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Sir, — I have the honor to submit for your consideration certain Papers on the subject of a Sliip Railway, for the transportation of laden vessels from the Bay of Fundy to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, whereby the long voyage around the coast of Nova Scotia may be avoided. The great interest manifested in the formekly proposed Baie Verte Canal ; -the costly surveys and explorations extending over a period of half a century; the discussions of the subject in the several Local ^jcgislatures and the Dominion Par- liament; — the exhaustive investigation of a Special Commission appointed to con- sider its commercial advantages;— the disappointment in the Maritime Provinces occasioned by the adverse Report of that commission (not unanimous, however; — all testify to the great and manifest importance of a shorter route whereby vessels may be conveyed froi"^ water to water. The principal objection, however, to a Ship Canal was its great co«t, estimated by various engineers from eight to twelve millions of dollars. The commercial ad- vantages of such u communication were tu a certain extent undoubted. Any plaji to attain the same object equally feas ble and costing less than one half the money fchould deserve the consideration of the Goven-ment and Parliament of Canada A project, therefore, that would stimulate the coasting and fishing trade between the St. Lawrence and the Bay of Fundy, — benefit established undertakings, — create new enterprises, and increase shipbuilding; — should command, and undoubt- edly will receive the earnest attention of the Govf.rnment, provided it can be provdJ priobicJi'jb and foisible not only in execution and working, but also as regards ultimate cost and probable returns on the investment. With the firm con- viction that it will fulfil these conditions, that it is destined to effect those objects, I venture to lay, before you officially, the scheme of a Marine Railway, the same that was published in the Daily Telegraph, of St. John, six years ago; the plans of which were exhibited in the Mechanics' and Manufacturers' Exhibition in St. John, in 1875, and afterwards in the News Room of that city until they were destroyed in the groat tire of 1877. Since the preparation of these plans, which did not receive much favor at the time owing to the novelty of the project, I have been greatly encouraged and fortified by coinciding opinions of eminent engineers on the practicability of the proposed undertaking. I am indebted to James Brunlees, Esq., Vice-President of the Institution <}f Civil Engineers, for a description of a Ship Railway across the Isthmus of Suez, proposed by him and the late Mr. E. B. Webb, C. E., to the late Emperor of the French, in 1859, in place of the Suez Canal now in operation. Their scheme was to transport ships of the largest tonnage then in existence by means of locomotives of special construction at a speed of twenty miles an hour. The ships were to rest on cradles supported by numerous wheels and springs, rest- ing on a railway composed of five pairs of rails, and level throughout its entire length. They reported that "a ship would be able to make a better use of her sails on a railway than on a canal;" — that the system would oflfer all the facilities that are provided by graving »*ocks. "The ships' hulls can be examined," they said, "even whilst on their cradles, during the passage from one sea to the other; and if repairs arc needed, can be taken on their cradles to a repairing yard." They estimated the Ship Railway to cost one-seventh that of a Canal, and the toll for passing over proportionately less. The passage of the Isthmus was to occupy only sixtenn hours. In 1872, Mr. Brunlees reported on the practicability of a Ship Railway across Central America for ships of 1200 tons burthen. His report and that of Mr. Edward Wood, Member of the Council of the Institution of Civil Engineers, on this subject will be found appended to this letter. The late Mr. John Woodward, of St. John, was the first t^ propose a Marine Railway across the Isthmus of Chignecto. His proposition was designed, howe- ver, only for small vessels — not larger than schooners — and there were to be marine slips at each end to haul up vessels out of the water to the level of the land. But the most noteable scheme of all, is that of Captain Eads, across the Isth- mus of Tehuantepec, the surveys for which are now proceeding. His design is also to employ a Marine slip or incline at each end of the Railway. The employment of the hydraulic lift — the invention of Mr. Edwin Clark, C. £.,— as at first suggested by Mr. Brunlees, for the Suez Canal, makes a Ship Rail- way more practicable of execution in the Bay of Fundy. In this locality the tides rise to a height of seventy feet. A marine slip would necessitate a railway under water, at high tide, seven thousann feet in length, at a gradient of 1 in 100. The most desiiable location for the Maritime Ship Railway is that beginning at a port or dock to hf formed in La Planche River, thence passing close to Am- herst, along the ridge parallel with the Tyndal road, thence along the left bank of the Tidnisu River, to another dock to be formed at deep water at or near its moutL. The total length would be about eighteen miles. There would be nearly level gra- dient from end to end of the line. The curves would be few, and those of very large radii. ' The nature of the ground, therefore, presents no engineering difficulties. There are no rive s or streams of any importance to cross, and no obstacles whatever to the construction of a most solid roadway. So far as it can be estimated without precise and definitive sufveys, the cost of a Ship Railway, with Docks, Hydraulic Lifts, Rolling Stock, Cradles and Station- ary Engines, combined with an ordinary Railway of the standard gauge, from Am- herst to Cape Tormentine, would not exceed four million dollars. While the probable traffic might not justify an expenditure of $12,000,000 for the construction of a Ship Canal, no reasonable objection could he raised from any quarter to the expenditure jf the lesser sum required in an undertaking that would accomplish the t-ame object. I request, therefore, that this letter and the accompanying papers, on the sub- ject, may be laid before His Excellency the Governor General; and I have to state that capitalists can be found to guarantee the practicability of the scheme, and un- dertake the execution of all the works named, including the Prince Edward Island Railway, on the promise of a reasonable subsidy from the Government. I have the honor to be, sir. Your obed?ent servant, H. G, C. Ketohum, Fredericton, N. B., May 16th, 1881. M. Inst. C. £. Department of Railwatb akd Canals, ) Ottawa, August 12th, liSSl. f Sir, — I am instructed to acknowledge the receipt of a Pamphlet entitled, "The m Cost, Feasibility and Advantage of a Ship Railway across the Isthmus of Chig- necto," and to Htate that it will receive consideration. