Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-05-06

must, tnat u ~ eeten0El 20 tho eucceestll
issue Of the enterprise srd 10 economy in
the end. For the Information Of the
genersl reader IL is sufficient to ssy that this
enormous surveying work consisted in run.
ming parallel aud tassverse lines for the
purpose Of ssceftaining the exacs topogfa-
ply Of the country and determining the line
Of Least expense, and what devistions, il
any. from the originally projected route
would be necessary to follow tnst line.
The din iiculties encountered in making
these surveys can be realized by nobody
who has net been over the ground across
which they have been run. The forest aps
pfoaches within . few hundred yardD Of
the sea and consisss Of huge trees with
their tops more than hundred feet from
the surface while great vines descend from
their lofty limbs and fasten their roots in
the ground forming circular colonnSdes
Between these great trees which the pa-
tives say are species of fig, palms Of
msny varieties spread their featheRy fol-.
age while from tfuak to trunk 10 dsnse
mass of luxnrixEt undergrovth opposiog
entrance like wall. For more than 10
miles inland the ground is fiat aud only q
few feet above the sea. At the present
time the soil is dry but sui SO soft that
you sirk nearly to the knee in every step.
wh,ls in the rainy season il is ssid to be
covered with water and reduced to the COZ
sistence Of slush in which the pedestrian
who ventures upon it will sink to his ARM
pits.
Ii Is against such difficulties that the sur
veyors had to contend, cutting their way
with machetss-lop knives like broad
ssords-in dry weather. wsllowing in slush
aud often swimming besides in wet weather.
The work Of surveying was begun by the
company in December, 1887, and from
three 10 eight parties, consisting Of five
officers and II men each, have been con-
stsntIy in the field ever since. The last Of
the surveys was completed on the Pacific
slope about week ago.
To return TO the visible work. Grey
town is situated on lagoon. Forty years
ago it was at the mouth Of the San Juan
river ii hsd q fiue harbor and ocean steam.
ships OF the heaviest drsught could come
up TO it's whlrves. IL was the point chosen
by Comm ,dore Vandeib blt 40 the Caribbean
Sea terminus OF bis steamship line run in
opposition to the Pacific Mail. He had
line of stesmers up the San Jnan river and
scress Lske Nicaragua, and his point of
4
Sur, many miles south OF Brito, which is
TO be The western terminus Of the canal.
IL is necessary to recall this TO show that in
the day, Of the rush to California Greytown
was an important point, but when the canal
company begsn operations here her glory
had long since departed.
Tie San Juan rad turned aside from iis
its old course, emptied its waters into the
4 Il l. I-fs l.. -
mouth Of the hsrbor filed up entirely and
a ssndbar above high water mark stretched
across the once deep outlet to the ocean. A
uavrow creek, connecting with the Colorado,
sforded her only communication with the
ocean.
When the canal company began work its
material was unlosded upon the open sea
st the mouth Of the Colorado and trans
ported in lighters scross the cutter bar.
There is also an inner bar, at which the
lighters hsd to be half unloaded to enable
them to cross.
In December, 1889, the company having
set up its plant On the verge Of the forest
at the north end of the lagoon, began The
work'of opening psssageway to the sea
across the beseh that divided the lagoon
fror, the ocean. This beach varied In
width from 800 TO 500 feet. On the ocean
side the current sets from south to rotth,
and across this almost st right angles huge
breakers roll continue susly impelled by trade
wirds. which perpetually blow half gale
from the northeast A break " ater was pro-
jected, to be AZ feet wide and 100 feet
long, ex.endir g straight out into the ocesn
and consisting Of six parallel rows Of piles
connected by strir gpieees and girders, the
isterstices to be fllsd with brush ard
weighted with rock. The site for the break
wa.er was established about mile norh Of
Grey.owD, and Immediately on its being run
cut for little distancs the combined action
Of the eddy and the breakers began ~ cut
a channel scross the beach along iit north
side. The action ofthe water was inefe ased
and accelerated as the bresk ssser was ex-
tended, and the beach was speedily cut in
two. At the same tine the beach grew
seward on the south eide Of hs break
water, which was thus ,eveited By solid
lar IN thst side.
When the bresk water hsd been carried
500 feet, an outlet from the lagoon % the
sea had been made by the natural seencies
above described, 800 feet wide ard 6 feet
deep Dredging increased the depth to
about Ia feet in the shsliowess parts, st
which point ii has since been maintained.
The breskwater IL now l0l5 feet long
Work on 1t has been :empo' a,iiy suspended
because a qusrfy opened by the company
on the San Juan river has been used up.
and the supply of rock for filing in is tenn.
porsrily exhausted. The company's rail.
road hss now been extended to within three
miles Of Point at which al iuexhsustibie
supply of rock can be secured. As soon as
this rock ID available, work on the break
water will be resumed and pashed.
Another bseskwa.er has been started
about 200 feet north Of the firtt and pushed
out about 400 feet. The work OF driving
piles on this last is still u1def way. A
novel method is employed in dfivisg the
piles. When the pile is placed in position,
a galvaniz ID iron pipe about inches in
diameter Is sffired to 1t, so that the end Of
the pipe is about foot bslov the lower end
of the pills. as the Pile is dropped end on
upon the ssid. powerful jst Of water IL
forced through the pipe, aud 'hs pile sinks
dom OF its own weigbs almost to the re-
quiret depth, when the pipe 10 Withdrawn,
and few taps Of the hammer drives the
pile home. An estimate Of the value Of
ibis l2bor.ssviDs device eau be made from
the fact rha: by i,s aid pile is usually
driven in one minute. The piles are
sil hroushs from the United States, mainly
from Wilmington, n G., and are all
creosotsd, ss they must be to protect
them from that destructive little boring in
sect the tefedo. This inject abounds in the
sals water here, And il will destroy uncreo-
soted piles 10 q few months. All Of the
| piles used 10 the two bfeskwasers, exesps .
few which were imperfectly creessted,
hsvs not been attacked by the insects,
though many Of them have been in the
vster more than year. The company has
had dsep water 1redge constructed ia
| Scctlsnd, which 10 expec.sd here nsxi
month. When il arrives. ihs work oi
dredging Tie cutter bar will be begun, and
Chief Engineer Menocai is confident TIA
with It's aid and the complexion Of the
brsakvaters q depth Of 80 feet can be
secured and mxietsiaed st the entrance tc
the canal.
| The r&ilrosd 10 on the sorth side Of ths
canal, few hundred feet Away aad nesrIy
parallel with il Ths track has been laid
nine miles inro ~ insesior. aod the grsd
| iag 10 well advanced mile further. Ths
| clesring has been made three miles beyoui
70 the foot Of the divide where the roci
needed In thes construction Of tho break.
water is to b qusrried.
\ Slight Gain BY Dsmoctats.
~