Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-19

| a descent Of IL feet to the mile, as.
sisted by four locks with 26 to 20 feet
fall, the level of the sea is reached in
the harbor of Brito, on the Pacific, q
distance of 1927 miles. The Summit
of the continental divide cut through
in the western division is the lowest
depression of the American isthmus,
The engineering Details of this en-
tire route have from time to time been
fully described and discussed in the
Herald, 80 that it only remains to be
said that the course of the canal lies
through beautiful and picturesque
country, abundant in timber and
building material OF all kinds, and
possessing virgin soil as fertile and
productive as any famed valley of the
Orient.
THOSE WHO WILL DO THE BRAIN WORK.
Civil Engineer R. E. Peary, United
States Navy, who has been detailed
to superintend this important work
is an officer of great experience and
recognized ability. having been Mr..
Menocal's assistant in the survey oi
1882. Since that time Mr.. Peary has
been to Greenland, where he made a
very successful reconnaissance of the
obstacles and ice conditions of the in.
terror. He is now Assistant Engineer
of the Nicaragua Canal Construction
Company and will have entire charge
Of all work until the arrival of Mr..
Menocal.
MIR. Peary will be assisted in his
present work by Mr.. j. Francis lie
Barron, Secretary of the Southern So
ciety, and member of the American
Society of Civil Engineers. Mr.. LIE
Barron has been engaged for a num-
Der of years in canal work on the
Florida Isthmus and in charge of
harbor improvement in many cities
along the coast.
The work Of the expedition will at
present be entirely in the Eastern di-
vision, between the lake and Grey
town, and will consist of hydro
graphic and boring party, and five sur
veying parties.
DIVISION OF THE WORK.
The photographic party, under
command of Ensign w. J. Maxwell,
United States Navy, an officer thor
oughly familiar with the work, will
determine the velocity of the current
in Greytown Harbor, and take the
necessary tidal observations for the
establishment of the port as we'll as
those required to ascertain the amount
of silt deposited by the San Juan and
its tributaries. A careful survey will
be made and a chart prepared show
ing profile OF the harbor and neigh
boring islands. After this work is
completed the party will proceed to
the point where the San Juan joins
Lake Nicaragua, and later to the point
of Brito. on the Pacific. Before return
ing another survey will be made at
Greytown and the change noted
This will be of great importance in
showing the force that are now al
work destroying the harbor and the
engineering features necessary for its
restoration and preservation.
The Office of this division are Nc
Donough Craven, assistant; d. B
Macauley, Paul B. Cooke, H. D.
Murphy and John Kirk.
The boring party, in charge of Mr..
E. W. Hunt, will proceed to the site
of the proposed dam at Ochoa, anc
there ascertain the character of the
foundation. Each division of the ex
pedition, however, will be furnished
with a boring machine and instructed
to test the soil for rock the entire
length of their line. Wherever founC
and located another party will be sem
with a diamond drill to secure speci
men of the rock for analysis.
WHERE THE SURVEYING PARTIES WILL
LOCATE.
Surveying party No. l, in charge O.
Mr.. j. w. Pethard, civil engineer, has
orders to proceed up the San Juan q
far as the mouth of the San Juanillo
thence to the "potero" owned by the
pilot Of the Mariposa. There a tenn
porary camp will be located and ar
officer dispatched with cooked rations
to explore a passage via the "Laguns
Bernado" up the Rio Deseado, to the
site Of lock No. l. A permanent camp
and primary bench mark will be
then established and operations con
Quoted from point two miles beyonc
the lock. toward Greytown, as far al
the San Juanillo. The officers of this
party are H. G. Miller, First Assist
ant; Ricardo Molino, Second Assist
ant; Paul Spicer and George B. STRAIT
ton.
Party No. 2, in charge Of Mr.. Frank
P. Davis, G. E., with provisions fol
three months, is ordered to proceed
up the San Juan to the mouth of the
San Francisco, thence by canoes a.
far as the Canyon de los Chanchos to
the mouth Of the Arroyo de los Gas
cador, and if possible to the Saltas dt
Elvira, where the permanent camI
will be located. At this point =.
primary bench mark will be estab
lished and the line carried eastward
across the divide, to connect with th'
initial point of party No. at lock No
u. The officers of this party are: w
V. Alvord, First Assistant; A. j
Menecal, Second Assistant; P. v. R
Van Wyck and John M. Murphy.
Party No. 8, in charge of Domingo
Garcia Cartaya, with three months
provisions, will ascend the San Juar
as far as the San Francisco and pro
ceed to the site of the proposed EN-
bankment in the valley. Here &
primary trenchwork will be estab'
lished and careful study of this sec
tion made from the mouth of the Sar
Francisco to the junction of the Cans
de los Chauchos, in order to locate
the best site for the embankment
The officers at this party are: J. G
Holcombe, first assistant; H. G.
Litchfield, second assistant; Emil
Diebitsch and Louis William Hohun
Party No. 4, in charge of Mr.. Gar
rett Savage, civil engineer, with three
months provisions, after reaching the
San Francisco, will ascend the river
by canoes as far as practicable and
endeavor to reach the highest point
located by the expedition of 1885
Here a primary bench-mark will be
established, a permanent camp 10