Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-02-26
NICARAGUA CANAL.
A New Survey of the Route
Will Probably Be Made.
Ship Railway Project--Facts Con-
corning Tehuantepec Scheme.
Now Considered Certain That Oceans Will Be
Connected by Water.

Washington, Feb. %. Especial. y
There appears to be little prospect of the
passage of a Nicaragua canal bill at this
session of congress. Speaker Reed is still
trying to keep down the total appropria-
tions, and the most that is expected is an
act providing for Il new survey of the
route, as recommended by the recent board
of engineers. Many Of the friends of tho
canal enterprise would like to pass n bill
at once committing the government to tho
scheme, but this seems impossible. The
attention of congress has been directed
anew to one Of the most interesting of all
recent engineering prospeots-the proposed
ship railway crossing Mexico at the 18TH
mus of Tehuantepec. The senate recently
republished as public document lecture
delivered before the Geographical society
of Washington by ono of the engineers Of
that project, ono who was associated with
the late James Il. Eads, tho famous en-
gineer, for several years. Many senator's
believe the ship railway tho better method
of cutting the American isthmus. They
prefer it to u canal for the reason that it
can be more quickly constructed and at
less cost.
Engineering Difficulties.
The Canadian parliament has recently
made an appropriation for completion Of
the Chignecto ship railway in Nova Scotia.
That railway was begun some ycars asl
and partly completed, bur Of lage bias lan-
guished for want az funds. 1t Is nor he
lieved it will be finished in a ieW yc9rs.
and if it proves an engineering eucGo5a is
is considered curtaig lie IoAu-nteHec
project Will be regarded with still lnoro
favor in the public mind. phe CliEn.rlo
railway is nos very ioGS--solno 1allc-. I
think--but lit is planHel, oElAles Ycry Sia-
ilar to those which 4ir, ENDS set for Ills
larger and more Important enterprise ira
the Iehuantepec peninsula, and, il Onc Is
successful from q mechanical and opceat-
ing point OF view, there is no reason why
the other should not DO. The nero sjlo
of the vessels to be carried, or tho length
of the route, means only that pcoyi ion
must be made accordingly. IL the ou-i-
neering difficulties can be overcome on HE
shorter route, they can be overcome in he
same way on the longer one
To most people it seems q dream TO talk
of carrying great ocean ships across tho
country on wheels without injury to their
hulls Or discharge of cargo or passengors.
But Mr. Eads who WAS ono of the most
successful engineers of his time staked his
reputation upon the soundness Of his
plans and he has been Endorsed by a great
number of eminent engineers in this and
other countries. So far as strain upon the
ship is concerned, practically the same diff
culties are met in putting a vessel in dry
dock, and this is done every day. II is true
in drydook ship is at perfect rest, where
on the ship railway it would have to bo
kept in motion "a hours or "a large part
thereof in order to reach the other ocean.
But the track will be made almost as
smooth as IL still sea, and the pneumatic
cushion system, it is claimed, will ALSO
lutely prevent any injury to the hull.
Mr.. Eads Plans.
1t is predicted by public men and en-
gineers who knew Mr.. Eads that if he had
lived the Tehuantepec route would now be
nearly or quite ready for carrying ships
from ocean to ocean. Mr.. Eads' heart was
in that work as few men give themselves
to task, and when told that he must diu
in Cuba some years ago he said to his
physician: but l can't die My work is
not finished" Death conquered that in
domitable spirit but his work lives after
him, and it would not surprise any ono
familiar with the situation to see congress
take up his plans and push them toward
completion.
MIR Eads proposed to construct harbors
at either end of the route and to float YES
sells in docks or basins built for the pur-
pose, so that the hull should rest in a
sunken pontoon. When the ship was in
place, the water would be pumped out OF
the compartments of the pontoon structure,
and quickly the structure would rise to
the surface Of the water, bringing the ship
out high and dry. Then the pneumatic
and rubber faced cushions would be adjust
ed to the hull in such way that the slight
est superuuous pressure in one part or tend
ency 50 list or roll would be taken I'D by
all other parts and tho ship be thus softly
nestled as secure as If in her natural elu-
ment When all was made ready, several
locomotives would be hitched to the car
rlages on which the ship rested, and the
whole mass would be drawn across the
country at rate of eight or ten miles an
hour.
The isthmus Of Tehuantepoc is the first
pass between the oceans as one goes south
ward from the Rio Grando Here the land
narrows, too, so that it is but 175 miles
from sea to sea. BY using a river naviga.
BILE to ocean going ships for some miles on
the Atlantic side air. Eads' surveys short
ened the length Of tho rail route TO about
lou miles. According to his plans La
would have three tracks parallel, all laid
IN very heavy steel upon embankmants as
firm as engineering science could make
them. He would have stone bridges in
stead Of iron
Opinions Of Engineers.
1t is estimated that within "a hours Of the
arrival Of ship nj ono Of the harbors it
could be locked, adjusted to the pontoon
and carriages, carried across the continent
and be delivered safely in the waters of the
other ocean. 1t is also estimated that a
single line of rails could carry the entire
commerce Offering, which is estimated az
seven millions of tons for the first year of
operation
according to recent estimates, r.