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6 * THE MARINE RECORD —_—_—_—_O_ SSS, ES ter weapons are mainly for defence against | had observed it closely, and finally spoke to DE LESSEPS’ PANAMA CANAL. Special Correspondence Marine Record. New York, November 5. ‘The importance of a short cut acrogs the American isthmus has never been digested, but the particular part of the narrow neck of land best fitted for a canal has been the source of bitter rivalry and feeling between British, French and American enginecrs and naval officers. On the 4th day .of last month Captain Bedford Pim, R. N., of Lon- don, sailed from this city for Aspinwall, in order that he might see for himself the pro- gress made on the interocean waterway. Having returned last week, the writer sought hin: out at the Grammerey Park Ho- tel and gained the privilege ot a few mo- ments conversation upon this important topic. In relating the following facts to your renders they must take into considera- tion that Captain Pim wae always a warm advocate of the Nicaraqua route over that of any other, commencing as far back as 1860 his eflorts to effect transportation across this particular course” by rail and then utilizing the big Luke Nicaraqua for vessels. His remarks were substantially as follows: Hi ‘The Panama canal will be less than fitty miles long, 120 feet wide at the surface, 80 feet broud at the bottom, with a depth of 30 feet throughout. :'‘lhe work of excavation alone, aided by every modern appliance, and with twenty thousand men employed, can- not, in my judgment, be carriéd out in less than two and a half years, barring all con- tingencies.. The nature of the soil is not fa- vorable as it is-nat uniform-in substance, but ranges trom-slimy aluvium with under- lying coral, through all sorts of etrata and boulders to rocks so bard, that nothing scarcely will penetrate them. ‘The canal was.commenced in January, 1881, but is not yet.one quarter finished, and, beside, it will cost three times-as:-much as the Suez canal, if itis carried on to completion. It should have been built: with Jocks and not as a gea- level -canal. Men are dying on the Isthmus like diseased sheep, When the canal is com- pleted, in 1890, it will be absolutely useless to sailing vessels-coming from tie Pacific side, because eleven months out of the year there is a perfect calm extending seven hun- dred miles out to sea from the entrance to the canal, and in order to cross tlie .isthinus “wind jammers”? would “have to be towed that distance, which is out of the question, Sailing vessels from Panama to Aspinwall would not use the canal and the loss thus entailed would prevent its paying any divi- dends. 1 favorthe shallow canal plan, which was explained by me in detail at the late meeting of the American Association fer the advancement of science, held at Philadelphia afew weeks ago. It hasat least the merit of plausibility, cheapness of construction .and simplicity of operation. ‘In London, on the ‘I'hames,”’ he eaid, “‘we have hydraulic lifts by which a 2,000-ton ship can be raised in half an hour and floated off into a ehal- low dock or a pontoon not drawiug more than 6 feet of water. Now I propose to adapt this principle to the Nicaragua canal, and instead of excavating a deep water ca- nul, to construct one not more than eight feet deep.” And he argued that the oppor- tunity thus afforded the owners to have the bottoms of their vessels cleaned would pa. the cost of transportation. A shallow draft canal such as this would not be a feat of great difficulty, nor would it take long to dig, while the matter of raising on pontoon floats has already been demonstrated in practice. It would cost only $75,000,000 and the time required to complete it might not exceed four years, just half the time and less than half the expense of making the Panama ca- nal. From this information I drew two conclusions, viz.: First, that Captain Pim is prejudiced against the Panama route; and secondly, that he might possibly have an nx to grind, not very much unlike Captain Jus. B. Eads’, the projector of a marine railway across the ‘'ehauntepec route, the most northerly of the three routes. As an oftset to the wet blanket this British officer (Mr. Pim) has thrown upon de Lesseps’ great en- terprise I might say that a recent copy of the Panama Star and Herald made the state- ment that the soil was favorable for excavat- ing, and the enormous big steam dredges were making the tiation river mud fly in all directions. In 1883 Com, Cooper, of the United States Navy, made a very good re- port to the government on the progress and feasibility of this grand work, and no Jater than last January Lieutenant Rodgers gave a glowing account cf the rapid headway made in so short atime. Prot. 8. E, Nourse made an official examination ef this subject, and presented a report to Congress last spring stating that the scheme was entirely fenalble aya that it was only a question of money. , The project of Captain Pim is certainly a novel one and deeerves the atten- ‘passing through it. tion of capitalists. But if, on the other hand, we have not faith to trustour money in such a hazardous undertaking, let us not prevent the French from investing their surplus funds in a work which ought to do nearly agsmuch for American commerce: on the ocean as the Suez canal has done for British. This ‘Dog in the manger’ policy, whieh Rear Admiral Ammen, of the United States navy, has persist ntly pursued, ought now to be changed, a8 national jexlousy should not allow a work of this magnitude, carried on by a foreign, but private corporation, to suffer simply because it was conceived and promoted by a French count instead of an American general (Grant) or a Lieutenant (Schufeldt.) In regard to Captain Pim’s ob- jection to the calms of Panama, I might say that instead of it being a hindrance to navi- gation.ic will in reality be an aid, because the days of sailing vessels are numbered and the opening of the Panama canal will sound the death knell to that class of freight car riers. ‘The verdict will be