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, H. G. 0. Ketchum, Esq., A. P. Bradlev, Tiedericton, N. B. ^ Acting Secretary. i i LETTERS Reprinted from the Dailij Telegraph, written in April and May, 1875, by H. G. C. Ketchum, proposing a ^jhip Railway across the Isthmus between the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with Railway and steam communication to Prince Edward Island, and Graving Docks at Bale Verte, in connexion therewith. Letter No. 1. To the Editor of the Telegraph: Sir, — The projected canal from the Bay of Fundy to the Straits of Northumber- land has occupied the attention of numerous commercial, political and scientific gentlemen for half a century. Surveys were made as long ago as 1823. The illustrious Telford, founder of the Institution of Civil Engineers, reported on it in 1826. Ijater on, it was surveyed by Royal Engineers, at the joint expense of Canada, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. More recently other eminent engineers made exhaustive surveys and reports; and, a few days ago, it was a topic for discussion in the Dominion Parliament. Notwithstanding this, there has yet been no decided action taken towards the commencement of the undertaking, and its final achievement looms only in the dibtance. The assumed cost of such a work seems to be the principal reason why no steps have been taken to ensure its completion. The time, therefore, seems opportune to discuss the feasibility of any project for the transportation of vessels which would answer all purposes at far less expense. The undersigned is prepared to submit that a Ship Railway would not only ful- fil all the requirements, but, in many respects, would be preferable to a canal, that there is no engineering difficulty, either in the construction or in the operation of such a line; and that vessels, in full cargo, can be transported over the narrow neck of land, which connects Nova Scotia witli the continent, in perfect safety and at small expense. It offers the following advantages over a canal : — Its utility would not be controlled or limited by the action of the tides or the direction of the wind. The transportation of vessels would, therefore, be more quickly performed. The maintenance, repairs and operating would be less expensive. The execution of the work would be more rapid, and the estimated cost can be determined more accurately. Lastly, its cost would not exceed one-fourth that of a ship canal. There are so few natural obstacles in this place, that the raihvay may be made, if necessary, perfectly straight and level from end to end. It would be important, however, to locate it on the firmest ground, and to avoid heavy embankments. To obtain this at the least expense, a few curves of laige radii would be necessary ; and the car or cradle which is to carry the vessel and cargo should be made with this view. The railway may consist of throe parallel lines of track of the usual gauge. The width of thj triple track would be about thirty-six feet. The rails should be of especial make and size. The tracks would be laid on longitudinal sleepers, secured to cross timbers extending the whole width. These would be bedded in ballast on the upland, and rest on piles on the marshes. There would be about two miles of railway laid on piles ; the total length of railway, eighteen miles. The process of transportation would be as follows: — First, a platfora? car or cradle, made on purpose to receive the vessel and its contents, is placed on the rail- M 6 way. It leHtH on a larj,'f miiuli<;r of Sogic and is Hupplied with keel and Hide lihuks. Ir-i diiiH'Usions would I'dnrsjiiind with those of tho largeHt veHHt;! to b« trausjioiiiil. It is then iiiovhI from tlic railway to the stage of an hydraulic lift, whith is to be erected at each tt'rniiiuis nf the line for the purpose of raising and loweriiij,' vessels liy means of the hyilr:iiilic press. Tlie stag", with the car upon it, is luw rid to the hottum of the lift, where it is ready to receive a vessel. The vessel is now brought from the basin, where it has been awaiting transportation, to the lift, and moored between the enjnmns containing the hydraulic ])resses, ex- actly over the c6ntr.' of the car. Pn-.s.-sure is now applied and the lifting eom- niences. The keel blocks are first brought to bear under the keel, the side })lock8 are haulid in, and the whole — vessel, ear, and all — are lifted clear of the water to the K'vel iir the railway. Couplings . 'c now attached, and two or more locomotive engines hmil them to tln! other terminus, where they are lowered to the sea by the same appliunce. The tiini- occupied in lifting a ves.sel would be about half an hour. The average co.st would be al)out ten cents per ton for the whole transjmi tation. The eust of building a ship railway as described, and including hydraulic lifts and rollini;- stock, also with docks, r.i' basins excavated to receive ves.sels at the lowest water, and anqjle margin for engineering and contingencies, would not ex- ceed thn-e millions and a half of dollars. 1 have the hnnor to be, sir, YiMM- obedient servant, Fredi'iieton, April oth, 1875. H. G. C. Ketchum. i ! I I • ■ Lkttku No. 2. To the Kilitoi' of the Teleympli,. Sir,- In my fir.st letter addressed to ynu on this subjt^ct, many particulars were neces.saiily omitted, explanatory of tin- system proposfid to be adopted, for raising the vessels to the level of the railway track; the method of transportation; and the construction of the railway and rolling stock. It is now proposed to (Miter more laigely into the outline of the scheme, suffi- cient to justify the assertion of the leasil,iiity of a Ship Railway, and perhaps to satisfy the sceptical tliat it is (piite within the bounds of practicability. It will ')(' necessary to .submit, in tln^ course of this and succeeding letters, the evidence ujion which the conclusions have been based; and it will be shewn that the scheme is an adaptation of well-known principh-s and appliances actually in use— for other purposes, it is true — but the practicability of which has been fully demonstiated and establi.shed beyond di.sjiute. It must be admitted, that if th(! transpoiiation of vessels could be easily, safely and quickly performed by nn a)\s of a Ship Railway, it would be desirable to adopt it in preference to a canal, on account to its immense saving in cost, its compara- tive speed of tran8portation, economy of maintcniance, rapidity of execution ; and freedom from the influencts of tide, mud, wind, or frost. It is hiM-e again asserted, without fear of contradiction from any competent civil engineer, that a Railway cnn be constiueted to answer all reipnreraents ; that ap- pliances 0(1)1 be adopted to raise vessels steadily and easily, up from the sea level to that of a railway track ; and that rolling .stock can be designed and made to convey them from thence to any di.stance. Vessels can approach the terminus and be lifted on to the Railway at all times of tide, day or night. A half tide canal can only be used nix hours out of twelve. Moreover, in the spring and fall, the st'ason of navigation would be opened ear- lier and closed later