New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-28
THE IYTEROCEAYIO CANAL.
THE CHIRIoul-GoLFrro ROUTE.


LETTER FROM EX-CONGRESsMAN FREEMAN IT.
MORSE CHAIRMAN OF TIE COMMITTEE ON
NAVAL AFFAIRS ~ 1SG0-'6l.
To Tic razor Of The Tribune.
SIR: The action Of NJ. de Lesseps and hls
associates in reference 10 proposed canal across The
I,hmus Of Panama seems to have attracted The atten
ton q both Government and people IN the United states
the Importance OF uniting tie Atlantic ana faciuc
oceans by a ship canal
The purpose Of this is not to tie oApedi-
cncy or necessity to the COMMERCIAL word Of such an
enterprise but to ask If al tie routes available for tho
location Of Il great work have been 'Sanhned with
sufficient care and skill Ne one vii for moment
doubt that undertaking Of slch m lgniade ana ex-
pcuse--one Intended to change facilitate and economic
maritime Transit between two great ocean..-should DO
rightly located and become pcIuier benefit 10 the
commerce of an CIVILIZED State.
Capacious deep add sa,c larAors arc necessary adj
,uncts to this contemplated avenue and sIch natural
h4rUors en- BE found either side the Isthmus II Is
need ess to say how infinitely they will Re superior to
cor dued. and often unsafe, artificial on"s, N which
large amount OF an tonnl must often be collected
DO these harbors exist nj points which be united
by the des red waterway Certainly hey are not
found at the termni Of the Tohuanepec Nicaragua and
Panama routes. The approiches 10 tue TWO former are
through open shallow roadsteads. and artificial har-
brrs would have to b. made by dredging and masonry
aud kept open by constant labor and expense.
The Atlantic terminus AZ Panama also On open road
stead where ships cannot always lie in safety, while on
The Pacific side in the Bay OF Ponama, deerwater yes
sells approach within iut or five miles from the
conseque nty vast amount Of dredging must 30
resorted to before ships gain al approach 10 tho
canal.
But on the Isthmus Of DaTien. some three hun
dred miles north OF Panama there IS poInt wher sac
harbos-yng nearly opposite each other-"re found on
either shore Boh these haIbOrs have great depth Of
water close in to the land, and both are eapaeious
enough for all the maritime commerce ever key to ac-
cumuate in them, to ride safely at all times, and "a all
veathcrs.
These harbors are the Cbr:qui Lagoon on the Allan
tc aud tue Guf OF GOhto tie Pacific side The pas
axe from the 10 the har5or ri c MO Is abou5
half nile wide aud the harbOr itself about siX niles
long by mil n more IN width. There Is 10 bar at ne
entrance aud both there and inside The h1rhor The
wafer Of ample depth to nat the largest aud most
derp Walden naval mercantile vessel Probably DO
beer barbur can be found tie whole PaInc Coast,
and the distance acrcss the Ishmus to tie rgy mag
nifcent harOor OF the Cnir4m Lagoon is Only ABOUT
WITHIN short distance Of this lagc On there Is an
abundance OF good steam coal and the subject 81 sec1r-
cUaling station for GU Cur ana soulhrln Ai'a.is
Squadrons. Of connecting the two haroos Dy ia auu
! thus supplying cur Pacific squadrons at Con o. was
Investigated by the Naval COnutlteO Dom bouets y,
Congress the session 1850 ami lotl and reported
In lsGo the CHAIRMAN Of the House Committee made
extended report with maps ana many impoiI'a 40,
county etc. when report inuI.eu SVu-iss 20 ~
ne the sending OF shin Of war 90 Chriqn, win &c
/ ".
the coal ngineers survey and report GpUn no
practica6ity OF connecting the TWO IdipOss f f ~
Evans reported favOrabY upon the coal aud tie enSl-
nrer on the steamer sent {" Corrupt, well - those
who tested tine samples brought home Tor trial, pro-
! mounccd II good steam coal.
50 far everything proved favorable bu; me surveyors
were allowed time to look for one route a DID, t4s
they found rid &c OF highlands, through Mhch tht.e
| said 70 be passes o. not nor IMAM IA tAo
elevation OF the route surveyed The Surveyor, how
ever, reported railway rs quite practicable 'i'I tne
more elevated route surveyed. either Oy tuuLe or
! deep open emf. . .
TIE writer las the report Of the Naval Committee.
or any other document relating to the SUI rc L. Whch
he can IF r hut should your readers desire 10 JoR M
Their INTO this neglected aud almost unknoNu ln'er-
by water transit attracting mucn attention, the re-
port OF the House Committee and s"ccch OF - CHAIR
m N made near the close ~ tho Session o. l-tl ma
published The Deily Globe ea,ly n March OF that year,
may throw !ohI upon this interesting and import
| ant Qu, stlun 49,.
IT, OF "A thorough and careful survey or the country
between the two above mentioned AarDo9S tie elevation
81 land should he found anc usuinodntaOc COST cit 20
a waterway sufficient Tor prcScn. alt Future cowmerce
net veen the oceans. tacn uuquestiJnaDY tie chi
uqu anC GOO route possesses ~ fdLt1ses id superior
! tn any other 80, ,.,,-----, 80.
ty n rough which the proposed watcrNHy Is TO run, are
" such Importance % 50 vast and enduring WOE NAV
| an commercial uations-api especially the United
STA eS-nust feel great Interest ~ h"NnE ms route
moro thoroughly surveyed before tie location = canal
J. finally Determined upon IL s. therefore % BE- hoped
that the United states Will give nnmo"iate attc non 10
natter 80 important 20 itself and h world N large.
! Ktchmond, Surrey. EnglGad Marsh .. 1850. T. II. NJ