New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-26
INTEROCEANIC CANAL.


Importance to New Orleans of the inspec
ton now being made, for the purpose Of
determining the most eligible route for a
canal across the isthmus of Central Amer
lea. This comparison is narrowed down
to the locations through Nicaragua and
by way Of Panama. A correspondent of
the New York Herald, reports from Pana-
ma, that the commission has completed
its inspection of the Nicaragua route, and
has arrived at Panama, from the port of
Brito, on the Pacific coast.
The correspondent does not give any
indication of opinion, but we SHOULD
judge from the report of the outlet harbor
at Greytown and the facility with which
the little steamer assembled the San Juan
river, with the grandeur of the lakes, that
the party was only impressed with the
suficiency of a summit supply Of water.
In view of the immense importance to
New Orleans that the Nicaragua canal
should be constructed, we give extracts
from the Herald correspondence. The
chief difficulties are thus described:
The trip up the San Juan, it may be men
toned, was extremely interesting, and we'll
repaid the efforts of Commander Luil, who
explained the merits Of the Nicaragua
route. When at GreytOwn the commits
sioners made thorough examination of the
difficulties presented by the bar: which of
late has increased in its dimensions. 1t is
proposed to divert the course of the San
Juan, which has carried all the accumula-
tiOns to the harbor, and, after dredging the
bar, to build a breakwater which will resist
the influences of the sea. The canal will,
therefore, be totally Independent of that
river, forty miles being an inland cut, the
water supply, of course, coming from the
lake. The proposed improvements are FEAST
attending them will be necessarily large.
This work is thus pronounced prac-
ticable:
The engineering difficulties are simply
resolved to the question of cost.
The Machuca Rapids form low, tortuous
channel and it is proposed to dam it-a
feasible project and one not requiring much
engineering skill.
Commander Lull while passing over these
rapids pointed out the locations of the
So"OAnA PhUPooCu uouS, Wy wAiOA ono oP'
parent distractions were to be overcome.
An interesting feature of the trip was the
stay at CASTILLO, where stands the old fort
built over 200 year ago, and during the
siege of which the naval hero Nelson sub
sequently distinguished himself. 81
That magnificent body Of water, Lake
Nicaragua, which is presumed to be the
great feature of the canal, was seen to the
best advantage.
The lake is over 100 miles in length by
nearly forty miles wide, and forms the great
reservoir of Central America. The steamers
anchored in the vicinity of the picturesque
Ometepe, q remarkable cone, nearly q mile
in height. and about seven miles from the
shore at Virgin Bay, where the party landed
on the following morning. As a landmark,
seen from the Pacific, the Ometepe is as
suredly unsurpassed.
From this lake the distance is less than
fifteen miles to the Pacific. 1t is said:
The party proceeded to examine the line
between Rivas and the harbOr Of BritO, that
portion that contains all the deep cutting
that is to be made on the Pacific side.
We are encouraged by report which
alleges no insuperable difficulty. We
hope that our minister, Hon. Mr.. William
son, has been on hand with this commits
sion, and will soon furnish New Orleans
with the evidences of commercial impor-
lance in this new way of inter-oceanic
communication.