Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1882-01-07
Some Great Engineering Projects.

The shortening of commercial routes
by means of ship railways and ship
canals seem to be the great ambition of
the engineers of to-day.
In addition to the De Lesseps Ship
Canal at Panama, the Eads' Ship Rail-
way at Tehauntepec, the Florida Ship
Canal, the Chesapeake and Delaware
Ship Canal, the Cape Cod Canal, and
others in the interior of this country,
there are several other important pro-
jects of like nature under way or in
prospect in various parts of the world.
The old project of connecting the Bay
of Fundy and Bale Verte, on the Gulf of
st. Lawrence, across the Isthmus of
Chignecto, has lately taken new form.
ut is now proposed to make the connec-
ton by ship railway eighteen miles
long, thus making short cut for navi-
cation between the United States and
the ports on the st. Lawrence Gulf and
river, and saving the long and danger
Gus voyage around Nova Scotia.
The protector of the ship railway, Mr..
H. G. G. Ketchum, writes us that the
plan grew out of desire to save lock-
age and deep channel in the design of
the Bale Verte Canal. His first plan
was to lift vessels by hydraulic power on
pontoons and then float them through
the canal. The idea then occurred that
they might as we'll be lifted to the sur
face of the ground and hauled across
the neck of land on rails. The road
may be level and perfectly straight from
end to end. The plan has been submit
ted to the Dominion Government and is
favorably entertained. Mr.. Ketchum
has issued an interesting pamphlet rela-
tive to the project, which may be con-
sidered at greater length elsewhere.
Across the ocean the construction of
the tunnel under the British Channel,
connecting England with the Continent,
is being prosecuted with an energy
which is indicative of ultimate success,
and thus far no obstacles have been en-
countered to make the undertaking a
difficult or exceptionally hazardous one.
In France the connection Of the At
lantic with the Mediterranean by q ship
canal, to save the long and stormy voy-
age around the Spanish Peninsula, is
under serious consideration, and the
Council General of the Seine have just
adopted a resolution approving of the
project.
The ship canal across the Isthmus OF
Corinth, in Greece, to shorten the route
to Constantinople and the ports of the
Black Sea, has, we believe, been def
nitely determined upon.
In the far East holder and more
important project is in contemplation
with a view to shortening the CONNER.
cial route to China and Japan by Coz
miles or more. At the head of the Ma
lay Peninsula is the Isthmus of Kraw
connecting Upper with Lower Siam
and by the cutting of ship canal at thi
point, about thirty miles in length, tn,
need of sailing around the peninsula
might be obviated. At Kraw, the Ma
layan Peninsula, which stretches south
ward for five hundred miles to Singa
pore, is at its narrowest breadth, ant
the distance across from the side of tn
Indian Ocean TO that of the China Sea
is further decreased by the existence o
natural waterways for some distance in
land from both shores. From side +
side it is no more than fifty miles, an
the Pakchan River, on the western coast
and the Htassay on the eastern, affor
the ready means of further reducing il
The distance, therefore, over which
would be necessary to cut canal woul
probably not exceed thirty miles. Tn
neighboring districts are known to b
fertile and to contain great miners
wealth. A tin mining company hs
been established for more than ten yeal
at Malewon, on the Pakchan, and gol
| has been found in the neighborin
stream of the Lenya. So far as know
the engineering difficulties are not {
stupendous character, and politics
drawbacks and considerations FORT
nately do not exist.
The French appear to have taken II
: Cad in .prpp6sing thE important con
niieTeiai Shortcut, and, if the opinion
the London Times is we'll founded, Il
Government of British India will n,
decline to actively participate in its ex
cution Scientific american.