New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-18
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.
ANCIENT IsTHMUs CANAL SCHEMES.

| ANCIENT ISTHMUS CANAL SCllhMEo'
Don Justo Zaragoza contributes to the B0te-
| tin of the Geographical Society OF Madilu
series OF interesting papers OH a1cTn' paa;Gn
| schemes between the Atlantic ana the Iaclnc
| in Central America. There were three places
| which the Spanish OF the sixteenth century
! thought of for these schemes: the lstnmus OF
| Tehuantepec in New Spain, now Mexico; tne
| rivnr of San Imam of the Lake of Nicaragua, IN
! the republic of the same name ana the ChaEre
River and other parts OF the isihmuo VI
! Panama The investigation OF Iehuaht5ptc
was abandoned az that tlme TO DC rene"cu III
! the present century those Oh NlcdiaHu'' W.. w.
| actively pursued in the seventeenth century,
! and were nearly being executed ABOUT tlc
| middle of the eighteenth century, during the
! reign of Charles ILL.,. and the scheme OF canal
! through the lSthmus of Panama., also aDah-
| doued has now been renewed by VI. LeSSeps.
| In the paper published in the October hummer
| of the BOlctiR, ID. Xaragoza gives some lhIorII
| nation on the litte-knOwn scheme OF q cahai
| via the Lake of Nicaragua, which scheme ap-
| peared in the year 1913, with Il map Oh the
| land PREPARED by Arias GOnzalO. In Iooo zap
| tain OchOa de LeguiZamo explored, on tIie same
account, the PuertOs de Gaballos ana OhSeca
| Bay and during the years 1850 To 1888 map
OF the projected canal, still existing, was pLc-
pared and survey was made between 'he
Pacific and the Lake of Nicaragua, when last
proved to be 1873 Castilian feet above the sea
| level, the height OF the watershed beng oof
| feet. This scheme met with great OppoSltlol'
| the chief reason for which was found III INC
| statement of Juan Bautista Antonelll, an ehgl-
neer sent by Philip H., who declared the
scheme quite impracticablc; and y. Zaragoa
publishes Il memoir, by j. Antonio dc Escaruh,
| to prove the possibility of the canal.
| PROGRESS IN APPLIED ELECTRICITY.
Not the least notable characteristic feature OF
| the wear 1881. says The Scientific american
| has been the increasing attention given to use
| full applCations of electricity, due partly 10
| rauid advances in electric lighting, but more
| PERHAPS to the prominence given to eleClricai
| of1airs Inv tine successful exhibition at Paris.
| The storage of electricity, called, though not
| new. has been greatly developed and improved
! during the year. From being laboratory eX-
| pcriment known to few it has risen to be prom
| Using factor in the practical application oi
| electricity to every day affairs. The employ
| meut of friCtIOnal electricity Ii the separation
| of bran from flour has been brought pr0ml-
| upntlv before the scientific and milling WorId
| during the wear. and a successful mill using
! electric purifiers throughout has been cstab-
| lishcd. The electric railway has been more cA-
! tcnsiyely tested IN the carrying IL many tiou-
| sands of passengers at the Pdrs Exhibition /;
| and ground has been broken for cOmmcrtlal
| electric railway in Ireland. The system oil
! telephone stations for civic purposes begun ID
| Chicago has been much extended, adding
| materially to the efficiency of the police syS-
| tenn Among the undcveloped but very prom
| i,ing discoveries made public during the
| wear I'm connection with electricity We must
| not forget the experimental researches when
| have produced the photOphonc, Ithcrmophone
| and other applications of radiant energy IN thc
! Transmission Of speech. Much that Is usciul
| may come from them.