New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-18
alew Orleans Republican.
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
The lnter.Oceauie Canal.

special dispatch from Washington, De
eember 9, tn the Chicago Times, says:
Colonel George Williamson, of Louisiana,
United 5 ates minister to the provinces OF
Central America, is in the city. He is much
interts .eG in The success OF the lLref-
oceanic canal He agrees with the rel ort
OF the board of engineers that the Nicar
aqua route is the only feasible one. He
answers the criticisms concerning this route
very easily. 1t has been ead by some
critics that economy in connecting the two
oceans would br 10 cut through the lsthmus
OF Ddritu, that the watt rs OF the two
oceans could meet. This. MIR. Williamson
thinks, is utterly impracticable, as the bed
of the two oceans are upUn very different
ievel5. The tide at Aspiu wall amounts to
almost nothing, Will AZ Panama the tide
comes with tremendous force. Should a
wide channel he cuo away. GLOWING the
waters of the Pacific 10 pass through to
the 5 'tusic the immense pressure
from the west would wash in enough
sand within u short time to utterly
choke up the chanuel. This is shown
by the fact that from Panama long way
out tie water is very shallow, as il ls ali
along the western coast In ca-e the Mica
ragua route ia used he canal y hen 1t
reach.s the western shorn. will hay" 70 be
buIl nut into -ut sed Tor some distance IN
in order to permit h" passage VI ships. !
large amour of work will have to be done
in the way Ot deepening tie harbnr AZ both
ends of the Nicalagua route Upon the
eastern end, and AT tine month OF The san
Juan del Nprte, there was 3nce a iiue bar
Dor. A diversion of the waters of The San
Juan has, however allowed RaId to ill in
until .ue harbnr has become destroyed
The estimates for tins class oI improve.
mem las been included in TIE enLipeer's
statem'nf, the people in that county
are simple, and are like people in
small town expecting Il railroad for the
first time He says they all think canal
is hi, that eau 10 made in New York
and brought down there all ready for use.
Mr.. Villa m-on dlscredits large number
OF Captain Lults glowing pictures OF the
bt I-tits - he derived IRON the te-el0pment
OF the province Ui Nicaragua by the canal
He says the local beneti rs - be gained by
this canal are very small, The occupant OF
the hunoiest hacienda dreams OF ship
canal BY night and day, as Chris isns
dream of the millennium. Every inhahit-
ant in that section of country thinks that Il
ship canal will bring him an independent
fortune.
Mr.. Williamson says that in every way
the local value of the development of Mica
ragua has been overestimated. IN conced-
ing the value of this canal, local interests
are of 10 consequence. 1t is a great project
for the great profits that will result in tarii-
itating the trade of eastern Asia and west
ern America with the United States and
Europe. The trade of western Mexico,
which now largely goes 20 Europe, would,
with the canal come TO this country. In
relation - the statements made that there
1ss danger of France or En- gland getting
hold of the canal, Mr.. Williamson SAYS that
all that is gotten up in the iutept OF hasten
ing this country to act in the matter. He
says that Central American people may CO.