Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-12-17
THE PROPOSED NIcARAGuAN SHIP
.ltl CANAL NI III

lueto WA PtvcADJ
Congress early In January the complete
OF the Commissioners appointed
by Government last year to locate. sur
vsy and report upon the most feasible
route for q canal BY which ships and
steamers Of large size may pass from
tho watsrs Of the Atlantic to those Of
the PAdhe Ocean. reference has been
heretofore made to this subject in tele-
graphic dispatches and BY short ediso-
rial comments in these columns but no
extended account Of the project has as
yet been Published. The scheme OF an
inter-oceanic canal between the two
oceans washing our shores is not new.
A early as is5fit was agitated by Go
mara, a spaniard. and from that time to
the present various plans have been sus-
gestsd and discussed. by the acquisi,
ton OF California 1. acquired new inter
est. yet until 1870 nothing was done In
the matter BY the General Government
In that year. however. two exploring
and surveying expeditions were sent out.
One Of thsss. under command OF Cap
tain shuisldt, United States Navy.
was sent to the Isihmus Of Tehusnispse.
and returning reported that no sItraordi-
nary engineering difficulties were pre-
sentsd in . routs o~ounsnGng about
tairty miles above the mouth OF the
Coatzacoaieos. which emptiss into the
Gulf Of Mexico -travsrsing its course
for . considerable distance and extend
ing in q southsrly direction to the
lagoon on the Pacific. This would
shorten the route from New York TO
Hong Kong nearly 10000 miles. and to
San Francifso somewhat more than
that. The other. under Commander
Ssliridgs. was sent 10 the Isthmus Of
Darisn. andsurveysdt three routes across
the narrower part Of II, hut found none
practicable. sslfridgs also surveyed
several routs. through tho northern
part Of Columbia. ani reported favor
able on one by way Of the Nspipi river.
by his plan il would take thirteen locks
from the Pacific to the summit, and
nine from the Atlantic. and also . tun-
mel Of Ave miles. sufficiently high to
admit the passage Of the largest ships.
He estimated the cost Of this at $685.
O00.0
Tho last expedition under Com
mandsr Lull. whose report viii soon be
presented. surveyed what is called the
Niearasuan route. This. which seems
70 posssss greater advantages than
either others. was. after being designated
BY Gomara a. ons Of the four feasible
routes, first surveyed by the Spanish
Government in 1871; then by the Cen.
trail American in 1885; and by Col. Childs
for the "Atlsntio & Pacific Ship Canal
Company IN 1901.
The line OF tho proposed canal will
commence at San Juan Del Norte. or
Grsytown. . point on the Caribbean
Sea. al the mouth u the San Juan
river. which river drains q large part
both Of Nicaragua and Costa RIGA, and
In the rainy season Is a stream OF con-
siderable magnitude. The harbor Of
Grsytown was destroyed by . aood,
which altered the course Of the stream
and literally moved the harbor into Cos
IA Rican territory. and some miles from
the town. The course Of tho canal CT.
tends in the general direction Of the
river for about twenty miles, and then
traversss ID to Port San Carlos. at the
foot Of Lake Nicaragua. The ''Nicar-
aqua Steam Navigation Company now
have four steamers running on the
river. and ons steamer and . schooner
on the lake. which IL but from Ave to
ten feet deep ear tho outlet. but at
tains q maximum depth Of 270 feet.
II IL about Ito miles long and &c miles
wide In the broadest place. and is i29
fest above low water in the Pacific. The
route traversss the Lake about 10 miles
and gains the small port Of Brito. on
the Pacific. by . canal and system Of
locks. the Low range Of intervening hills
bsing lees than atty feet above the level
Of the lake at that place. This plan
requires FOURTEEN locks on either slope.
and the total length Is l95 miles. An
enterprise so irausht with interest to
the American people should receive the
fullest discussion and the most CON-
plets investigation.