Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-08-26
EADS'SHIP
What he Says About It's Construction by
British Capitalists, who Appre-
eiate Its Possible
Advantage 10 the Commerce ofthe World
The Great Engineer Sanguine
OF Success.
You can say that the T~ehuantepec ship

You can say that the T~ehuantepec ship
railway will certainly be built quietly
observed Capt. Eads to the correspondent
of the New York World. THAT l.. il will
be built if / live FIVE yeaH longer. Brit
ish capital will build the road, and think
the time will come when Americans Will
regret that Congress did not accept my
proposition. 1t is strange how ignorant
the majority Of our people are ri the geog-
raphy Of North America. | suppose nine
tenths OF the people vino have read about
the projects for -interoceanic transit
imagine that DE Lesseps's canal and the
ship railway enterprise are ON practically
parallel lines, lille as q matter Of TACT the
proposed ship railway route is 200 miles
in an air line north OF Panama, where De
Lesseps proposes To build. The two routes
are a. tar apart a. from here to the capes
of Florida. A vessel going IRON New
York or Liverpool to SAN Francisco would
be Obliged TO sail 2+o0 miles further by
the De Lesseps route than by mine"
Captain, it has been reported that your
advice has been requested in relation TO
the proposed second canal across the
Isthmus of Suez What are these reports
based upon?"
II have received a number of letters
from influential persons in England on the
subject" was the reply, a. though he did
not care to talk on the subject, land the
fact is that the whole subject Is Just now
in a very complicated condition. England,
controlling Egypt, owns the land, and De
Lesseps has the exclusive right to build a
canal. De Lesseps is supported by Mr..
Gladstone, while France, whose only
thread of connection now rests in De
Lesseps, is al anxious spectator. Thus,
while England cannot build a canal, she
| can hIttd "a shin ratixxuN without VIOLATING
any obligations"
"What would be the cost of building n
ship canal across the lsthmus of Suez?'
II should think between SIS, 600 COO and
$50, 900, 600. The T~ehuantepec railway
will cost, / think, in the neighborhood Of
S~50,OO0,Oc0. This road will be 100 miles
long, while the distance across h lsthmus
of Suez is only ninety miles. | will he
able very soon to give an accurate esti-
mate of the cost OF this road. -Four sur
veying parties nave been in the field since
the LIST of April, and every foot of the
route has been examined. / expect Ia
learn the result OF the surveys in a few
DAYS, and as soon as il is received / will
sail for Europe. Sufficient work has al
ready been done pom the road-bed of the
railway to comply with the Mexican grant,
According to the terms OF the concession
we were required to begin work on the
road prior to May |, 1883. We have ten
years from that date in which to complete
the road, and it can be easily built and
equipped within four years. The heaviest
grade on the road is fifty-three feet TO the
mile, an elevation that would hardly bc
p~erceptible to the eye"
Said /: Captain, there is a general i'm
preston that your railway scheme is inn
practicable, and that a road of sufficient
strength to bear the enormous weight of
5OO0-ton ship cannot be built; and if il
could, such "A ship could not bearthe strain
of transportation"
THAT idea is entirely erroneous" wp
the reply. THAT vessels of the largest
tonnage can be taken from the water, cargC
and all, and carried upon railways, il
proven beyond doubt or cavil. 1t has ire
quently been done at Liverpool, Malta
Bombay and other ports. II a ship can b,
carried 300 feet On a railway, it can be car
ried 300 miles"