than it could possibly be in a canal. There being no current in the latter, the ice would stay as in a pond, until melted away in the spring. And in the fall it would be frozen over before the navigation would close in the Gulf. Thus foi- those precious few weeks at the close and beginning of the season, means would be furnished for the rapid transmission of goods, regardlboS of ice, wind or weather, whilst the canal would be useless. Let us, therefore, calmly and without prejudice discuss the feasibility of a ship railway, and judge whether we have or not sufficient data to pronounce upon its practicability. The largest vessel likely to ply between Montreal and St. John, or from Que- bee to Boston, would be a screw propeller of about 1,000 tons burthen, which would weigh with cargo and machinery about 2,000 tons. The idea of raising a ship of this size out of the water might appear chimerical, Were it not of daily occurrence, both by means of marine railways and by the hydraulic lift. [^ Marine railways capable of carrying ships of 1,200 tons burthen, and machinery P capable of hauMng them out of the water, may be seen any clay in Boston or Halifax. The ship is first floated on to a cradle, which has been lowered into the water to receive it, and when it is secured in position by blocks, it is hauled up an incline by means of an endless chain and a stationary engine. If there is any room for wonder in tirs operation, it is to wonder how such clumsy contrivances work at all, and then to wonder how they can be made to pay. Nevertheless, here is an example of what may be done, altiiough very inade- quate for the purposes of a ship railway, such as is proposed for Baie Verte. In hydraulic lift graving docks, the ship is raised vertically out of the water, havitig been first secured to a pontoon which sets on a stage acting between columns ranged on each side in which are placed the hydraulic rams. This pontoon is then raised, with the ship on it, and upon arriving above the surface of the water, the valves in the pontoon are opened and the water let out, 80 that it can be floated ott' the staging to any other place for repairs. It is proposed to use this method of lifting at the terminus of the ship railway in pnsference to that of a stationary engine with an incline. A few facts relating to the hydraulic lift erected in the Thames graving docks, London, will he interesting, as forming conclusive evidence of its practicability for the ship railway proposed. The lift has been in operation upwards of ten years, and thousands of vessels have been raised and lowered upon it without the slightest accident. There are thirty-two columns ranged sixteen on each side, which contain hydrau- lic presses capable of lifting 200 tons each. The total lifting force is, therefore, 6,400 tons, but deducting dead 'veight, the net available power is 5,780. The pumps are worked by a fifty-horse-power engine communicating with the presses by an aperture of 1| inch diameter. The raising and complete docking of a vessel occupies about 25 minutes. The cost of the lift, with all machinery, was £25,000 sterling ; that of docking a vessel averages £o. By dispensing with the pontoon, and substituting instead a cradle or cprriage on wheels (which rests on rails laid on the stage, between the columns), there is an exact representation of wh»t is proposed for each terminus of a ship railway, with one exception, that the lifting force will not require to be so great. It is said there would be a great strain on the vessel when deprived of the sup- port of the water, and that in case of old vessels, they might fall to pieces. Your correspondent does not see the force of this objection. It is not proposed to carry rotten or unseaworthy ships. There was no such re- sult in the Thames Graving Docks, where old vessels are obviously those requiring most repairs. The vessel would be propped up at numerous points by keel, bilge and side blocks, adapted to the vessel's shape, immovable when once placed in position, and, therefore, supported as well as in the water. Certainly no vessel would be subjected to the strain it is likely to encounter in a gale of wind at sea. In the next letter the construction of the ship railway itself, as well as the roll- ing stock, will be treated at length ; likewise further evidence in support of the scheme will be given. I remain, sir, your obedient servant, Fredericton, April 14th, 1875. H. G. 0. Ketchum. Letter No. 3. To the Editor of the Telegraph: Sir, — The fact that no Ship Railway, of the description here advocated, is in existence, E^ould not operate as an argument against the feasibility of one in such a favorable place, as that proposed, in lieu of the Baie Verte Canal. 8 ^! ; Tho oxpprienco obtained in ninrinc railwajH on a Hinall Hcale, aH before stated, will exemplify tho practicability of one of xrcatfT proportionH. rf it be poHHible to couvt-y a ship fitly yards, by Huch liniitod mnanB, it in quite likely that with imjjroved niachiiiery and applianceH, veHHels may bo tranHported a much greater (liHtanco. It is not propoHcd to lift nhipH out of th«^ water by nn endlosH chain and Htationary on^jine, for, Hiiict; the introduction of th(^ hydraulic lift, HUch antiquated machinery in, for tho most part abandoned. Nor in it intended to use th(( name application of power, for one or more loco- motive engines would be a vast improvement upon tho stationary engine. No in- clino is re(iuirt?d, for once lifted out of the sea to the level of the track, there is a straight and level patli upon wliich the vessel may bo convoyed. To render the transportation of ships successful for a distance of eighteen miles, iH^w and improvt^l appliances of ovtsry sort may b.> " ^ught into re({uiHition, so as to make it easy of accomplishment. Nevjirtheless, so far as they go, these marine slips seem to illustrate, the oidinary and successful op(;ration of raising and lowering vessels on an incline plane ; the construction of a cradle or carriage cai)able of holding largo vessels ; the system of blocking, by which vessels may bo securely sustained in position, without strain, whilst the carriage is in motion, and sev(!ral other details connected with ilui operation. The railway track itself must be capable of bearing with ease the weights that are to be conveyt^d over it. It must be absolutely free from danger of settlement or subsidence, or upheaval by the action of the frost. The materials must be comparatively indestructible. If necessary, the employ- ment of wood n)ay be dispensed with. Above all, it is necessary to find a location favorable enough to ensure the ful- filment of these stipulations. On this point there need be no apprehension. A steel rail, six inclies deep, and weighing one hundred pounds to the yard, should be adopted. Six of these rails laid on longitudinal sleepers of pine with cross ties, would dis- tribute the weight of the ship and carriage, and form a permanent road-bed. Tho railway would then compri.se a iriple track of 4 feet 8 inches gauge, making a total width of twenty-five feet. In order to prevent subsidence, all deep embaiikments must be avoided ; and that small portion of the railway which would necessarily come on marsh ground should be laid on a foundation of wooden or iron screw piles. It may.