The Portland daily press., 1886-01-20
FROM WASHINGTON.
The Race for the United States
Marshalship.
A. S. kimbaII, ESQ.,, of Waterford
Confident He Will Win.
Description of Eads' Proposed Ship
Railway.
Especial to the Press. ]

| WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.-There is likely to
be quite lively contest over the United
States Marshalship for Maine. Mr.. Bisbee
term expires next month, and A. S. Kimball
of Waterford, Oxford county, who is here, is
quite confident of success, though he says
Mr.. Holman of Franklin county is close
competitor Mr.. Emery of York county also
has some following.
The supporters of the EadS Atlantic and
Pacific Ship Railway across the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec are here in force, and power
| full effort will be made to secure legislation
favorable to the scheme by the present Con-
gress. Next Friday has been designated by
the House committee on commerce for the
hearing of arguments in its favor by Messrs.
Eads and Winston the promoters of the plan.
A large working model of the proposed rail-
way has been set up in the Senate committee
room on Military Affairs and as there may
be some readers of the PRESS who are not
aware what the railroad is or how it is ex-
pected to work description of it may be of
interest.
In general, it is proposed to take vessels of
any size, from the water, place them upon a
railroad and take them bodily across the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and launch them
on the other side without injury or incon-
venience, thereby saving the long voyage
around Cape Horn.
AT first thought this would seem impossi-
BILE, but after seeing the working of the
model it loses its impossibility, and becomes
even practicable. The idea of transporting
ships by rail is not a new one. The trans
portation of sea going craft overland was ac-
complished at the Isthmus Of Corinth as long
ago as 400 B. G. In the middle ages the
Turks transported ships of war in like
manner, and hundred years ago Sweden
borg carried three war vessels across one of
the peninsulas of the Baltic.
Before the construction of the Suez Canal
a ship railway was proposed there by two
English engineers, Messrs. Brunlees and
Webb. ''What has been done can be done"
and if ships could be transportedin in the olden
time why not now when every advantage
which modern science can give is at the COM
mand of the projectors of the plan. At each
terminus basin leading to the oceanis ex-
cavated, walled in with masonry. In this
basin will be placed pontoon which like an
ordinary lifting dock will be capable OF lift
ing the vessel from the water. This pontoon
will be built of steel strong enough to sus-
tain any weight to be put upon it when out
of water. 1t will beisunk by sluice gates
which will when open let water into it, and
fioated after the ship has been placed upon
it, by pumping out the water into the sur
rounding basin. 1t can be raised in about 20
minutes.
e., 4,nxx Of l,a
vessels is built of steel girders, and its great
est strength is in its cross girders, the longi-
tudinal ones being only strong enough to
carry the trucksplaced under them. The keel
block running the length of the car through
its centre is flexible enough to conform to
any Irregularities in the keel of the vessel.
The supports for the vessel consist of heavy
steel rods, at the top of which are adjustable
hinged battens which will conform them
selves to the shape of any ship. In lifting
vessel the carriage is run upon the dock, and
fastened securely, so that each of the sup
porting rods comes exactly over hydraulic
ram The dock is then sunk and the vessel
foated over it, and placed as nearly as can
be judged with its centre of gravity over the
centre of gravity of the dock. The dock is
then raised until the bottom of the slip rests
upon the carriage. Force is then applied to
the hydraulic ram and the supports of the
carriage are pressed against the SIDES OF the
vessel. These rams are automatic in their
action, so that the weight of the vessel is
equally distributed over each of the support
ing rods. The valves are then closed, leav-
ing the vessel resting upon the rams, the
dock is then pumped out and risen above the
water. Nuts are then screwed down on the
supporting rods, the power is removed from
the rams, and the vessel is left, supported
upon the carriage and is ready for her jour
ney. The car runs upon six rails arranged
in pairs with the ordinary gauge OF Amerl-
can railroads, and the power used is ordlna-
ry locomotives. AS so long and infieXlble
body cannot pass round a curve, the road bed
has to be straight or practically so A curve
having radius of twenty miles can be trav-
ersed, but thisl so small as to be practically
a straight line. As it is impossible to make
perfectly straight line from coast to coast
a change of direction is made by means of a
floating turn table. This consists of an Or
binary floating dock upon which when
grounded the car with its ship is run, the
dock is then floated, turned in the desired
direction, again grounded and the ship pro-
ceeds again in her new direction. Five of
these turn tables are necessary in the trip
from the Atlantic and Pacific. Much objec-
ton has been made to the scheme on the
ground that the strain upon thesShip in lift
ing and transporting her would be more than
any vessel could stand, but it is cOnclus1yely
foreseen that the strain would not be tenth
of what all ships receive from the action of
the sea in storm.
On the 2Sth day of May, 1881, the Mexican
Republic made concession to Mr.. Eads,
which makes the following provision: 1t
gives right of way 1924 feet wide across the
Isthmus for the construction of a ship rail-
way with the line of telegraph for a period
of 80 years. The public lands are given
gratis and authority for the condemnation of
all private lands. A million acres are given
in aid of the enterprise. The right is grant
ed to import machinery, instruments, coal,
etc., necessary during period OF SO years
free of duty. 1t provides for the toll, about
$500 per ton of cargo carried, and Tor each
passenger sum not exceeding $l5O0. All
the property, bonds and shares OF stock are
exempted from taxation, except that OF rev
enue stamps, the release from which the con-
Stitution of Mexico prohibits. Passage is TO
be open to all vessels of nations not at war
with Mexico. The company is forbidden to
sell or mortgage any of its property or rights
to any foreign government. Work must be
begun under the concession within two years
from May 1st, 1881. This obligation was
complied with and the work was begun with
in the time specified.
The government of Mexico further guaran-
tees that one third of the net revenue of the
company for fifteen years after its successful
opening shall amount to 81 ,250,000, and gives
it the right to secure similar guarantee to
the amount of $2,50O000 in addition. The
original land grant has been since increased
to 2,700,000 acres.
The guarantee of $2, SOC, ,000is what is asked
OF the United OLaUeS government db tlle pres
ent time, the guarantee not to take effect un-
til a vessel weighing with cargo of 5000 tons
shall have been taken from the water, trans
ported over the railroad at speed OF not less
than six miles an hour and launched on the
other side without injury to the vessel, the
test to be satisfactory to commission ap-
pointed by the President.
The amounts advanced are to be. repaid
through the receipt of the company, they is
suing bonds for its payment, thus making it
a reimbursa5le loan, for the payment of
which the United States has the bonds of
the company and the receipt of the road for
security. The company agree during the fif-
teen years Of the guarantee to transport all
government vessels, property, mails and Off
cials, and to transmit all government tele-
grams for the nominal sum of $500 per an
mum. The company is forbidden to trans
port any war vessels, ammunition, troops, or
contraband of war, of any nation at war
with the United States or Mexico.
The immense advantage of such a railway,
if successful, must be evident to everyone.
1t saves in distance from New York to Hong
Kong, 8,777 miles over the route by Cape
Horn and 1851 over that by way Of the pro-
posed Panama Canal. From New York to
San Francisco by this route it is 10,797 miles
less than round Cape Horn, and 1,173 less
than by Panama. Over eighteen routes from
New York to cities on the Pacific, the saving
in distance by the railway is over 125,oo0
miles. Thus it will be seen, II this plan is