Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-01-23
How to Connect The COnweres Of the

How 10 Connect The COHemeree OF the
Atlantic nnd the Pacific.
All branches Of industry, but especially
agriculture and manufactures, are vitality
interested IN the problem Of making q clos
er connection between the commerce OF the
Atlantic aud the Pacific oceans. Whether
the great expense involved, the engineer.
ing difficulties to be overcome, aud the
very long time required, will render inn
practicable an inter.oceanic canal, and
cause the substitution therefor OF a rail.
way for transporting vessels across the
isthmus, is question which will probably
have the attention of Congress as well us
Of capitalists before long.
In advance OF its general discussion we
reproduce below letter which was
printed lin The London Times Of II recent
date, from Hon Il. j. REED, II member Of
the British Parliment, and said to be the
most celebrated architect in Europe:
write to express the hope that the pro-
ject OF substituting ship railway across
the Isthmus of Panama Tor the costly canal
which is in contemplation, referred to in
the letter Of your Philadelphia correspond
ent in the Times Of this day, will receive in
this country and in France the cOnsidera
ton which it well deserves. have for
some time past had under consideration u
similar scheme of my own Tor conveying
ships hcross the north of the great peninsu-
la of Florida, andRlthongh have not had
leisure 10 develop il sufficiently to Justify
me in putting it in detail before the pub
| lie, | have gone long way towards sHtis-
! flying myself that il is II feasible plan, and
| highly economical in comparison with n
ship canal.
! Mr.. Eads who has now announced and
advocated the plan in America, is an en-
gincer OF the greatest ability, distinguished
| alike by the greatness OF his engineering
| conceptions and by the theoretical and
practical knowledge which he brings to
bear npon their development ] first made
his acquaintance in connection with war
vessels and machinery constructed during
| he American war, and found him most
able in grasping the essentials of the war
ship problem and in the application of
steam to the objects in view. lie has since
given abundant evidence OF engineering
skill in other spheres and on larger scales.
1t may not be generally known that this
country has done much in the way of lift
ing vessels bodily from one level to an.
other, both in the case of the hydraulic
docks OF Mr.. Edwin Clark and in the An
derton barge lift in Cheshire, where the
Bridgewater Canal and the River Weaver,
(of which the former is forty feet above
the latter are placed in working commu-
nication by tho raising and lowering OF pom
toons with vessels ailoat within them.
am satisfied that by modifying the plans
Of these hydraulic operations and greatly
augmenting their scale, and by interpo1-
ing railroad communication between the
seas to be connected, ships can be conveyed
across intervening land much less expens
lively than by canal where the distance to
be trnversed is great.
As my own Investigations OF the subject
have been limited to the case OF Florida
where the country is generally level, can.
not undertake, without inquiry, to say how
much the mountains of the Central Amer
lea route may add to the difficulty of con
Meeting the Atlantic and Pacific by the
plan proposed but in all other respects
would presume to claim for the project o
Mr.. Eads the most'careful consideration.
| am, sir, your obedient servant,
E. j. REED.