New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-01
BIG CANAL SCHEME
ADVANTAGES OF THE SAN BIAS ROUTE.
THE RESULT OF F. W. KELLEY's EXPLORATIONS
ON THE PANAMA IsTHMUs.


ST. who has spent the last thirty years directly or
Indirectly studying the problem OF building canal
across the Isthmus Of Panama. is enthusiastic
advocate Of the San Bias route. which he says has
superior advantages 70 any other The San Bias route
takes lie name from the San BIAS Bay, which is a
magnificent harbor capable Of floating half Of the
navies Of the world, according TO Mr.. Kelley. The
route Is situated about forty miles from the present
Panama Canal and us but thirty miles long from
ocean to ocean. As will be seen by the statements
givon below. Mr.. Kelley believes that 1t would be
10 the advantage OF the Panama Canal Company 10
abandon its present route despite the stage which the
excavations have reached, and adopt the San Bias
route a matter, not only Of expedIency, but Of
economy as well.
The theory" said Mr. Kelley to a Tribune reporter,
" Is not In one sense, now one. Following up the
theories set forth in the writings Of Alexander Won
Humboldt. set out early 1854 TO examine the
Atrato River in New-Grenada, In the province Of
Choco. accompanied by John @. Trsutwne as engineer
Our survey resulted in proving Hum
boldrs opinion that that district
yhe best adapted to a canal without locks to be
untenabls In 1852 and 1853 1 sent three moro
expeditions into the same country follow up Taut
WINGS survey and examine the district about the
head waters of the stream which he had not reached
They confirmed, however, Trautwine's theories
In 1854 sent Captain William Kennish, OF the
United states Army with Instructions to examine
route along the Atrato and Tuando rivers the latter
being an sluent Of the former. The surveys showed
thas route practicable for canal without locks.
'fhe Atrato, It shown, could be used as feeder
tn the canal. which would have length of about
I31 miles When the maps were completed, went
to Europe, whore I discussed the feasibility of the
proposed canal before the Civil Engineering and Geo
graphical societies OF London, Paris and Berlin.
palnerston. Clarendon, Won Humboldt, Professor
Kiepert and Emperor Napoleon manifested great inter-
est in the scheme. but failed to agree upon the
control and scope Of the canal.
al returned to the United states in 1853. more
thorough examination and the possibility Of over
flows in the rainy season we'll as It's comparative
great length, resulted in my abandoning the Atrato
route and induced me to order a survey Of the San
Bias Bay route This route proved to be the shortest
of all as It IS but thirty miles across
The Panama Canal which De Lesseps has constructed
is fortysIx miles long while the Nicaragua Canal is
at least 1G1 miles, The first survey was made IN
1864 by my engineers. McDougal. Sweet Foreman
and Rude Subsequent surveys proved the correct
ness OF the first estimates and plans. IT Is this san
Bias route which favor to-day, as my agents did
at the Paris Congress in 1880 from which I was
forced 10 DO absent. The objections which were
raised against It in 1880. and finally led De Lesseps
to adopt another route have become futile In the course
the other routes
These advantages First-It is. as / have
already said the shortest route. Second-It has ex
cellen harbors at both ends. advantage OF which
the Panama Canal cannot boast The Panama Canal
Company proposes to build breakwater on the Colon
side Of the canal to protect the harbor from northern
gales. They forced also to make excavations In
the harbor for several miles in order to make It ship
WORTHY Third-Where It would require the removal
Of I3O,OOO,OOO of cubic yards of material on the
line Of the Panama Canal in order to make IT a sea
level canal. the San Bias requires the removal of
only 40 900 600 cubic yards TO make IT sea-level
canal 40 feet wide and twcnty-eight feet deep. a
difference of 10000 900 cubic yards. Fourth-The !
San Bias route does not line of drainage and
hence is not subject to overfows.
"The objection which has been raised against the |
San Bias route IS its miles of tunnel. But in
these DAYS Of explosives steam and compressed air
drills that is not a serious objection. Tho Mount
Cents tunnel Is seven miles long. and lined
throughout with brick and granite at cost Of S13
per cubic yard st. GOthard IS than nine miles
long and cost but $40 per cubic yard. The Hoosac |
Tunnel Is almost five miles long. and the Croton |
Aqueduct Is twenty-eight miles. The engineers of
France and England seriously considering the I
question Of tunneIing under the English Channel. |
These examples show the inadeQuacy of such an OBJ
lection.
The Panama Canal company nave already spent
$3.50 900 900 In attempting to make sea-leve canal
and have failed. II Is reported that they have now
renouncsd the idea Of sea-level canal and have
decided build a canal with eight locks. To finish
the canal on the lock plan will cost one hundred |
millions The advantages OF a scaevel canal
over a canal on the lock system various. The
sc level canal has locks to get out Of order
ships can pass through on an even keel with
out obstrcuons 1t is cheaper in operation
NJ
be able to pass through the san Bias Canal in ton
hours, through the Panama Canal 10 nineteen hours
when all is in order, and through the Nicaragua
Canal which is also to be canal with locks, in
ffy-scven hours. Thus the advantage is with the
san Bias route An additional advantage might also
DO mentioned The heavier rainfalls the At
antic side of the Isthmus and the lighter on
the Pacific Side As the largest cutting is on the Pacific
side OF the san Bias Canal the advantage In build
ing It. would be considerable from that point Of view
There is also scant supply OF water on the
Panama Capal summit. much Inferior to that on tho
Nicaragua summit, and hence they propose to use
enormous steam hosting engines during the dry
son But these sng r San6ot Worn any s
hcse reasons. as we'll as Others which might be men,
toned, believe IT would be greatly to the ad-
heir present and adopt rho San BIAS route.
hus enabling them to carry out their original sea-
evel plan. ] am prepared with maps, heights, sum
nts and prohles to sub,antiate my statements: A
iberal estimate for The cost Of construction Of the
i've millions for Contingencies and thir-
millions mad. for lining the co,om tunnel The
rnmcnt TO the Panama Company covers the San
Bias route The present lquidator receiver Of the
company has applied TO the French courts for per-
mission to sell out the entire property concession
in order to form new company. which shall raise
80 millions TO prosecute the work proposed l
IN convinced that II brosght before the projectors
D the proper way they would abandon the lock-cana
n the Panama route and adopt the san Bias as
matter of economy and facility"
SUIT OYER ASSETS OF THE NEVADA BANK.
san Francisco Cal, Nov. 80 (SpeciaD. A dispatch /