The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-08-13
NICARAGUA'S MOVE TO COMPETE
WITH THE DE LESSEPS PRO.
JECT.
The Work Progressing =. Interesting
Interview with the Nicaraguan
Consul.
tNeW York Herdid.]

August y, 1913
The rather astonishing fact has come to the
surface that while NJ. dc. LeSSeps Is soliciting
subscriptions for his Darien canal the Nlcara-
guam government has part Of q ship canal al
most reudy for business. 1t VIII 4e remem-
bered that at the request OF the Nicaraguan
government Chief Engineer A. IT,. Menocal,
az the United States Navy. has been granted
five months leave OF absence to visit Nlcara-
qua and complete certain important improve.
inentS planned and projected by him In that
State years ago. This request was made
through the Consul General of Nicaragua in
New York, who forwarded the letter TO the
State Department about the middle OF last
month. The improvements spoken OF are on
the San Juan and the San Juan gel NorLe
Rivers on the direct ronte from the Carrioe-
an sea TO Lake Nicaragua. MOI only mas inc
Nicaraguan government undertaken 10 COM
plete these improvements, but every plan
nus been perfected for opening direct naViSa-
ton with Lake Nicaragua. The Importance
OF this work cannot be orercstlILlateu from
either u national or an International point OF
view. The completion Of the engineering
work which Mr.. MOnecll goes out 10 superln.
tend, besides greatly facilitating the prCJect
of an interoceanic canal via Nicirasun WIN
apidi extend and enlarge an already In.
~crcasing between that country ana
New York, and open up q rich ana unueVel-
opcd region Of country that promises Il great
er yield of products and wealth than ~ claim
ed from the Florida Ship Canal route. The
Improvement of the Muchuca rapids Is near.
ly completed, and the N~icarasuan govern
iment now proposes To bulld 4 canal WIN the
necessary lockage around the CaSuilo rap
which will open up an uninterrupted line
of communication from the sea to Lake Mica
r.gua. There will then remihn but a shor
distance to be cut, said TO be less IMAM tnlr-
teen miles TIVE the western boundary. or
Lake Nicaragua aud the Pacific Ocean. This
of the route has been already CAREFUL
ly surveyed Tor the interoceanic canlai: Inc
St'gc of the work along the san Ju-
;n River and the energy which the Nictragu-
un government has determincd TO put forth
In completing the route between the lake ana
the sea Is al assurance TO our government
that ii an interOccanic canal Is TO DC con-
= t.ucted 1t will be- by this route. In which the
United states Is as largely Interested us the
government Of Nicaragua.
Interview with the Consul General
of Nicaraguu-N hat he Says Of the
improvements Beng Carried OUT
BY his Government.
\ Ier.dd reporter had an interview last
evening with Mir. Alexander j. CO,hcal. Con-
sui General OF Nicarag ua, In regard u the re-
sources of is well nS the improvements at
present being effected in the country OF which
he Is the representative. The writer haSlnI
stated the object of his visit, Mr.. Cotheal
said For several years past the government
Of Nicaragua has been turning It's attention
to the policy OF Internal Improvements: they
have had Il long Time OF peace now ana they
want TO take advantage OF It. These improve
mentS were commenced in the River san Jul
an and the harh"r OF san Juan del Nortc
great arm. where The work Of dredging and
blasting rock II Is Uo.u carried Oh Tor several
years, together with blasting the rocks In the
Machuci. or lower rapids in the same stream.
This work of blasting and dredging sOtS on
slowly, as IL can only be c;trried on q portion
Of the year, when the water IL low. IT. Is the
intention To make Il 'channc ofeSiN feet nj
low water all the way up to the great Lake Of
Nicaragua. for tho bcnefitof the steamers and
other crafts plying on the SAT- Juan. The
Castillo Rapids, on that river. Is a thriving
settlement, but ut present IL can only be
reached by small boats. except during the
rainy season, when the river Is unduiy Sw0ll-
en-. Mr.. Mcnocal, civil engineer, United
States Navy, Is now about being sent there by
the Eicarlguun government TO commence
preparations for the construction of locks by
means OF which the river boats may be pass
ed around the rapids, from the lower to the
higher water; instead of uischarSing their
caryoes below and having the goods Carried
around the rapids by land, as at present. The
Nicaraeuan government has great conf
dence IN Mr.. Mcnocal, and will, | bclieve,
carry out any suggestions he may make. He
has been down there several times. surveying
for the United states government and also for
the Nicuraguan government so that he Is well
known to the latter. 1t was he who planned
the improvement OF the whole river san Ju-
an, so u 10 make 1t narigable for the steatii-
erS."
xviii this improvement llayc any bearing
on the proposed intcroceanicc anal?"
"MoS asSuredly II will. AS soon rs contin.
uous navigation Is established on the river 1t
will nford great facilities for the construction
of an interOceanic canal III the Nicaragua
route, If that route should ever be adopted, as
1t probably will De-"
1.-THE Improvement of the San Juan then
would be rather adverse to the Darien inter-
oceanic canal project ?"
1T would. because the success of that
scheme would depend in = great measure up
on the California trade. That Is Il bulky trade
and In that respect 1t differs from the trade OF
South America. and the California would lie
absorbed by the Nicaragua Canal, If such
were opened up"
'What is your opinion Of the relative mer-
It's OF the two canal routes most prominently
advocated7 ?"
II am perfectly convinced thai the Nicara-
qua route Is the only practicable one for an In
tcroccanic canal and that the Darien route
can never be carried out owing to the insu-
perable difficulties TO be overcome"
us the Nicaraguan governmen! engaged In
IN other improrements?'
ut Is constructing q railroad to connect the
Corintn port of Fealejo) on the Pacific coast
with Moabita on the Lake OF Managua, 80 as
to develop the Internal commerce OF the coun-
try. Early In the spring l shipped by way Of
railroad. TIL total distance between the
points mentioned is about seventy miles, but
ct present 1t is intended only to complete the
first ten miles and make use OF that. This
and the improvement OF the San Juan River
are thepnly public improvements now going
on in Nicaragua that ! am aware Of"
ais the country productive?"
"Alon9 the banks OF the San Juan the conn
try Is wild, being for the most part forests
and the usual tropical vegetation. The only
business carried on there is the gathering OF
india rubber, and the trees have been cut so
frequently that they are now almost exhaust
ed within q rudius where they are con Sidercd
alone profitabip. In fact, the trees have been
cut to such an extent that people are now set
ting out plantations OF the lndia rubber tree
as q matter of speculation. This can only be
done. of course, by those having capital. as
they canhut hope for any return OIL their out
law until the trees have had time to grow, and
this requires sone years. After quitting the
river OH the north side OF Lake Nicaragua
YOU strike the region Of the gold and silver
Mines
ais the yield of precious metals there impor-
tant?" .
~ have never secn the statistics in regard
to the yield. There must be about q dorm
mines, and these are worked principally by
what are the CHIEF products Of the coun-
try" .,u., ,.o o,,o,
product. These are raised In large numbers.
A considerable portion of them are used for
home consumption. while others are shipped
TO various ports on the Pacific. The Is also a
large business done In the expectation of in
dia rubber, hides, deer skins, indigo, dye
woods, tobRcco, rice, sugar. with some coffee.
The letter article Is constantly increasing IN
amount, and with sugar forms the principal
considerable quantity. A very superior arti.
Gle of cocoa is also produced"
The Great Wall Of China.
An American engineer who, being engaged