killed by steam and steel’ Inthe year 1890, when the Pan- ama Canal is finished, ships will either have to give way to steamers entirely, or else they will have to adopt anxillary steam power to push them through the canal and across the calm belt. It might have been said by the enemies of the Suez canal that the narrow und tortuous passage up the Red Sex would prevent that enterprise from paying divi- Jends because sailing ships could not go through; but when the work.was completed British ship owners commenced building a type ‘of vessels for this particular. trade, known as‘ canalers, and now, although less than ten percent of sualling vessels pags though, thecanal pays big dividends earned from the ninety per cent worth of steamers 8o it will be with the Panama canal when it is finished, Fer- dinand de Lesseps, thé diplomat and states- man, the learned savant and famous engi: neer of France, leaves Paris for Aspinwall on February. 1st toinaugurate the completed section of his canal, from Colon to Gatan, a distance of seven miles. Although ° this grand old man will enter his eightieth year in 1885, he- has as much energy and push now as he had when lie commeneed cutting through Suez. ‘Lhe completion of the Pan- ama canal will be the crowning glory of his long and busy life. His highest ambition on earth will be attained and he will leave a monument behind him which will be remem- bered while the world stands. If ever a mian deserved success it is De Lesseps, for his in- defatignable efforts to pierce the American Isthmus, and [ trust the book of his life shall not close until he has wedded the bold At- ‘lantic to the peaceful Pacific ocean. G. Fosrzr Howe tt, THE LAKE ONTARIO’S ESCAPE, The propeller Lake Ontario, which left Hamilton on the 4th for Montreal, was caught inagale and forced to seek refuge in Port Hope. In entering the harbor, which is protected by a breakwater, she was struck by a heavy: sea, and with a tremendous crash hurled broadside against the point of the pier. The ceas began immediately to sweep over her. ‘he lights were all ex- tinguished and the machinery injured. ‘Tho engines stopped working, and with a roar the engine-room and after part of the ship was filled with steam. ‘he next instant an- other sea raised her up, and fortunately the undertow at the entrance caught her and, with the waves, she turned completely around and was thrown in stern foremost be- tween the piers. Here the, danger did not cease, as she was being carried out again, when one of the deck hands, with the dar- ing of a hero, jumped from the deck on the | pier, which was being washed by every sea. Ropes were thrown to him, which he quickly made fast to the piles, and gradually the vessel was worked further and further into the harbor, until in safe quarters. The pas- sengers express the highest admiration at the manner in which Captain Williams man- aged the ship. ‘l'o his coolness and bravery, together with the splendid way in which the most of the crew supported him, ig due the saving of the ship and nineteen lives, _—_ — THE FASTEST SEA-GOING WAR VES SELS. The fastest sen-going war vessel is the new Chilinn cruiser, Esmeralda, that recently obtained a mean speed of eighteen and one- quarter knots per hour on a sea trial. The British cruiser Isis, hitherto the fastest man- of-war, has a maximum _— speed of eighteen knots per hour; she is, how- ever, unarmored and comparatively lightly aimed. The Esmeralda may be described as a case-mated monitor with high free- board and every essential to make her gea- worthy for any voyage. She carries ten- inch, twenty-five ton, breech-loading, very long range bow and stern guns -that sweep through more than 180 degrees of the hori- son, protected with steel shiclds, and capa- ble of penetrating twenty Inches of iron urs mour, Beside these she carries on exch broad- side three six-inch, breech-loading rifles, capable of penetrating eleven inches of iron armour. ‘hese powerful guns are worked by the most perfect system of labor-saving hydraulic machinery yet devised. he Es- meralda garries, in addition to the above, Hotchkiss’ revolving cannon, Gardner and Gatling repeating guns, mounted in every available place, even in her tops (masthends), all protected with steel shields. These lat- torpedo bouts. ‘The striking teatures of the Esmeralda are her moderate size, her com- paratively light armor, her small draft of water, her high speed, und her powerful armament.—New York Post. THE 'TALKING DOG. It was a Market street restaurant, A sol- emn mun entered, followed by his dog, seated himself and asked for the bill of fare. It was given him, ‘The dog meanwhile had climbed upon the chair on the other side of the table, and was gravely regarding his master. “Well,” anid the solemn man reflectively, “gimme two fried egge, turned ovey?—~ “Gimme the sume,” said the dog. The walter gazed at the dog with amaze- ment mingled with horror, The solemn man continued: “Then I guess you can give me a sirloin steak, very rare, with fried potatoes.’” “Gimme the same,” said the dog.” ‘The waiter’s fuee assumed the color of cold boiled veal. “Cup o’ coffee, plenty 0’ milk,” went on the solemn man. “Gimme the same,”’ said the dog. ‘The waiter shuddered, and turning, fled for the kitchen. A sailor man with a squint, at an adjoining table, was much interes'e? in theseene, He | the barge Compound, the solemn man: “Tt must ’a’ been a feartul lot! o’ work to learn that dog to talk, mister,” “Tt was,” saidthe solemn man. “(f should smile,” said the dog. “What ’ud you take for him now,” said the man with a squint, “Wouldn’t sell him,”’ said the solemn man, ‘You'd better not,’’ said the dog. The man with a squi was much im- pressed. He began making wild offers, and ’ when he reached a thousand dollars the sol- emn man relented. “Well,” suid he, “I can’t refuse that. 1 hate to part with him, but you can have him.”’ ‘He'll be sorry for it,’”’ said the dog. The man with a squint drew a check for the amount, which he gave to the solemn man. 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