New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-02
GOVERNMENT NEWS.
IN1EROCEANIC CANAL

A
CANAL BY MR. NDiMo-DIsCoURAGING OUT
LOOK.
WAsu1NGToN. Sept. 1.-The report on the com
mercIaI aspects Of the proposed American Inter
oceanic Canal by Joseph Nmmo. j., Chief OF the
Bureau OF Statistics. has iu, been Issued The ioi-
lowing Is a summary OK the conclusions reached ny
Mr. Nimmo:
First-That The shipping which would annu'iy
pass through the proposed canal womb amount 10
about 800 vessels. or / G2j 900 tons Annually.
>cooad- rnat upon the basis Of thc shortest Voy-
age the possible amount OF tonnage winch H"r'"t
the latest year for which the statistics an De COZ
lectcd might have passed through the >urz Ca""
was about twice as great rs that when mign' "@'r
passed through the proposed American Canal ana
that upon the same basis the possibilities oil ihe
suez Canal with respect to tie value OF commerce
we're three and oue-haf times as great as those d
the proposed American Canal.
Third-That the traffic Of the proposed American
Canal woyld pro ably be confined, rs ID the franc
Of the Snez Canal almost exclusively 10 steam yes
sells; that sailing vessels would continue to take
the passage by way OF Cape Horn when engaging ID
trade west Of that point. and that sdihng vessels
would cont Ne to take the passage by way OF the
Cane of Good Hope wnen engaging IN trade east Ol
chat point.
Fonrfh-That during the latest year Tor whcn
commercial statistics can he collected the propoSeu
American Canal might have furded "A passage ioi
73o per cent of the foreign commerce Oh the D'''
states. ID per cent of the foreign commerce VI
Great BRIAN. - per cent Of the foreign commerce
of France and less thau per cent d the lhl'ln"-
nonal commerce of the globe upon the ocean
E0h-Ih,t thote has been a very large diversion
of traffic from the route between san Francisco anu
Nev-Yorx by way OF the l,thmus OF Panama 10 'ne
trans-coutiuental railroad already constructor III le
United States the value OF commodore lran'po' '0I
between New-Yorll ana san Francisco by way "a
! Panama having fallen from F7O,ZO2,O-S ID 4'O' ~
%L9l7.7J5 IN 1879, and RE number co ed tE i96
/ hav NJ fallen from Zo.oo3 Ia loo' " i'i''
| ." >ir.'-fbat the trade between the Atlantic anu
/ ~ ,idr norris Of ihe United states by way Oh
! Cane Horn mas also been 10 "a con0lteiaDr 'A-'"'
! diverted t. the tran--cOutIuentdl railway me
| >crcgft-That there 3, now a large ahn CROWNS
commerce between the Pacihc pores 81 luc i,,'.
~t,ta. and inferior points east Ot the Rocky Si"uh
| tlIus-cheilv 81. LOUIS, tnlcaEo ana OiD''.u"'i
| Ia. proposed canal Wou'i nos present az, -, ~,
! competition 10 tuls trade orJNtth ~ .I' '' "
rre -uirrd STATES and ports ou the I'c.H' coast
fiGhU,-lLar 100 the event OF Inc co"-O' u''''' Va
nh American IN -crOceaulc Canal, ne commerce w.
t,.1ru the paciDc port, OF the Un'ted @Ja o' avg
! Furope would probably Sc * the passage UNIQUE"
tine prop psed canal ln steam Vrsee i. ,,.r... d. E
\jofb-ILat rne magnitude ct me commerce Va
the countries ON the western c,a'' OH An = III,
IL limited bv that most marNcd eeoioGch feature OF
the continent the Aulean IA ge, eA 'IHI 4i'ih l f.
Istlmu, OF Panama 10 the S,ili-' Oh 'i"-'i'o' '-
also by conditions OF climate au4 SOIL AeIe-'o4oA'
| dcsc Il,rd. ....+, o 8
| sol, from ire western coast os Peru ana 1901 VA
10 Atlantic ports OF the United Suites ana TO M
rope, giving employment TO about 0IOOOV IONS ~
..l1pI. z annually. would PROBABLY continue I'D '"4
rLrsiL I..t fbe part of the trade of Chiii with
the Atlantic ports obi RE Uuaea >,atc. ana vi y
Europe pv WAY OF Cape Horn. Syiag eA2.'. ~ d
to about $50 900 tons OF shipping annually. """4'
probably continue to pursue that route
YcaYh-I uat - per cent OF tie ten imported ui w
| the United States during the wear ending q nr %
/ 1870. was imported at Pacific ports ana - j 40
cent az Atlantic ports of th- luiled o.A',-. "a'
tlaf probably The. entire tea -upoy of the Atlantic
sraboaId States Will eventually be- brought IRON
Oh. countries oi is pr reduction 10 san iauc'co ""o
/ tlouce overland by rail.
Ihjrfcpts-Ghat ON account of the nautical cohul
tous involved In the pa,sase through m pro .o'.
! canal, SAILING vessels engaged IN trade n'' "e'l
the Atlantic -eaboari OF the United state, ..,
| Australia and NcwZ.a mt VIII probably CO. iHu'
r. mr. l. either th. massage around Cape Horn 81
/ the pa sage around the cape 81 V'"o nope