-t)e here remarked that wooden piles will last for ever in the salt mud of the alluvial for- mation of Westmorland. As an instance of its remarkable preservative qualities, it may be mentioned that tho piles used by the French during their occupation of Fort Cumbecland are now to be seen as sound and perfect as when first driven. This mud also is impervious to frost, and consequently there would be no danger of upheaval. On the solid ground or upland, upon which at least nine-tenths of the length of a ship railway can be located, the sleepers may rest on a dwarf wall of dry rubble masonry, running longitudinally under each rail, and the interstices filled with ballast or stone. It is believed such a plan as this would secure complete drainage, freedom from injury by frost, and absolute solidity to the railway track. There is no necessity for bridges of any kind on the entire route. If any small embankments should be required they should be made up of rock taken from the excavations. The masonry dwarf walls would not be expensive, for the stone could all be obtained from the cuttings, and would not have to be quarried on purpose. Owing to the shallowness of the water in Baie Verte, the railway will have to be carried out to deep water on a foundation of iron screw piles, filled in, perhaps, with rip rap, so as to make a solid embankment. Here wooden piles would not answer, owing to the ravages of the sea-worm (tereda navalis), which would, in time, destroy any wooden structure under water along the Gulf shore. The hydraulic lift at Baie Yerte might be utilized as a Graving Dock, for the accommodation of all vessels in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, requiring repairs or painting. There need be no interference with the service of a ship railway on this account, and no alteration of the terminus or further expense, beyond that in- volved in the construction of a few pontoons. V/ll 'fAY •■<0a It in noodleHa to remark that a graving dock in Huh place would bo an immense boon to Hhip-owaorH, and btnu'fit and build up tho Hurrounding country. ^ Tho Hlmllow watcT would bo a facility ratlior than a dotriinont to nuoh utiliza- M SHIP -fi- § 9 It is needless to remark that a graving dock in this place would be an immense oon to ship-owners, and benefit and build up the surrounding country The shallow water would be a facility rather than a detriment to such utiliza- tion of the hvdrauhc lift. The larcresf vessels mav be thus rafwMl and fln»*^ on PORT ELGIN ^^VikWRENCE rivi8iiiifriii)iii i i i .ii g» The experience obtained in marine railways on a small scale, as before stated, will exemplify the practicability of one of greater proportions. If it be possible to convey a ship fifty yards, by such limited means, it is quite * A--S. .^ -.nft-^^W^fv painting. There need be no interference with the service or a snip railway on this account, and no alteration of the terminus or further expense, beyond that in- volved in the construction of a few pontoons. bted, uite 9 It is needless to remark that a graving dock in this place would be an imme. le boon to ship-owners, and benefit and build up the surrounding country. The shallow water would be a facility rather than a detriment to such utiliza- tion of the hydraulic lift. The largest vessels may be thus raised and floated on pontoons, drawing no more than four feet of water, tow ^d to the shore or grounded in any part of the bay to undergo repairs of any kind. Another suggestion is offered. Upon the completion of the ship rainvay, one of the railway tracks may be used for the traffic of an ordinary railway in con- nection with a single line from Baie Vorte to Cape Tormentine. This desirable advantage may be obtained without interference with the transportation of ships in the summer season ; and in winter, it may be entirely and profitably devoted to such a purpose in connection with the traffic to Prince Edward Island. I remain, sir, your obedient servant, Fredericton, May 2l8t, 1875. H. G. 0. Kktchum. y on tin- Ship Railway across Central America. '1 2 Mr. Brunlees' Report. In order that a ship railway joining the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans should prove of service, it is necescary that it should be capable of accommodating ves- sels of 1,200 tons burthen, and so constructed thi ^ if necessary it could be modi- fied so as to take larger ships. A vessel carrying 1,200 tons would weigh about 800 tons, and would not ex- ceed 200 feet in length. The railway, therefore, will have to be capable of carrying a vessel 200 feet long, and weighing with its cargo 2,000 tons. The carriage to be constructed on which the ship will be placed mast be sup- ported upon a very large number of wheels, to prevent the weight on each wheel being greater than could be dealt with, and 240 is therefore found to be the requisite number. The number of rails which it would be most economical to adopt would be six. The number of wheels on each of the six rails will be 40, and it becomes neces- sary to explain how these wheels can be taken round curves. In the case of a curve of 2,000 feet radius, the versed sine of an arc whose chord is 200 feet, ii: 2 feet 6 inches ; and it then follows that the middle wheels would be 2 feet 6 inches out of line in passing round a curve of that radius. The wheels will be so arranged as to have a lateral motion equal to this, and the axles will be radial or nearly radial to the track, but as the play mentioned is as much as could be given, it follows that curves of 2,000 feet radius are the sharpest that can be adopted. The carriage will work most easily by the 240 wheels being on 60 bogies, those at the ends being fastened to the carriage in the usual manner by bogie pins, and those at other parts of the carriage being fastened by links so as to admit of there being a lateral motion. Such a carriage can be constructed and will weigh about 600 or 700 tons, and cost about £20,000. Seeing that the total load of carriage, ship, and cargo would be about 2,700 tons, and the number of wheels is 240, it follows that the load upon each wheel will average between 11 and 12 tons; but as it is impossible to distribute the load equally over so many wheels, it is necessary to be preparcid for a somewhat greater weight. The rails of a sufficient strength would therefore weigh not less than 1201b. per yard, and the six rails will be laid each 5 feet apart, making a total width of 25 feet. The best foundation for this road will be wooden cross sleepers 25 feet long, especially at first and until the banks become quite solid, and the timber when de- cayed might be replaced with iron, but this need not be done for many years. The power requisite to pull this carriage and load on a level line will be about 27,000 lbs., and on a gradient of 1 in 200, 37,240, and on a gradient of 1 in 100, 87,480. To perform this work would