The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-01-15
Another Gigantic Enterprise.

the achievements OF mind over mat.
ter. Mans giant intellect Is ever on
the alert to achieve some new wonder
by which he may annihilate time and
space. Thus the lapse Of few years
has witnessed the lightning chained
to his bidding. and flash the affairs OF
nations beneath the ocean sfrowning
pillows, and across huge continents;
steam, q docile slave to whirl him
from ocean to ocean, and many other
wonderful achievements OF science
and genius. which less than q half
century ago were considered but
chimerss OF q drea mer's imagination.
The Inauguration Of 1881. however,
opens with the prospect Of q still
more gigantic enterprise than any
which man has ever yet dared to I'm.
dertake. aud which has we'll been
termed the Eighth wonder Of the
world" This Is no less than the
building Of ship railway across the
Gsthmus Of Tehsunsepec, by which
vessels ofany tonnage can be whirled
across the isthmus from ocean to
ocean, almost as rapidly as ordinary
trains travel upon these iron high.
ways.
Capt. FADE, one Of the most bril-
liant and successful engineers Of the
age. whose fame Ia world renowned
In connection with the jetties at the
mouth Of the Mississippi; who has
travelled over the old and new world,
examining the great engineering cue.
cesses Of all lands, IL the manipula.
tor Of this magnificent and novel
undertaking, and declares its feast.
bility. and as presenting no engineer.
ing difficulties that may not readily
be overcome by money, brains and
modern appliances. Besides this
plan Of linking the two oceans by
rail and transporting thereon the
huge vessels Of the world. two 9th.
or prominent personages propose the
same contamination by means OF Ca.
nals-De Lesseps, the French En-.
gineer, across the Isthmus OF Paua.
ma, and U. s. Grant, heading q com.
pany In Nicaragua.
Capt. Eads has but recently re-.
turned from Mexico, and was not on.
ly warmly welcomed by the people
Of our sister Republic, but secured
most important concessions from
Mexico In iurtherance Of his plans.
He is now at Washington, to attend
to the passage Of a bill introduced at
the last session Of Congress incorpo.
rating lads and his associates into a
Company entitled the Inter. Ocear
Transit Company. 1t is needless, in
our circumscribed limits. to enter In.
to a description Of the provisions Of
this bill. Suffice it to say, that Capt.
James B. Eads' we'll known perse.
vearance and Uncomfortable energy :
bis fame and name as q successful
Engineer are sufficient guarantees of
bis success. The American people
have seen bis works and their won.
derful accomplishment, and will not
hesitate to place means at his dispo.
sal for the accomplishment OF this
most gigantic undertaking of the
age, before the colossal proportions
Of which all other modern works
"Pale their ineffec' ual fires."
The New Orleans democrat. in a
long and interesting article on the
subject, says:
The point selected by Can't. Eads
for his railway ia about the centre Of
the 1sthmus OF Tehuantepec, and be
will, by taking advantage Of the Coat.
zacoatcos and Uspanapa rivers-tWo
broad, deep and beautiful rivers
save some thirty-three miles Of road.
building on the Atlantic or guilt side.
and by utilizing one or the other OF
what are called the upper and lower
lag0oDs on the Pacific side. save
there about twenty miles Il road.
The gulf terminus will be thirty.
three miles inland on the Uspanapa
river. and the Pacific terminus prob.
ably on the lower lagoon, which ia
susceptible OF being made q mapni.
dcent roadstead Ur hal Dor. being
about twenty miles long and twelve
The route selected Is at q point
where the tsthmus Is narrowest, or
l43t miles wide In q direct line. 40
that It is probable the road viii not
be much over one hundred miles long.
as over fifty miles are saved by utiii.
ztng the water ways. There are aiv
passes through which q railway NAV
be built. the highest OF which (Masa.
hua) ts 643 feet above the level ~ tha
Pacific, and the lowest (Tarifa) IL
only 6Sl feet, 80 that there will be no
steep grades to overcome aud the
road will be practically level. The
climate OF the isthmus is siDgularlv
mild and salubrious, the yellow fever
never having invaded the countrv
many villages of which are yisiiei
as health resorts by the people 81
the Mexican Statef, -
The products Of the country ara
coffee Of the finest quality, which
grows wild on the banks OF the Coat.
river; sugar cane. which
produces for thirty years withont 70.
planting and which grows eighteen