Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1902-03-03

kins in his geological map Of the cCun-
try. and confirmed by Messrs- Rude,
Sweet, McDougall and others VINO made
the surveys for Mr.. Frederick NJ Kelley
in 1864. 1t is proposed to Tow the YES
sells through the whole length of tn.
canal by electricity. the same as strefr
cars are drawn along in most great
cities. The Mandinga line is not sub
ject to frequent earthquakes: the 18TH
mus of Nicaragua is. The Indian name
Tor the country signifies earthquakes.
During the past fifty years there have
been thirty-nine destructive earth
quakes on the Isthmus of Nicaragua.
shaking down houses and churches, and
opening up great chasms in the land.
and to such an extent as to DESTROY
whole villages.
What would become of an immense
pile of masonry 112 feet high when
shaken by such an earthquake? What
/ would become OF the $500, 100000 invest
ed in the canal? Such a shaking would
prevent the gates being opened if shut.
or shut if opened. In the meantime the
canal could not be used until the locks
were rebuilt. 1t would take several
months and perhaps years to repair
the damage. If it became necessary to
protect a tunnel composed of primitive
rock, as this one would be, it coul
/ be easily lined with steel and con-
GREETED, so that if any rocks We're loose
they would not be thrown down. For
! thousands of years the mountain has
defied the destructive forces OF nature,
and who shall say that il is not des-
tined to withstand them for an indef-
mite period of time? There is not the
/ slightest proba bility that rock the
size of a mans hand would be shaken
/ down. \ very simple device has been
provided by which the tunnel will b.
inspected every twenty-four hours.
Should any rocks be found loose they
would be taken down and the vacant
space made solid again. Although they
have been trying TO build a canal at
] Panama for over twelve years only
! twO-f ffths of it have been completed,
and a great deal of that has been
filled in. 1t will take about twelve
years to build the work at Nicaragua
One of the most remarkable things
about the Isthmian canal controversy
{ is that the commission never examined
the Mandinga route. Their attention
was called to if. They were within =
few miles of it. and instead of going
from the Mandinga river, which is at
the beginning of the tunnel, about two
miles from it in fact, they went up the
valley OF the Mandinga from the At
lantic ocean and down the valley of the
Chagres into the Atlantic again. and
never eve nhad a look al the ground
where the tunnel is to be made. And
yet they are opposed to it as being i'm
practicable. The Mardinga route was
surveyed in 1863 and 1864 by Captain
Rude. Mr.. McDougall and Mr. Charles
A. Sweet, one of the canal engineers OF
the state of New York. These surveys
We're published and reported to the
government in 1873 by Admiral Sell
ridge, and had heen frequently dis
cussed by Rear Admiral G. H. Davis
u 5. N, superintendent of the national
observatory at Washington. One rea-
son why the surveys named did not a
tract general attention at the time thev
were made is probably because a canal
across the isthmus at any point was
not in favor. Another reason is that
the persons interested in the transcon-
tinental railroad believed that the e--
terprise would be retarded is a canal
at the isthmus was undertaken.
Fer reasons best known to them
selves the canal commission in thei~
report paid no attention TO what Was
considered h. some Of the most eminent
engineers of the world 10 he the best
route. except TO refer to it in a sneer-
ing way. 1t was through the advice OF
General Edward W. Serren. president
of the American Isthmian Ship Cana
companys board of consulting eQgin-
GERS. that the attention of the commits
sion was called to the Mandinga route
with the result mentioned. The proDo.
sition to build tunnel and take ship.
through ii seems to have staggered tn,
members of the commission. One OF
more tunnels are built every year.
the tunnel is made large enough there
is no trouble in taking ships through i
More accidents occur outside of tun
nels than in them. There are miles o
tunnels on the Northern Pacific anC
Canadian Pacific railroads They arr
the safest part of the rote especial,
. in the spring of the year. There ar
: no landslides in the tunnels mentioned
. Fallen trees. snow and ice do not i'm
/ pede transportation. Thirty trains
! | day go through some of these tunnels
. shaking them ever time as much as al
u earthquake would. Make the tunna
=. wide enough and high enough for pass
t ing vessels and they would Gid
: through water with scarcely a per
8 oeptible tremor. II General SerreI
( were the only distinguished enginae
: who supported the Mandinga rout
{ those interested in an isthmian cana
{ might hesitate TO adopt his views. Tros
: who agree with him in the practice
b. bility Of the enterprise al General Bar
J low. Ishan Randolph, who built til
/ Chicago Drainage canal, which is
work longer than the Mandinga will be