require from four to ten locomotives, according to the state of the rails, whether damp or otherwise. As the speed will not require to be great, means will be adopted by which tho locomotives should be almost independent of the state of the weather. This will be done by laying a rack along the railway, each locomotive having two toothed wheels which should work in the teeth of the rack ; and by working these through gearing, as is done in traction engines, the tractive pover of the engine w'll be increased by diminishing the speed. For the purpose of raising the ship out of the water and p] j,cing it on the car- riage, Clark's hydraulic lift will oe made use of similar to those used for floating graving docks. By this sy.stem a ship is raised bodily out of water and floated away on a pontoon for repairs : and for the purpose of this Railway, a ship will likewise be lifted and placed on a carriage for transport. The details of the pro- cess would be varied, but the principle would be precisely the same, and seems superior for this purpose to any description of inclined road like a patent slip. By the adoption of these methods there can be no difficulty in constructing and working the Ship Railway, and it is only necessary to consider whether the traffic would be likely to give a proper return on the capital. mm ex.' 11 In constructing such a line high banks cannot be used, as they are liable to settlement, and it will therefore be necessary to make a larger proportion than usual of cuttings. (Signed^ No. 5, Victoria stroet, Westminister, 21 it March, 1872. James Brunlees. Mr. Woods' Report. I concur with Mr. Brunlees in the opinion that, under the conditions assigned by him, in reference to curves, gradients, and security of road-bed from settle- ment, a Ship Railway can be constructed and efficiently worked across the Isthmus, so as to connect the oceans east and west. I see no difficulty in carrying out adequate mechanical arrangements, such as are described in outlines by Mr. Bruuleos — whether for lifting ships out of the water by hydraulic lifts; for placing diem into trucks for transport ; for convey- ing them along the line of railway ; and for afterwards lowerinor them again into the water. The precise constructive details can, I suppose, only be settled definitively after the survey of the line and of the ports has been completed. (Signed) Edward Woods. . No. 3, Storey 's-gate, Westminster, April 3rd, 1872. Captain Eads' Proposal for a Ship Railway. March, 1880, Before Congress. Captain Eads read a paper in advocacy of his plan for a ship railway. He claimed that a substantial and durable ship railway can be built for half the cost of a canal with locks, and one-fourth that of a canal at tide level, in one-third or one-fourth of the time needed for the construction of a canal; and that, when built, ships of the maximum tonnage can be moved with safety, at four or five times greater speed than in a canal ; that a greater number of vessels per day can be transported by the canal ; that the capacity of a ship railway can be easily in- creased to meet the demand of commerce ; that the cost of maintenance would be much less than that of a canal, and that a railway can be constructed and operated in places where it is not practicable to construct a canal. He explained his plan by means of drawings which showed a pit 3,000 fset long, in which the railway I'hould be led into the harbor to the depth of thirty feet, ascending to dry land at ft grade of 1 foot in 100. The ship is to be fitted into a cradie and kept in place by blocks six or ten feet apart. The railway is to consist of twelve rails of the ordinary width, the wheels under the cradle to be at three feet distance from each other and to bear a pressure of five tons, the average pressure on the driving wheels of the freight locomotives being six and a half tons while at rest. This five tons of pressure on the driving-wheels is to be the maximum pressure. Ordinarily it would not be more than three or four tons, but the wheels could be made to stand a pressure of twenty tons. The possibility of derailment, he said, was reduced by the ni--nber of rails and the great weight of the ship itseu"; so that it would be impossible to get a ship off" of the rails. An increase of tariff could be easily provided for by the laying of additional tracks, and the great number if wheels and rails would so equalize oscillation that at a speed of twelve miles ar hour there would be scarcely a sign of motion in a glass of water on a table in the ship's cabin. * • • Being asked by Mr. Conger whether a large vessel of middle age would not be liable to a strain, he replied that any vessel that was built and was fiit to be passed by underwriters, and was thought capable of withstanding the gales and hurricanes of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, was capable of being carried on this railway with absolute safety — indeed, with as much safety as a child in its mother's arms. His plan had been received with favor by Mr. E. J. Reed, the Chief Constructor of the British Navy, Mr. John Roach, Mr. Henry Steerp and a great number of the most eminent engineers of America. Extract from "Scientific American" on Safety of Vessels transported on a Ship Rail^way. " A ship, they say, is a structure made to float in the water, buoyed up by a ni()l)ih; substance, tlie iiature of which not only pnsvents unequal strains upon the ship from her general weight, but also helps her to resist the internal or l)ur8ting strain of her own cargo. Out of her proper element, th«!y argue, all these condi- tions are reversed. The uniform support of the water is replaced by detached supports, subjecting the vessel to une(}ual and unpremeditated strains which she cannot safely endure. Accordingly, even if it were feasible to build a carriage strong enough to sustain a ship's huge bulk, or a roadbed firm enough to bear the weight cf both ship and carriage, the proposed system of Isthmus transit must be a failure through the lack of adaptabilily of ships for that sort of handling. " In answer to these apprehensions it is enough to say that tliey are founded in a view of the case which every ship builder knows to be altogether inconsistent with fact. A ship afloat is not uniformly buoyed up by the water. On the con- trary, especially where there are waves of any magnitude, a ship-'s support is noi; only unequal, but incessantly variable as to position. This fact is so well recog- nized by ship-builders that every sea-going vet-sel is so built as to be able to Viear her entire weight when supported only at the ends, or to withstand the strain of being held up M'holly at the middle, with both ords unsupported in the air. If a ship is unable to endure these severe tests she is unfit to battle with the waves. As for the bursting strain of a cargo, with or without a counter pn ssuro of water outside, every ship at sea has to withstand it, more or less completely, with the passage of every large wave; while at the same time she is buffeted with heavy seas, which strike with blows like those of