Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 May 1894 — AN INTER-OCEANIC CANAL. [ARTICLE]

AN INTER-OCEANIC CANAL.

A Route by Which One Could Be Successfully Constructed. “The alleged new route across th Isthmus of Panama, separating th .- Atlantic and Pacific oceans, is an o.d one,” said an engineer lately. “It wn first discovered by De Lachanne it. 1860, was published in different mag:, zines and papers in 1869, in arti. les which fully set forth the difficulties in the wav of constructing canal. eithe across from Panama to Aspinwail. oily the route of the Nicaragua Cana . The route was examined by Commando Selfridge in 1871, who made th ■ most favorable reports upon it. Th route is known as the Paya Route, an 1 passe < through the ptovince of ‘Bil boa.' in which were situated the richest gold mines of the Indians worked by the Spaniards in 1874. The length if the canal would lie only fifty mile . fourteen miles of which on the Pacific side are through alluvial soil at the L-vel of the sea, and upon the Atlant a side six miles, the other thirty mile oi ering no difficulties. The supply of water is more than is necessary, as the canal would receive at the same level —about 110 fe st above the level of the sea the waters of tho river Tayra on the Pacific side, and of the river Caquirri ou the Atlantic side. Besides, there is plenty of the best building s’one. immense quantities < f all kind of timber, suitable not only for tho c nstruction of the canal, but also for the repair and building of vessels. T..e climate is healthy and insect annoyance much less than along the other routes. The discovery of the new and better route is genuine, but it was discovered, as stated, a quarter of a century ago by De Lachanne, and the plan is not. therefore, new. It has been brought into prominence again and this time I believe that it will be put through successfully.