Identifier: gateofpacific00pimb (find matches)
Title: The gate of the Pacific
Year: Image: 1859 1863 (1860s)
Authors: Pim, Bedford, 1826-1886
Subjects:
Publisher: London : L. Reeve & co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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r running over a rockybottom. The San Juan is fed by many tributaries, thelargest of which are San Carlos and Serapiqui, takingtheir rise in Costa Rica. The volume of water in theSan Juan varies of course in different seasons; at thecommencement of June, the lowest stage, about 12,000cubic feet per second passed from the lake. Thegreatest rise in the lake ever known was six feet. Athigh lake, about October, there is probably between40,000 and 50,000 cubic feet per second, divided at thedelta of the river, of which about three-fourths passout by the Colorado branch, and the remainder by theSan Juan. The whole length of the canal, from the Lake ofNicaragua to the Pacific, is fifteen miles and two-thirds.According to the plan, in the first eight miles, only onelock is necessary. In the next mile, 64 feet of lockageare required. In the next three miles, there are abouttwo miles of deep cutting, and one mile of tunnel, andthen a descent of 200 feet in three miles by lockage, to the Pacific.
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TOTAL LENGTH AND COST. 133 Thus far of the canal across the Isthmus. The Lakeof Nicaragua is navigable for ships of the largest classdown to the mouth of the river San Juan (where itquits the lake). This river has a fall of one foot andsix-sevenths per mile, to the Atlantic. If the bed ofthe river cannot be cleared out, a communication canbe made either by lock and dam, or by a canal alongthe bank of the river. The latter would be more ex-pensive, but on account of the heavy floods of therainy season it is preferable. The total length of the canal from sea to sea wouldbe little short of 200 miles, viz. 15^ from the Pacific to the lake, 56^ across the lake, and 119 to the Atlantic:total 191 miles. The estimate is:— From the lake to the west end of the tunnel £1,500,000 Descent to the Pacific 500,000 From the Atlantic by canal along the river 2,500,000 4; millions. £4,500,000 The Emperor Napoleon proposed to avoid the diffi-culty of cutting through the Rocky Ridge, by carryingthe can

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