a battering ram. Indeed, it would hardly be possible to devise an apparatus capable of subjecting a ship to so fre- quent and severe horizontal, lateral, and tortional strains as a ship endures in every gale. In comparison with them the strain that would be put upon a ship in transit over a properly constructed railway would be as nothing. On the rail- way carriage the ship would rest on an even keel, uniformly supported from stem to stern, and as secure from lateral i nd twisting strains as when cradled in a dry dock ; while the forward motion of transit over easy grades would be less try- ing even than that which ships are constantly subjected to in well-known marine railways connected with bhip yards. * * ♦ * * * ♦ OPINION OF CAPT. EAD3. " Touching the relative economy of a ship railway compared with a ship canal, Mr. Eads is confident : " 'That upon any route where it is possible to build a canal, it is equally possible to build and equip a substantial and durable ship railway for one-half the cost or a canal, if it be built with locks; and for one-quarter of its cost, if it be at tide level. " 'That such a ship railway can be built in one-third or one-quarter of the time needed for the construction of a canal. " 'That when built, ships of maximum tonnage can be moved with safety at four or five times greater speed on the railway than in a canal. " 'That a greater number of vessels per day can be transported on the railway than would be possible through the canal. " 'That the capacity of the ship railway can be easily increased to meet the de- mands of commerce, without interruption to its business, whether it be to meet an increase in the size of the ships or in the number of them. " 'That the cost of maintenance of the roadway and rolling stock will be much less than that of the maintenance of the canal. " 'That the cost of maintaining and operating the railway, taken together, will be less than that of operating and maintaining the canal. " 'That the railway can be located and successfully operated at localities where it is not practicable to construct a canal. " 'That it is possible to estimate, with great accuracy, the cost of a ship railway, and the time needed to build it, because the work would be almost wholly upon the surface of the ground, whereas the canal is strictly a hydraulic construction, involving control of water and the execution of works under water, or liable to be submerged or interrupted by water, thus rendering anything like an accurate es- 13 timate of the time and cost of its construction an impossibility. Hence capitalists cannot know, with certainty, the amount of money and time required, or what the canal will probably pay when finally finished.' " The following testimony, in favor of (he Mexican Ship Railway, is taken from a Pamphlet published by Capt. Eads. It v, -H equally apply to the Chignecto Ship Railway. Letter of E. J. Reed, Esq., M. P., late Chief Constructor of the British Navy ; " To the London Times. " I write to express the hope that the project of substituting a ship railway across the Isthmus of Panama for the costly canal which is in contemplation, re- ferred to in the letter of your Philadelphia correspondent in the Times of this day, will receive in this country an 1 in France the consideration which it well deserves. I have for some time past had under consideration a similar scheme of my own for conveying ships across the north of the great peninsula of Florida, and although I have not had leisure to develop it suilicieiitly to justify me in putting it in detail before the public, I have gone a long way toward satisfying myself that it is a feasible plan and highly economical in comparison with a ship canal. " Mr. E^ds, who has now announced and advocated the plan in America, is an engineer of the greatest a\)ility, di.stinguished alike by the greatness of his engin- eering conceptions and by the theoretical and practical knowledge which he brings to bear upon their development. I first made his acquaintance in connection with war vess'ils and machinery constructed during the American war, and found him most able in grasping the essentials of the war-ship problem and in the application of steam'to the objects in view. He has since given aliundant evidence of engin- eering skill in other spheres and on larger scales. " It may not be generally known that this country has done much in the way of liftir.g vessels bodily from one level to another, both in the case of the hydraulic docks of Mr. Edwin Clark and in the Anderton barge-lift in Cheshire, wliere the Bridgewater Canal and the River Weaver (of which the former is fort/ feet above the latter) are placed in working communication by the raising and lowering of pontoons with vessels afloat within them. I am satisfied that by modifying the plans of these hydraulic operations and greatly augmenting their scale, and by in- terposing railroad con)munication between the seas to be connected, ships can be conveyed across intervening land, and much less expensively than by canal, where the distance to be traversed is great. E j Reed." The following is from one of the oldest and ablest constructors in the United States navy : Orange, New Jersey, Jan. 22, 1881. Mr. James B. Eads. Dear Sir: — I have watched with great interest the efforts you are making to establish communication between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean for sea-going vessels by means of a ship railway. In this effort I sincerely hope you will have success. With a substantial road-bed for your railway, on the easy grades across Tehuantepec, which. I understand, do not exceed one or two feet in the hundred, there can be no mechanical difficulty in the way of transporting loaded ships by railroad with entire safety to the vessel, whether thej' be built of wood or iron. With a sufficient number of rails on the road-bed, and a sufficient number of wheels to distribute the weight in the manner proposed by you, the transporta- tion of a fully-loaded vessel without straining her hull will be assured. The speed with which you can move the vessel will depend entirely upon the size and num- ber of your locomotives. What weight and power they should possess to move the largest vessels used in commerce at a speed of ten miles an hour, over your max- imum grades, is a matter which experienced railroad eng.. leers will be able to de- termine with great accuracy. The ship-railway plan possesses the advantage of more rapid transit for the ves- 8»ils, and its capacity could easily be increased to meet the future wants of commerce. Very truly yours, Edward Hartt, United States Naval Constructor. 