Mr. Corthell who happened to be present made a
speech after I got through. He is himself a very eminent
water engineer. He said that he was associated with Captain
Eads at the time and had often heard Captain Eads tell the
story.
Captain Eads afterward had a scheme which always seemed to
me very feasible for a ship-railway across the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec. His project was to construct a railway with
a sufficient number of tracks, and to raise ships of the largest
size on the principle applied in locks of ordinary canals.
He had a contrivance made of stout beams which would hold
and support a loaded vessel to which it was adjusted. The
beams were to operate something like the keys of a piano,
and the whole operation was something like that by which hatters
measure and record the shape of a man's head. This plan received
the hearty commendation of some very eminent engineers, including
Major Reed of England, the highest authority of such subjects,
the constructor of the dry docks at Malta. The scheme had
a good many supporters in Congress. I think it would have
been adopted but for Captain Eads's premature death.
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