The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-02-03

no particular engineering difficulties to
be surmoulted The hardest part of
the work will be making that cut 119
feet deep, through nearly three miles Of
solid rock. About sixteen miles will
have to be dredgad; and the remain
ing nine miles through firm. iow-lyine
ground, with only mud digging to 8
depth OF twenty feet.
Lake Nicaragua forms the most sup
orb harbor that can be imagined, and
therefore nothing will be required o.
either ocean beyond adequate protec
ton at the canal entrance; and sum
cient rates to reach in. The canal will
be able to accommodate vess Is of the
deepest draught. and through at least
~ per cent of the excsvated route. YES
sells can pass one another. Had thit
work been begun simultaneously wi b
the French ditch at Aspinwall, steam
ers loaded with grain would long age
have been plying between the North
western parts of the United States vIs
Nicaragua. as well as between New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, China, Aus
tralia and the Orient.
Though the canal is
ESSENTIALLY AN AMERICAN ENTERPRISE
he Nicaraguan officials extend to il
their heartiest sympathy and support
The corps of engineers now on the spot
are divided into land surveying, boring
and hydrograDhic partrs. To venture
in to the depths of q Central American
wilderness, cut OFF from all communica.
ton with the civilized world. is nc
caild's play, and so tar as possible every
preparation has been made for emergen
cies, in the shape of feyers, snaks-bjle les
and the most common evils of the sec
tion-for upon the lives of these pio-
neers the success of the enterprise
largely depends.
The Janaca negroes and the Ricara
guam half-breeds, between whom race
prejudice has always run high, are
working side by side. with no ill feelipg
so far. The running of transit and
level lines through the tracklsss swaMps
and almost impenetrable jungles
which are oDe M So of inuescrib-
ably rank and tangled vegetation,
10 no easy task-not to mention tht
swsrms OF poisonous insects of Harl.
GUS species, the constant dangers oil
local fevers, and the snakes, big anC
little (the little are the most deadly J
that haunt the solltudes.
In these sections the practical part Of
the work is done by n,achotes-tbe huge
knives of the natives-a sort of odd
cross between o sword and a scytte
with which every Central American i:
provided, wearing little more than SOM
breos, the workmen slash right and left
through ths dense forests, cutting
a path and making as much
noise about it as possible, with
a view to frightening away the
snakes and mlschievous monkeys. Thus
surrounded by ebony backs that glisten
in the sunshine like so many sections of
Russia stovspipe, the engineers
sklrmish ahead, with aneroid and
pocket compass. establishing the d.
rection of the line. Soon as the site
for q new stake is selected, the few
men around the engineer cut back in
the direction of the main PARTY, q
narrow path at first, which is speedily
widened by clearing away trees, vines
and branches. The stake is driven, and
the transit man being now able to see
the q 6
TAKES SIGHT.
The chain men follow, and more
stakes are driven at intervals of 1Go
feet.
After these, come the Jewelers., taking
elevations, depressions and cross-sec-
items. Once more the chief moves on,
selects another spot, aud the bare back
gaseAaterss hack away all around him,
thus, day after day, the work goes On
from dawn till dark. Meals are cooked
by camp-6res-dinners not to be
snee7ed at, either, with their occasional
rare bits of birdsand moreeane of roast
monkey; and by the evening blaze the
Americans play chess or cards, sing
songs and tell stories, while the Negous
and Nicaraguabs do little but sleep
away the fatigaes of the day,
interviewed by an occasional fsndango
o.:rape terca
The photographic work at Graytown
has required the service of no small
amount of nerve and good judgment,
for running lines of soundipgs in a
small boat through the heavy surf is
both difficult and dangerous However,
they have steel canoes. fitted with air
tight compartments, which ride the
crests of the breakers like SO many sea-
birds, and not an accident has been
indispensable adjuucts of any canal. and
sinoa the destruction of the old port at
this point, every survey has shown
constant and rapid changes in the
river channel.
Ii working off the bar, temporary
camp was established on the outer
beach. Herr the floods were so heavy
during the rainy season that often the
officers found their beds under water
and.were obliged,to take refuge in Gray
town. yet, strange to say, very little
sickness has resulted.
After the work at Port San Carlos
was completed, the party was lraps-
ferred to Brito, on the other side of the
Isthmus. Here everything was ss
different as the Atlantic diffeIs1rom the
Pacific, though in this section the two
great oceans are such near peighbors.
A worlds canal is not question to be
decided in moment. This piercing of
isthmus-wbich will probably work
a greater change in history than Ds
Lesseps' African ditch has accom-
pIlshed. is well worth time. labor and
expense. FANNIE B. WARD.
Rar PilIinmn naoa