14 The following i8 from anothei Uiiitod States naval conntructor, of recognized ability and talent. Philadelphia, February 7, 1881. James B. Ends, Esq., Wnshhiyton, D, C Dear Sik: — Having carefully exan»ined the j)lansand pppers pertaining to your proposed ship railway across the Isthmus of T<'huant«!pec, I do not hesitate to say that in my judgment there will be no difficulty wluitcner in transporting, in the manner you propose, any properly built vessel with absolute saftity. Your railway will poss'ss one ijuite important advantage over the ordinary canal, and that is, that the vessel's bottom, propi-lh^r, etc., can be examined and if neces- sary cleaned in transit, and repairs of wliatsoever nature can be made wherever it is practicable to construct suitable sidings, transfer tables, shops, etc., more eco- nomically, other th-ngs being e(jual, than in a dry -dock. Your well known skill as a scientific and practical engineer is a sufficient gua- rantee that this great undertaking will receive can^ful consideration in every de- tail, and that it will be a success, lioth as an engineering achievement and a finan- cial investment. Wishing you all the success possible, I remain. Your obedient servant, H. L. Fernald, Naval Constructor, U. S. N". The following is from the President of the Mississippi River Commission : New York, January 21, 1881. James B. Eads, Esq., Washington, D. C. Dear Sir : — I have to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 17th inst., relating to your project of a ship railway across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. In my judgment the construction of a ship railway across the Mexican isthmus, in general accordance with your plan, is not only feasible as an engineering prob- lem, but the successful maintenance and operation of such a road is entirely prac- ticable as a business enterprise. This assumes that your engineers will find a route of suitable alignment and grades, a question of prompt and easy solution, upon which your information is much greater and better than mine. In pushing forward this great project I wish you that full measure of ccmpleto success which your will, enirgy, and prestige as an engineer are so well calculated to command. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Q. A. GiLLMORE, Lieut. Col. Engineers, Brevet Major-Gen. The following is a letter written by Mr. Henry Flad, a distinguished civil en- gineer, President jOf the Board of Public Works in St. Louis: To E. W. Fox, Esq., Publisher '^Exporter and Imj)orter," St Louis, Mo. Dear Sir: — In reply to your request that I give my views in regard to the ship railroad proposed by Captain James B. Eads, I beg to state my opinions : First. That the first cost of the construction of a ship railroad will not be one- fourth of that of a ship canal. Second. That a ship railroad can be constructed in probably one-third of the time required to construct a canal. Third. That ships can be tran.sported on such a railroad with absolute safety, and with the same dispatch as through a canal. Fourth. That the cost of maintenance will be less for a railroad than for the canal. Fifth. That although the cost of transferring ships by railroad will exceed that of passing them through a canal, the difference will be insignificant compared with the saving of interest on the first cost. Sixth. That a ship railroad will, therefore, oflfer a safer and better investment for capital. Very respectfully, Henry Flad, C. E Mr. O. Chanute, the accomplished and experienced civil engineer, who is super- intendent of the Erie railway, says in a letter to Capt. Eads, " I am much pleased to find in this morning's Tribune your very able and clear presentation of a scheme for a marine railway across the isthmus ; the rather as I gave some attention to 15 the subject myself nearly a year ago, and reached conchiHions almost identical with yours, as to the 'easibility and general ieatures of the proj((ct. * * * I see no reason why the railway should not bo worked at ten iiiih-s per hour, and assuniing it to 1)6 sixty miles long, why a steamer cannot l)e transferred froni ocean to ocean in twelve hours," The following is a letter addressed to Capt. Eads by Commodore R. W. Shufcildt, U. S. N., the accomplished officer who surveyed the Jsthnius of Tehuantepoc : Washinoton, D. C, Jan. 21. James B. Eads, Esq., Washington, D. C. De4.r Sir : — I forward to you, with great pleasure, an extract of a letter from Commodore Farquhar, commanding United State.s ship Quiimebaujr. .t present at Alexandria, Egypt. ♦♦**♦♦«*♦♦ " I am of the opinion that Tehuantepec possesses the best route for transit. I do not see why a railroad, capable of carrying a ship, could not be built, aad why the long slopes of our route should not be best. The fact of a harbor twenty-five miles long, on the Atlantic side, is of the utmost importance, morw so than the one on the PaciC shore, because that is almost always a weather shore in that lati- tude." I send you the extract as a disinterested opinion of an accomplished naval offi- cer, not only as to the advantages of the route of Tehuantepec, but as to the prac- ticability of a ship railway across the Isthmus. Very truly yours, R. W. Siiufeldt, U. S. N. The well-known and able civil engineer. Colonel 0. Shaler Smith, in a letter last year, said of the ship-railway, to the editor of the. Exporter and Importer: "The engineering problems involved have all been solved on a sTiialler scale, in the construction of various works in this country and in Europe, during the past thirty years, and the adaptation of these tried and proved principles of mechanical design to the case in hand is by no means difficult. • » ♦ « " It will be a serious reflection on the enterprise of AiueT-ica.i capitalists, the science of American engineers, and the patriotism of our statesmen, if foreign capi- tal and foreign skill are to perform the work of severing our continents and then pocketing the profits of an enterprise most of the cost of which nmst eventually be paid by our citizens in the shape of tolls upon our bi-oceanic coasting trade." The following is from a member of the Mississippi River Commission, formerly State engineer of Louisiana, and an engineer of acknowledged ability : New Orleans, Feb. 9, 1881. Dear Captain : — Your letter of February 3rd, in answer to mine is just received after "accidents by flood and field." The most terrific gales on record have de- stroyed many miles of our eastern i"ailroad connections. I wish we had as stable a tran- sit as your inter-oceanic railway project promises to give. I have followed carefully the development of the de^jigns for this enterprise with increasing confidence in their practicability anrl correctness. It seems to me to have the great merits of excluding the necessarily uncertain elements in the estimate for any canal ; of rely- ing upon the experience of successful engineering works diflering from this only in magnitude ; of avoiding a direct and dangerous conflict with natural obstacles, such as the damming or diversion of water courses, the control of floods, &c. ; of latitude in choice of location resulting in stability and economy ; of facility and rapidity of construction, maintenance and repair, and of an easy extension of capacity pro- portioned to an increased trade. These points, together with its extremely favor- able geographical location, give the ship railway, in my judgment, a decided ad- vantage over other plans for isthmus transit. I shall impatiently wait for the first through