The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-03-18

- 80. SOnCeSS1On, amonp
o.ner Things recites thatin consider.
ation OF the magnitude of the work
Eads or the company may obtain
aid from any foreign government
either IN money or in guarantees
ana may hypothecate the net reve.
nues to ut, and may transport IFS
mails, ships, property and appur.
tenances free Of charge, and NAV
reduce the tariffs on its commerce
and the prices of its passage Tn
rms case making the same reduction
10 the commerce of Mexico. This
article also gives the government
entering into such agreement with
the company the right of enforcinq
the same in the Mexican courts
With view of getting a guarantee
Oh Q per cent. dividends for fifteen
years on $50, 100000 of capital
stock from the Government of the
United States, Mr.. Eads offers TO
carry tor 90 years the commerce of
the country over the ship railway
at half the rates charged on all other
commerce except that of Mexico.
l ms is making proposition which,
II the feasibility of the ship railway
is assumed, is greatly in favor of
American commerce, and one that
would have tendency to largely
increase the American CARVING
trade. For the money advanced
under such guarantee it is proposed
to give the Government bonds pav
able in fifteen years, and in the
event OF their non-payment at ma
turlty, to have them receivable at
10 per cent. premium~for payment
OF tolls on American vessels. This
presupposes. on the same assump-
ton of the railway being practical.
that IN any event such bonds will
be repaid.
This face of the matter presents
the question in all its force of the
practicabllity of the railway and its
advantages over the proposed ca
nal. There would be in any event
the certain advantage of the vested
right OF the United States to control
the rate of ton on its tonnage for
90 years-a right contingent only
on the guarantee and the success of
the railway; right which can not
be secured in any manner under the
plans of M. de Lesseps should they
be carried out.
The opinions of many of the
most successful and skillful enei-
neers, including those -of practical
knowledge and experience in many
of the requirements of the railway,
are strongly in favor of its ultimate
and complete success and of its
superiority to any other plan for
transporting ships across the 18TH
mus. Henry Flad, president of the
board of public works in St Louis
and civil engineer of reputation,
states his opinion in six distinct
propositions, viz: I. The first cost
of the railway will be less than one
fourth that of the canal. 2. The
railway can be constructed in one
third the time required to dig the
canal. 3, Ships can be transported
as safely and quickly on the rail
way as through the canal. 4. The
cost of maintenance is less for the
railway than for the canal. s. The
excess of cost in transporting ships
over the railway, as compared with
the canal, will be insignificant in
consideration of the saving of in
tepest on the first cost. g. The ship
railway will offer safer and better
investment for capital. Are these
views visionary? A brief resume
of the suggestions, practical and
theoretical, and of the facts stateo
by the engineers in regard to the
line OF the proposed railway route,
will enable the reader to form an
intelligent answer Francisco de
Garay, who has been made mem
Der of the Legion of Honor by the
French government on account of
his ability as an engineer, speaks of
the route, as traced and located from
the Pacific ocean to the Chichihua
IINCl 40 having OLlJ Oi4C OACoh III q
distance of fifty miles; ashaving no
gradients greater than 2 per cent,
and for no greater distance than
two and one half miles; and that
the greatest cutting does not exceed
3I2 feet maximum depth and $500
feet in length. He claims that these
results demonstrate the practicable
ity of the railway.
William Sooy Smith, one of the
most practical American engineers,
and now in charge of the Hudson
river tunnel, expresses the opinion
that "ship railways on small scale
have long been in successful ope-
ration, both in this country and in
Europe, and any one who has
seen the large ocean steamers now
in use can not fail to pass by an
easy transmission from the very
cheap and temporary ways which
carry them SO easily into the water
to a well railway with
suitable number of frmly-buil'
tracks, over which these steamers
with their cargoes can be hauled
rapidly and safely" He further
saws: seI should be sorry to doubt
that the mechanical skill of oul
country will prove equal to the