Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-13
CAPTAIN EADs AND THE sH1p RAILWAY.

Captain Eads delivered an address to
the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
on Wednesday, explanatory of his scheme
for a ship railway across the Isthmus.. 1t
was very lucid and interesting statement,
and it must have removed many previously
existing misrepresentation and prejudices
from the minds of his hearers. The plan
proposed by Captain Eads is for twelve
rail track. On this cradle would be
placed to receive the vessel. This cradle
would be lowered down an incline plane
into the sea until the ship was placed
directly over it. Then it would be drawn
up SO that the ship could be securely
shored up, and when this was effected two
powerful engines would be attached, and
cradle and ship be drawn over the Isthmus,
and launched into the water again ON the
other side. A cradle for ship and cargo
weighing 6,000 tons would be about $50
feet long, and would rest on twelve rails,
feet apart. On each of the twelve
rails there would be lis wheels,
SO that each rail would carry 800
tons, or about four and one-third tons
to the wheel. As the drivers OF 2 arge
freight engine bear with a weight Of SIX
tons on the rail, it is evident that the
roadbed and rails and ties would not re-
ouire to be heavier than those of an ordi-
nary well built railroad. To avoid curves
in the road it is proposed to erect turn
tables whenever it is necessary to leave
the straight course. The Captain is conf
dent that this method of transporting ships
and cargoes is entirely practicable. He
however frankly meets the staple objec-
ton, namely, that the vessels would be
liable to strain themselves, and shows
that it has no force, the fact being that a
well constructed ship would sustain far
less strain in the cradle than every
ship is subjected to at sea in a
gale of wind. He also points out
that ''should it be necessary to
give any additional strength to the sides
"of vessel, almost any number of
supports may be employed. These can
Sc be made to extend from the sides or
"galleries of the cradle, and could be SO
"applied that injury to the vessel would
be simply impossible" He adds that
&c some of the ablest engineers in this
country and abroad have decided I'M
" hesitatingly that loaded vessels may be
Z" thus carried in perfect safety. Among
&C. those who have so decided is Hon. +. j..
Reed, late Chief Constructor of the
British Navy, an engineer of the highest
reputation, whose knowledge and ex-
"perience of shipbuilding are second per-
haps to that of no man living. Indeed
{" 1 may safely assert that since l first
" preached the subject of ship railway l
"have not found single engineer who has
expressed doubt as to the prac-
i" ticability of the project. The first
alleged advantage of the ship railway is
its superior economy. Captain Eads esti-
mates that it can be built for nifty millions
of dollars, while the Nicaragua Canal
would cost at least hundred millions,
and the Lesseps Canal probably three times
that amount The ship railway is also
alleged to be far less subject to accident
and blockade. Captain Eads believes that
ordinary Underwater or lock canals would
often be injured by vessels running into
the banks, and that unless they were built
very wide, which would greatly increase
the first cost, this danger would hamper
their operations seriously.