train. Very truly, B. M. Harrod. The following is from Mr. T. C, Clarke, of the firm of Clarke, Reves & Co., one of the most able and successful railroad and bridge engineers in the United States : " I am desirous that my opinion should be put on record that your ship railway is practicable to construct, and can he maintained as easily as any other railway i IC haviiip as largo a tonnagi' ; and that vchwIh of four th.)UHand toiiH can bo carried across without injury to tlu-nisclves or thMiputationH which proved coneluMively to my mind that the " Great EaHt- ern " could Ik? carried nafely overland upon rails, with Ichh strain to her timherH than in any of her sea voyaccs. There can \hi no difficulty alnjut wheel-hasw enough to support a weight that has In'en supported in the ways of any dock ; or about rails upon which to roll the weight ; or ()ower to draw it at any desirnhlo speed ; and all this, with almoluto safttty to the keel, ribs and joint points of any vessel (yet built) and transported out of water. No bridge that is now in use un- dergo<'s the bendings, twistings, and Kliaking that aiiy vesst^l is bound to withstand, uj)on a rough sea, without opening a seam ; and yet, no one doubts the practicabi- lity of transporting a truss by rail. In fact, every railroad car is a clumsily made truss. I am well acquainted with the data obtaininl, and supposed to have been obtained, to within a few years, upon the subject ; and I am perfectly familiar with every possible point through which a canal oould be located at Tehuantepec. I am .sure it is easy to prove that all routes outside of the Gulf of Mexico will be detrimental to the most vital interests ot the United Htates and a source of great danger to our national stability. But the people at large have not had a fair opportunity to study this question so as to place more faith upon its merits than upon the men advocating th«! routes proposed. Time must take its course to allow the specific truth of this case to sur>ive the machinations of partizannhip. But the time has now arrived f r ettective work and dett*rmined action ; and I thank God that your brain, reputation and sledge-hammer has been set to work to batter the Isthmus into an American highway. I can assure you, upon knowledge of every inch of the ground, that you will *ind no difKculty about curves, grades, or bridges. The ascent of the Atlantic slope will offer no more diiBculties than the Hudson River R. R.; and, as on tho Pacific side, either one of the three passes in the neighborhood of Tarifa or Chi vela will allow of no steeper grade than 25 to 35 feet prfr mile to bring you down to the Pacific plains. The ground offers you 50 miles to get down in, and as much more as you may wish by following the hillside. All the bridges required will be of comparatively short spans. You will find very little anxious work on either terminal harbor, very little tentative work being re- quired, and permanence without ulterior complications will reward almost any kind of attack. The drainage of the works ; building materials, (including excellent, cement^yielding, dolomitic limestone, between San Miguel and Tarifa); abundant native labor ; a remarkably healthy climate, ibc, will be all you may desire. I think the estimate of tonnage upon which you base your reasons for the safety of the Government in guaranteeing three per cent, semi-annual dividends is quite modest, since in spite of official statistics I believe the road will handle 30,000 tons daily very soon after its being opened. The discussion of this question is long, and my letter is growing likewise long. T write to you to give you encouragement to push on this matter with all your might. I have no personal motive to subserve ; my field is here for a life time, which I fe&r will be too short for my purpose. Therefore, if I have bothered you, you at least can say this is a case of disinterested boring. If I can be of any service to you command me, and I will be glad to furnish any data upon unpublished notes or surveys I have ; and be sure you have my most sincere wishes for the happy issue of your undertaking. Very truly yours, E. A. Fuertbs. In discussing the merits of the several Isthmian routes before the Merchants' Exchange, in St. Louis, pending the unanimous adoption by that body of resolu- tions recommending the favorable consideration of the Ship Railway to the Gov- ernment, Captain Silas Bent, a gentleman who has devcied much study to the winds and currents of the ocean, and who was formerly an officer of the United States Navy, made the following remarks : " Mere statements of the difference in miles is a very inadequate measure of the difference in time that would be occupied by sailing-vessels in making these several ID paiwagoH, aikI whon wn conHidiT thftt tlin-o fourtliH of tho o«»«^ftn coinii»'r«'«> of th» world in carried in wiiliiijf veHMfln, you ^'iiii m«» wimt an iniportimt factor thin ijul'H- tion of miliiif/-thn« lecoincH in thu nolution of tho prohlcni Itrforo uh. "Tin? n«>rtli«;aHt tmdf windH, which extend iicroHH the Atlantic, are ho liroken and interrupted when they encounter the \Ve«t India Islandn, that they never penetratt* tho Carihhean Sea; hut thtt northwest portion of them, however, do extend into the (Julf of Mexico, and often ho far down as to reach well toward Tehuantepcc, HO that whilst in the Gulf winds are always found, yet the ('ariblwin Sea reinainH a repon of aInioHt relentl(>NH calinH. " Nor iM this all, for the mountain ranjjes, i'xt<'ndin« the length of the iHthinuH of Panama and throuj^h Centrol America, oiler a Htill more formidahle harrier to the pawiaj^e of themi winds, thup throwinjj them Htill hij^her into th«( upper regioiiH of tho atmosphere, and extending the.-tci calms far out into the Pacific Ocean, on the paralli I of Panama, with lenseuing width, for fifteen or eighteen hundred milcM to tho n' rthweHt, along the coast of Central America. "Thi whole region of calms, hoth in the CarihlM'an Sea and in the Pacific Ocean, is HO well known to navigatorH that Hailing-vcHHelH always shun it, if possihle, though they may hav«( to run a thou»-an(l miles out of their way to do ho. " ThiH almence of wind, of course, leaves this vast area exposed to the unmitig- ated heat of a torrid Hun, except when relieved momentarily by harassing scjualls in the dry neanon, and hy the deluging rainfalls of the wet season. With these meteorological facts in vi(!W, h^t us now sujipose that thc^ L«).sseps Canal at Panama, and the Eadn Railway at Tehuantepec are both completed aiid in running order ; then let us start two Hailing-ships of <>({ual tonnagt; and ecpial Hpeed from the mouth of tho Mississippi, witli cargo for China, one to go by the way of the Panama Canal, and the other by the way of the Tehuantep(!c Railway, and I venture to aiiirm that by the time the Panama v(>ssel has cleared the canal and ficmts in the waters of tho Pacific, tho Tehuantepec vess(d will have scaled tho Isthmus and be well on to the meridian of the Sandwich Islands ; and that before the former ves- Bel can worry tlirough the fift