The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-21
Bay Of Fundy, and Northumberland Strata.

- Hunuy, ana Straits,
mas long been under construction. It is
now suspended for lack Of funds.a and if
would possibly almost pay any company
undertaking the Tehuantepec project to in
sure the completion OF the Chipnecto enter
prise by way Of experiment.. There is little
doubt that when Mr.. Eads' undertaking
was before congress a part of the remarka-
BILE conflict of opinion between not only
capitalists but civil engineers, ship builders,
anu naval architects was due to the exipen-
cles OF that scheme as we'll az to the general
question of the feasibility Of ship railways.
Now the C%hignecto railway, to begin
with, is only seventeen miles long, whereas
the one at Tehuantepec was to Be at least
l3O miles. The difference in level between
the two ends on the Ohignecto line, which
lios at the boundary of Nova Scotia and
New brunswick. is only about forty-seven
feet, with no engineering difficulties Of
consequence along the line. But at Te-
huantepeo there Il the great mountain
chain Of the Cordilleras to CROSS. ships
having apparently to be carried over an eli
ovation Of $50 feet. It would also be pos
sible to try the hydraulic lifts provided for
Chignecto bay, which, rs heretofore stated
in these columns. are designed to handle a
British technical journal:
IheIe are on each side twenty hydraulic
rams OF twenty-fvo-inch diameter. On
the top OF the ram is q cross head, from
which hang two links Joined at their lower
end with Immense iron Orders. forming a
wide. When a ship is to be lifted the grid
iron is allowed to rast on the bottom OF
the dock and the vessel foated immedi-
ately over it. Then, by the raising Of the
rams, the gridiron is lifted. and, being
fitted with u cradle suited to tho ship, il
rests on them, being wedged up OH either
side pretty much the same way as a craft
r!eady for launching. With this mechan-
ism a vessel of 240 feet length and aixty-one
feet width, drawing sixteen feet, and
weighing in all 1000 tons, may be lifted
forty feet in twenty minutes. A double
li u .s o. rails .a laid on the gridi5on. and it is
dies are made of steel Rirders resting on
bogies running on a double line Of rails.
and under q ship Of 1000 tons there will
run l92 solid wheels of three feet diame-
ter, formed IN sections seventy-tive feet
long, and each having sixty-four wheels.
Admiral Ammen, who, to be sure, could
not be considered an unpreiudiced author
lty, being at the head of a rival enterprise.
it a fatal objection to the prof.
cot Of MIR. Eads that the height OF the
lowest mountain pass was 754 feet and the |
grade, AZ the maximum, 105 feet per mile.
One ont proposed had II depth OF 312feeta and
q base of $500. requiring the excavation
OF about 4,oUO,W0O cubic yards, which wculd
cost about &c. 900, 600 and occupy ak years.
MIR. Eads' own estimate of the total cost of
the railway was $72, 600. 1000, but it's OPP
ponents thought this very far below the
real expense. On the other side it was
urged that by a few turns the heavy grades,
deep cuts and costly filings mentioned by
Admiral Ammen would be avoided; but he
says that this could only be lone by an
II turn-table, of vast cost, on &C.
count of its foundations 1t ia also asserted
since curves cannot be used as on IN
ordinary railrond, several such %turn-tables
would be required.
However, i'll order to obtain any true
idea of the plactionbility of Il Iehuartepec
railway it will be necessary FIRST to have
The route carefully laid out, and then il
will BIO seen what peaks are TO be avoided
what grades to be overcome. The
'tnrt woal perhaps be, az in the Eads
'nheme, from the head Of navigation on
he Coatzacoaloos, with II terminus on the
2aoitlc in the region Of salma Cruz or La
i%entosa,. sZs5%zM% 49,