The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-14
MkxrcOs sHrP RAILWAY
The OiA Tehusntepee Project Revived Us.
der New Auspices.

AASVC 0HA& "AAS"A@s
The OiA TeAuantepee Project Revived U..
der New Auspices.
WASHINGTON. April 13.-Mexico has n OF yet
given up her hope OF competing with Nicaragua
and Colombia to furnish the ship route OF the
future between the Atlantic and the Pacific. The
disadvantage In breadth under which tho 18th.
mus ofTehuantepeo labors is very great, whom
1t comes to question Of cutting canal: but
mexicos project Is to substitute the device OF
ship railway. Ifvessels can DO safely raised
out OF the water. placed on cradle. run by
locomotive engines along track. ana then
lowered again into the sea. a few miles moro
OF track 10 matter OF minor consequence
me revived project has been taken UP by
Messrs Corthell. Hampson, and Stanhore. OF
whom the FIRST named has been for some time
employed by Mexico in making harbor i'm
provements. 1t is said that the Government
has S2OOO.OOO ready as n subsidy for q COM
pany bold enough to undertake this work.
OF course. with tho Nicaragua project 40
we'll advanced. an attcmp pit to compete for in
teroceanic trafflc by ship railway at Tehuan-
tcpec is moro heavily handicapped now than
1t was ten years ago. when Mr. james b. Eads
| was at the head OF the enterprise. But as an
Offset 1t would hardly fear n rival in the
Panama project. which was then going on
busily. with a large supply Of funds.
The idea Of the transportation OF ships by
rail has long been entertained. It was sug-
gested when the Panama railroad was under
taken. More than quarter OF a century ago 1t
was proposedas method OF conveying vessels
between the Mediterranean ard the Bay OF
Biscay In order to avoid the long route by way
OF the Straits Of Gibraltar. But tho striking
and stupendous scheme OF Mr.. Eads. brought
out In 1882. was not mere conception. but an
deliberately studied plan. 1t attracted attcn-
ton by it's audacity. and perhaps the chief
reason why it was not more strenuously
pushed was Its being so experimental in char
actcr. 1t seemed hardly worth while to UNDER
takc on SO prodiGious q scale. and with such
risk OF total failure what could be essayed BY
tho device OF the canal. made familiar by ages
OF engineering. However 50 far us Mexico is
concerned. it seems to be that or nothing. in
order to create at Tehuantepec a rival to the
southern canal routes.
Looking only at the interest Of the, present
Bay proec has to
ton. There an illustration would be furnished
on q snail scale. and with comparntiyely little
9th! ether pr9ieet IN snip lifting and transporta.
Lake Ontario by track s9as'a miles lSns
although for this a canal has been proposed as
rs substitute Ut But the ship railway across the
the head Ct the Bay Of fundy. and Northum-
stf has has ong bss1 Hnder con-
funds and it would possibly almost pny any
company cenips, nndcrtaknG the great Tehpantepec
Is littie doah! that When Mr Eadss und ste
markapie conhic Of opinion between not only
and naval architects was due to TIE ' exixen:
question of the Feasibility Of ship railways.
M How the thiGnecto railway. to nesn with. is
at Tehuantepec was to be ut least iso j." miles.
The difference in level between the two ends
airy OF Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. is
G on. ah%ut forty,sevsn feet with no engineer
at Tehuanepee there Is the s' Great tns
tain chain of the Cordlleras to cross. ships
inin apparently to be carried over an eIeva-
try the hydraulic lifts provided for Chignecto
Bay. which. as heretofore stated in thee.
1000 tons. as thus described in British tech
meal journal:
Tnsrs are on each side twenty hydraulic Of
head from Mh,ch hang two links joined their lower
SIS Sn fs1fs p ,s b.
IKE s on SSs Of
b ny n. I TaHG e. lr nn% .hc erron e @
w on s,,hsH SIDE t prety m asts
hi. Mny Of .sF .ns Ta
width draw v. u feet and weighing in all 900 tons
q i,s x,S..s
!
resting on boxies running double line raj
under ship tons there Will run % solid heels
OF feet diameter formed IN Seciions feet long and
each having "a wheels.
Admiral Ammen. who. to be sure. could not
be consid cred an unpreJudiced authority. be-
Ing at the head OF u rival enterprise. consit-
cred it n fatal objection to the project OF Mr.
Eads that the height OF the lowest mountain
pass was !54 feet and the grade. at the max:
imum. 1O5 feet per mile, One cut proposed
had depth OF 3l2 feet and a base OF 1900
requiring the excavation Of about 4.OOU.UOO
cutie yards. which would cost about So. 900 600
and occupy six years. Mr.. Eads's own esti.
mate OF the total cost OF the railway WAS ST.
OOO.OOO. but Its opponents thought this very
far below tho real expense. On the other side.
it was urged that. by few turns. the heavy
grades. deep cuts. md costly filings mentioned
BY Admiral Ammen would be avoided: but the
latter says that this could only be done by an
enormous turn-table. Of vast cost on account
OF its foundations. 1t Is also asserted that
since curves cannot be used as on an ordinary
railroad. several such turntables would be
required
However. in order to obtain any true idea OF
the pructicahility Of Tehuantepec railway, it
will BE- necessary tirst to have, the route care.
fully laid out. and then it will be seen what
peaks are to be avoided and what grades to be
overcome: The start would perhaps be. as
IN the Euds scheme. from the head Of naviga-
ton on tho CoatZacoalcos. with n terminus
on the Pacific in the region Of SalmA Cruz or