606 • KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



impediment whatever in the way of Comte de Lesseps without at the same time 

 responding to the universal demand for a passage through or over this great nat- 

 ural barrier to the commerce of the world. 



'* My visit to England last August satisfied me that every dollar which is re- 

 quired for the work will be subscribed there within sixty days after the United 

 States declines my proposition ; but I have no fear whatever of its being declined 

 by the Government. The concession which Mexico has given to me is so com- 

 prehensive and liberal that it enables me to give such advantages to the United 

 States as cannot fail to be acceptable. 



"The private capitalists who are engaged to-day in England in transporting 

 the immense crops of California and Oregon would construct the ship-railway at 

 once if I would consent to have them control it. Such a result would put the 

 finishing stroke to our ocean commerce. They would have at least the absolute 

 control of the carrying trade between our Pacific possessions and Europe. 



" There are very few intelhgent people to-day in either England or America 

 who have any doubt as to its practicability. I have received within the last 

 three days from England several letters from the very highest possible authorities 

 upon such subjects, fully indorsing the entire practicability of the ship-railway. 

 One of these letters is from Mr. Barnaby, the present chief constructor of the 

 British navy, another one is from Mr. William John, the chief manager of the 

 ship-building establishment that has just finished the City of Rome, the largest 

 vessel afloat in the world except the Great Eastern ; another is from Mr. Pearce, 

 the sole owner of the works which build the White Star steamers. Mr. John was 

 for many years the scientific adviser of the Committee of Lloyd's Register in 

 London, a position requiring the highest possible expert knowledge of the science 

 of ship-building. Another letter addressed to me is from Emmerson, Murgatrayd 

 & Co., the builders of the Bombay docks which were designed to take out the 

 Great Eastern, and which lifted 10,000 tons vertically. They were the builders 

 of the Malta Docks also, and they offered to build the works which I need at 

 each end of the railway on the same terms that those works were built upon, and 

 to lift with absolute safety the largest loaded ships forty-six feet high in thirty 

 minutes, ready for transit over the railway. Another letter sent to me from Eng- 

 land is a copy of Sir Edward Reed's reply to the request of Admiral Ammon, of 

 the United States navy, giving his views on the relative merits of the Nicaragua 

 canal and the ship-railway. The letter is the ablest essay in favor of a ship rail- 

 way that has yet appeared. Sir Edward was formerly the chief constructor of 

 the British navy. He has probably had more experience in ship-building, dock- 

 ing and repairing ships than any man in the world; has written several treatises 

 on ship-building, and has been knighted by the Queen of England in recognition 

 of his eminence. I have other letters from a number of other gentlemen in Eng- 

 land equally as distinguished as those whom I have just mentioned, but my prop- 

 osition to Congress really leaves the question of practicability beyond discussion, 

 for the guarantee which I ask is not to take effect until the practicability of the 

 ship-railway is demonstrated absolutely." 



