The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1885-04-18
Lincoln County Leader.
Saturday. April 10, 1885,.
FRoRsEEW ORLEANS.


Some new and attractive exlib-
its are almost constantly being
added to this greatest show on
earth, " whose last days bid fair to
be its best. The latest single OBJ
ject OF universal interest to be
placed on exhibition, and one de-
serv ing more than passing notice
notice, IS a complete working mod
oil Of Capt. Eads proposed "Te-
hauntepec Ship Railway" now ON
exhibition, very appropriately, in
the Mexican section OF the Main
building and is constantly sur
rounded by an Iinte 'cstod crowd
of spectators. This most interest
ing "model" shows the entire
practicability of lifting the heav-
lest vessels ont of the water by
means of p%ontoons, Dr. floating
dock, almost precisely such as are
on the river in this port the ordi-
nary methodjfor docking ships in
all commercial countries. The
model shows the sinking OF
the pontoOn in the dock to re-
ceive the vessel when she is raised
by a lifting block which is capable
Of raising a vessel Of five thousand
tons gross weight the dock will
be $50 feet long, - feet wide and
- feet deep, arranged with a sys-
TEN Of hydraulic rams placed on
an intermediate deck on the pom
toon; The object Of these rams is
to distribute equally the weight Of
the vessel. The pontoon is guild
ed in its upward, and downward
movement by strong anchor rods,
or columns, passing through it
freely, and firmly secured IN the
foundations OF the dock. Upon
the pontoon is placed a carriage
supporting and moving the yes
sci, and as shown in the model,
receives and moves off with the
ship with as much apparent ease
rs i railroad tram. The track, or
railway, will haye six rails, three
standard gauge tracks OF + feet IS!
inches each. A full detail Of the
proposed railway would occupy too
much of your space and conld not
be made clear without the aid Of
diagrams, but the working OF the
''model" conclusively demon
strates its entire Feasibility. and
the gentleman in charge OF the eX-
hibit remarked to your correspond
ent, that " they would certainly
not be advocating the enterprises
If any doubt existed in their minds
of the success of the system"
1t may be added hat al the
best engineers in Europe and
America havc'fgiven Capt. Ead's
plan their Endorsement, and
it only remains to obtain the neoes-
sary capital, when the work will
be begun and prosecuted to a sue
cessful completion. Several sur
veys have already been made to
find Il suitable route across the
Isthmus, and the distance it Is
known can be reduced te 134miles
Of track, at a cost not to exceed
fifty Millions, though Capt. Ead9s
himself believes he can complete
the entire work at total cost Of
thirty-tivo millions. The result Of
this mammoth undertaking will
b. 10 revlutionize the carrying
trade of the world, and cannot tai!
to be of incalculable benefit to
the people, not only OF America,
but of Europe and Asia. To the
people of the entire Mississippi
Valley it mnst especially prove
Of vast commercil interest opening
mp, as it must, new and most
desirable trade with the entire
Pacific coast and its now far off
Islands. This route will reduce
the distance Of ocean travel be
tween San Francisco and New
Orleans 10 81 miles below that