Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-01-14
THE GREAT CANAL.
THE PLANS AND POSSIBILITIES OF AN
AMERICAN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
COST OF ROUTES.

The following statement of Admiral
Ammen is regarded as q complete ref
utation of statements made by certain
parties whom it appears are anxious
to throw every possible impediment in
the way of an American company OBJ
tanning a concession from the Govern
ment of Nicaragua, for the purpose of
constructing ship-canal through that
country:
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2, 1SS0.-For
the purpose of giving those interested
in the inter-oceanic ship canal a sue
cinct idea of what seems likely to pro-
mote, and what seems likely to pre-
vent its construction, at least by an
American company, | make the follow
ing statement:
For some extraordinary reason the
Isthmus OF Tehauntepec is again pre-
sented as possible line of canal con-
struction, and survey of it is again
proposed. Yet we know that it has
summit level of 15i feet and will re-
quire 40 locks, or seren times the
number of the Nicaragua canal it has
line of actual excavation of IA
miles, or more than double that re-
quired on the Nicaraguan line, and it
has proposed dredging of a river sub
ject to floods for q distance of 35 miles
1t has also to draw its water by a
feeder 271 miles long, requiring dam
SO feet high to get the necessary ele-
nation, having four tunnels aggregating
36 miles, and then deficient water
supply.
By report of Engineer Fuertes, page
26 of Tehauntepec Survey, under
Capt. Shufeldt, the river Cort at
point A, map No. 2, is given at l,9I8
cubic feet per second; erectly the
quantity required for the alimentation
of the canal as given on page 81. All
of the available streams were found to
yield 2,ll3 cubic feet per second, or
492 feet more than required. He es-
Inmates the loss in the feeder through
filtration, evaporation, etc, at $50
cubic feet per second, thus making the
delivery amount to 1864 feet per
second, making deficiency of 80 Gu
bic feet per second.
On page 3 he cites two examples
of feeder losses that of st. Privc, &c.
900 feet long, loses threefourths of its
water. If loss at the same rate should
occur no water would reach through
the secenth mile In the example OF
the feeder Of Boulet, which is So, 600
feet long, if loss at the same rate
should occur, the water would not
reach through the fourteenth mile. In
the first case the water would reach
onc-fourth the length of the proposed
feeder, and in the second case it would
reach one-half Of its length.
lie states, however, that the nature
of the soil along the Corti, or proposed
feeder from it, is well calculated to
prevent filtration but in giving the
different sections along the feeder he
mentions that some portions Of the cut
ting and tunneling is in "shale and
drift" or "humus and loose earth. !"
In the fifth division there is tunnel
two miles long, which, he says, "can
be easily cxcavated," the ground be-
ing very soft. On some portions Of
| the feeder he states the formation to
be clay, sandstone, marble, and com
pact limestone.
There are numerous proposed dams
for the interccption Of small streams
crossing the line an acqueduct ] 200
feet long, throughout several miles Of
its course the feeder is raised above the
natural surface, n condition favoring n
large loss through filtration.
The cost of locks at the same esti-
mate of the Nicaragua route would be
$50, 100000; of actual excavation,
$i5, 600, 600; Of feeder on Panama
routc-none being required via Mica
ragua-$25, 900 900; then the cxcava-
ton Cf the Catzacralcos river for l35
miles would sum up probably $1,000
| 600, the estimated cost on the upper
San .Jdan, and 100000 more as in
Nicaragua, for harbors, presenting the
same difficulties, making n total Of
$130, 100000.
The Commission appointed by the
President Of which was member,
instead Of adopting the estimate Of
the engineer to cover contingencies on
the Nicaragua route, through IL ne
ccssary to double the estimate, and
that, too where building materials Of
all kind were abundant and convenient.
| There il still great reason to double
the estimates Of the Tchunatcpcc route,
making il $500, 900, 900, and that too,
as is shown uthoW a udter Snppiy
adequate at least during the dry sea-
| son
Another survey cannot materially
| change the summit level already de-
termincd it cannot change the length
Of the canal IL cannot add to the
water supply without an increase in
the estimate it cannot by any means
change the relative disadvantages
which unhappily exist in It's compari-
son with Nicaragua What then is
the purpose, what the object OF n sur
vcyY Certainly there Is not the faint
est hope Of those who are informed
TINT the conditions will DO found ma
tcrially different from the above state
mcnt whatever the assertion may be.
The Nicaragua route has in canali-
zation G1Y miles the remainder is
either lake or slnckwatcr navigation
in n river not subject to Hoods; the
water supply is 20 times more than
could be used in lockage the summit
level Of the canal l07 feet, and Of the
divide between the oceans $50 Feet
The cost Of the canal, as estimated by
the civil engineer, without mn allow
ancc for contingencies, was $52, ,000,-
900, and the cost named by the Com
mission, 800, 100000.
The Panama route was carefully
located at the request of the commits
sion, and line located ut an clcva-
ton Of 1913 feet above the ocean which
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