are 40 longer met by
@e use o{ = ferry. the ens!nesr sux9ssts 9
ena e ssa ..y sa 81 I'M
kejxht III The structure, he plane IN lite roadway
draw that may be opened for the trafac Of the
tkw trsiss 81 either b I'd treat u admit 81 III.
kl9Asr and more eostlk structure. whlch. anal
sS ssa swhe
tEAqsvstss route Will pass ser permanent
~. ns IL ssss
- bore through W earth beneath the river, aud
thus open Al 0nobstrueled oath By other means
" costl; Bridge Il Il his duty % Iaysstes!e
merits q the tunnel slse aad I hs aSs
Vantaecs. With his advice In the premises.
e ss sesss we stsssa s s es
(mpatieat ID 10 demands that the Winds o
World W. - startled sth Tue prepe.itlen q har.
nese Any ther ono OF natures fpIcee 70 the % r
q sna 81 s.ssy
tecush SAa been o sesauea % orc ehaane
ss ,ss Ss s ees Sss s hs ars
Sc T fSsss eSssr
erection. oil. y bridge. the same Glaze Of mon
AaAtn ehook their heads, because 70 them the
anaaatsd w. shs soe soI9ter q.
sses1s q q Cd faSsds s shsn . VIII
soe .h .a. r II sr
LARGE. fertile. and valuable tracts OF land
She sppsrinoumbent water could now OF 70
lower levels, but when engineers proposed 20
FrelAim The land which was once Yoyerea BY the
lake or HARLEM, by a revcraM 81 this mathod.
water ok the lake Into canals many foe. above
ne sT"n anne ha
Cs~sful method 10 reclaim the enormous area
covered By the zayaer Zte ~.
water from their shallow foundations and began
Ia build the piers for their bridges At the bottom
s ss e sns e wss r.
the piers IN much profounder depths. an! the
engineers or the. present nvs have reversed the
old methods, and begin the building 81 the piers
Or their bridges now on the s,utdae If the river
and sink single maaRae Of masonry weighing
1000 TONS through ipm.nss strata OF a ann.
below. by scientific methods totally unknown e
the RAclente.
should se borne u mind by I"Smen that The III,
laws that are absolutely unalterabls-laws that
are therefore. absolutely reliable: and thai
hMA given to the engineer over the forces 81 ma
tnre, the only limit g The possibilities Of NJ
works which be proposes to execute. For this
reason, the limit which should control the mag
nitpde Of biz projscs shoald no, exceed Ihe
fellow Weas mem. but, should tSsrs ossar pressing
ps she res,ons 81 eternel snow
., s se ssse 5, h ss' me Or tunns
through the broadcast base Of the Rocky mouu
that saa ,ns sntr.
cDonRh u disturb ihe dow II the auif stream
assured suss al Chat each and ali q these hipss
and many more. are within the possibilities y
Bic profession. II you will only furnish th'
rent engineer, having lust conception II II,
Immense capabilities 81 his nrt. VIII 2
once eonsede 5h.t Is eneir thyou nSssi ,h
Iethmus al Panama. twenty eight feet below
the ocean level. as proposed BY n. de Lssseps
provided the money be- supplied 10 meet thu
S,sf But II an engineer be asked to e,timat,
accurately the cost Of such cut he will tell 70,
that there Is one important element OF expens
in the nlan which Il l. Ion possible to ascertain
With any degree OF accuracy. he will tell ",
that 50 long a. the bottom OF the canal ts KEEP
ADORE tina rcaan level the average rainfall z
Panama will enable him to estimate witt
some degree Of certainty the probable onan
titY of drainage water that must De ,ak-l
care OF to enable the work to progress uninter
ruptedly. But when the ocean itself is tapped
as It must be 10 cutting the canxl twenty elxh
drainage become in possible. and the duanttt,
OF water which will probably enter through