Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-01-21

crease OF efficiency and pubic convenience
AId The sooner the Government taxes pos
session OF all the telegraph lines, the better
General TRAIT On the !nss:.csaa!s Jana.
General Grants paper on the In.er-oceanic
canal projects, promised for the NORTH AMeg-
lean Rer,etc for February, has already gut
into the papers, in full
After glancing at the history Of The move
ments looking to the building of az inter
oceanic canal and pointing out the wonder
iIl saving in distance which would follow
the accomplishment OF such scheme, Gen
Grant proceeds to discuss the question OF
routes. He objects to the Panama route be-
cause OF the impossible and unhealthy
swamps which encompass ii, because OF the
necessity for long and expensive tunnels and
open cuts for safe yiaduet, because OF the
want OF material for construction, because
OF the addition OF 5oo miles to The distance
between New York anu ports on TIC "est
coast, and because of the long Gains prevail
ing IN Panama bay lie Piaces she cVsI Vi
the Panama canal al S4oo'ooeVoo' ana
adds; The American capitahst would Dc
likely TO look in vain foF DIVIDENDS On an
Investment like this In short he thinks
Mr.. De Lesseps's scheme has little or moth
ing to recommend it. He states that the
Nicaragua route can be easily and economi-
cally constructed, that there are admirable
approaches to it from the sea, both east and
west, that the distance saved between Liver
pool and the North American ports over that
of the Panama route is considerable, and
that it can be built for ut least $500, ,0OO, 900
less than the Panama route. In this connec-
| ton figures are submitted prepared by Civil
| Engineer Menocal, who estimated that the
| 1lS 4 subsequent estimate based on more
recent surveys reduces the cost to trifie
over S4l, ,0000 900. Hence Gen. Grant feels
warranted in asserting that ''even applying
most literally the rule that engineers esti-
mates are almost always below the cost OF
great public works, the outlay for the
| Nicaragua route would not be above S100,-
900 900. The surveys. he saws, have devel-
| oped extraordinary facilities for the work.
Construction materials are abundant
throughout the entire line. The har-
bors of Brlto and Greytown are
capable of being made convenient aud
! excellent. The water supply from Lake
| s.. e.. ao,o,;, o,,a ;s ob,,
-" 10 .i@e ''o"'
uahl anu easily "otuineu' Ine iaAe itseii oeins
| the summit level of the canal. The rainfall
| ia NOT axcsosiv. Tho climate dnrinr the
,,,,
traue "ihus Is ueisu'iui' ino e'""iS ID
capable of producing all the subsistence that
would be required by the laborers employed
| :; a., o,,,,,r,o,;or of tho canal The IocoI
.
productions are valuable and important az
licles of commerce. In the construction,
f..,,.rs ,rpn,.Is and vi,ducts are no. ,ecrs-
-.
sary. Inc eonces'ons H'"''e ~ '"e
ment OF Nicaragua are regarded as exceed
iurly liberal, and calculated to promote
,ha .ommerc;,I .ni national interests If
,,.t.
tue n''e'' ''"'s'
TO Americans, the society Is hiaue Up oi
Americans, all the cOrporators are Amer
;oo,s .,t ;b. ,c, of inrorno-atio, is asked
- a..
vi ai 'Ai'eiie'iu ''0"7' ICY 9''F " ,'
project recognizes the rishi OF the United
States 10 sru1r.i with jealous care the Amer
a,,iao,. o,,.;,s, ,h,. .,croscbmen,s of
-. -. ,rto ,.,,,, -, f,,,rt 10
80 In ,,o n,os,,,le Investment. Ia
,i,,.,;,,, ,hc cost of The canal Al 81. 900 Gp0
. =. >. If,