The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-01-01
Thn ponarna shin pailrnad

NapI. JatUSS ID. EdQs arrived III New
York flom Europe Wednesday, and after
short stop proceeded on his way to st. Louis.
He went abroad four months ago to witness
the work OF European engineers, visited
the SueZ Canal, and examined the methods
by which the Danube and the river Thesis,
in Hungary, are kept nayigahle and within
their bounds. He 70 und these methods sim
liar in principle to those which be employed
in iettbg the mouth of the Mississippi, and
which he advises in improving the course of
that stream from st. Louis to its mouth.
He also had in view, in visiting Europe, his
scheme Of bnilling tramway across the
lsthmus OF Panama by which ships with
their cargoes can be carried from one ocean
to the other. He does not think an inter
oceanic canal can be built in less than 10 or
% years. In regard to the railroad scheme,
he said to Herald reporter
81 have no hesitation in saying that for
SUN not exceeding one-third of the estima-
ted cost of the canal-about $4,000, COO
the largest ships which enter the port OF
New York can be transferred, when fully
loaded, with absolute safety across the 18TH
mus on q railway constructed for the purpose
within twenty-four hours from the moment
they are taken III charge in one sea until
they are delivered into the other. ready to
cepart on their journey. Il would not be
necessary to have any sleeper grades than
those on our chief lines of railroads. The
roadbed need not be over forty feet wide
nor have mere than ei4 ht or ten rails laid
upon it to sustain the car or cradle upon
which the ship is placed. The vessel would
be lifted from the sea to the level of the
road by lock or other hydraulic device.
The lock would be twice the length of the
ship, ard only one-half of its length would
be deep enough to receive the ship from the
sea. The bottom of the other half of the
lock would be at the sea level and on this
the railway would commence. Into the
upper part Of the lock the cradle TO carry the
ship would be run. and the gates at the land
end would then be closed. The ship then
be tlOated into the deep end OF the lock and
The sea gates closed, after which water
would be admitted to fill the lock to height
sufficient to float the ship on the car to th.
upper lift, after which the water would be
drawn Off The gates OF the land end
opened, and the Car and its burden would
De then started on It's journey by rail. Al
The other end Of the road the Car would b.
run into similar lock, the gates closed over
the track aud those at the sea end Of the
loo. closed also. This being done, the lock
won d be ready r filling. after which the
| ship could be floated off the car and moved
TO the deep end Of the lock. The water
would then be allowed to escape from the
lock, the ship lowered to the ocean level,
the sea gates opened and the vessel would
0e then ready to resume her voyage in the
other sea. That is my plan, as stated ii
before | went to Europe, and my observation
of pub ic works there and conversation with
eminent engineers has only confirmed me
in my belief OF its practicabiiy. The actual
cost Of operating such q railway would be
considerably less in proportion to the ton
mage moved over it than that of the most
successful railway line in this country, fol
| the reason that the tonnage carried would
be hand ed by machinery exclusively, and
the ratio Of paying cargo to non-pay ing
freight would b8 much greater. The cost
Of maintenance in pr portion to the tonnage
! earrieu should be much less also. But even
| If we assume that The operating expenses
and III iutenance be equal to one.half of the
| gross receipts, it will be seen that ship
| railway will be q much more profitable
investment than a canal, even if it cost hall
the price vi the canal. whereas it should not
cost NOR than quarter as much. The
railroad could be completed ia four or five
| years. | think single track railroad, with
provision for side tracks to enable the Cars
TO pass each. other at proper points on the
road, would be ample to meet the demands
| of commerce at the Lsthmus for many years
| TO come"