ENGINEEE1NG EEPOETS. 
77 
draught steamers and barges, to run on the river between Mina- 
titlan and the head of shoal-water navigation. They, of course, 
must be capable of doing the same amount of business which 
lias been estimated for the railroad. 
The cost of light-draught steamers on the Ohio Kiver varies 
from twelve to sixteen thousand dollars. The expense of refit- 
ting and taking to the Isthmus would be from five to ten thou- 
sand dollars. A light-draught boat would therefore cost, deliv- 
ered at Mina-titlan, at the outside, $25,000. Barges can be 
bought for a sum ranging from six hundred to one thousand 
dollars each. Refitted and delivered on the Isthmus, their cost 
would reach, at most, from $2500 to $3000. And as I have 
estimated for three steamboats and six barges, the total cost of 
opening steam communication between Mina-titlan and Yentosa, 
by means of light-draught steamers and locomotives, would stand 
as follows : 
Cost of road as above, $5,029,540.78 
" engine, cars, &c, 251,625.00 
" station buildings, 140,000.00 
" three light-draught steamers, 75,000.00 
" six barges, 18,000.00 
" engineering and contingencies, 8 per cent., .... 440,000.00 
Total cost, , ($954,165.78 
This has reference to the Jaltepec terminus and a connection 
by shoal water. Should the road be extended to Mina-titlan, 
we should then have the following result : 
Auxiliary road, between Mina-titlan and the Jaltepec, $62,000.00 
" " Jaltepec to Ventosa, 131,000.00 
Clearing, grubbing, graduation, masonry and bridg- 
ing — Mina-titlan to Jaltepec, 1,180,666.00 
Do. do. Jaltepec to Ventosa, 4,112,657.99 
Superstructure — from Mina-titlan to Ventosa, includ- 
ing eight miles of station and side tracks, 1,243,422.18 
Total cost, exclusive of equipment and engineering, $6,729,746.17 
Engines, cars, &c, 332,150.00 
Station buildings, 206,000.00 
Engineering and contingencies, 8 per cent., 580,000.00 
Total cost of road,. $7,847,896.17 
