Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-01-22

promises an increase Of this naviga.
ton sufficient of itself to make 9
canal a matter of the utmost impor.
tance to U people.
In view Of these advantages, the
question naturally arises with regard
to tho most feasible route for the
canal, both az regards economy OF
construction aud convenience in use
On this point it would hardly
seem as if there were room for con.
troversy. The difficulties which sur
round the Panama scheme have been
SO frequently and SO forcibly sci
forth that they need not be elaborate.
ly repeated here. The floods of this
region, caused by sudden aud i'm.
mense ain-falls, have attracted the
attention of the most careless trav.
eler. and have perplexed and coll
founded the scientific engineer in his
attempts to provide some method by
which to overcome tho difficulties
which they create. The impassabla
and unhealthy swamps lying along
this route have always been consid-
cred unfit for a water course, aud %
destructive to human life that labor
and death seemed to have Joined
hands there. The necessity for long
aud expensive tunnels or open cuts,
and for q safe viadnct, has added
vastly to the expense Of the route
when estimated, aud to the obstacles
to be overcome by engineering. The
most careful surveys have always de.
veleped a Encouraging want of ma
terial for construction. The addition
of 500 miles to the distance between
New York and the ports on the west
coast of the United States by the
Panama route over that of any other
feasible route proposed, and the long
aud tedious calms which prevail in
Panama Bay, have never failed to
opposition 10 this route in the
mind of the navigator. The enormous
cost of the Panama Canal, moreover,
has never bsen denied. Considering
the engineering difficulties attending
tho divsrsion of the Chagres river,
and the necessary construction of an
lake to hold its floods, to-
gether with the t%unneling, or open
cuts, to which allusien has already
been made, the ost of this canal can
not. be less than 800, 00O, 600, and
would probably be mach mors-in-
Guiding the payment to the Panama
railroad for its concession. No Amer
lcan capitalist would be likely to look
for dividends on an lnyestment like
this.
Turning from the Panama route,
therefore, as enc, which, when prac-
tically considered, has but little to
recommend it, either az q commercial
convenience Or y financial success, w
are brought to the consideration OF
The tte-whioh
the attention Of the American public
is most strongly drawn at this time.
The advantages Of this route are the
and economy with which the
canal can be constructed /; the sdmira-
BILE approaches to it from the sea, both
east aud west ; the distance saved be.
tween Liverpool aud the North
American psrts over that OF the Pau
anna route. and the distance saved al.
between New York aud other At.
Iantic cities and the ports of the
United States on tho Pacific. The
cost of the Nicarsgus Canal has never
been estimated above 800, 0OO, 900
Indeed, Civil Engineer Menocal, whose
judgment and capacity have never
been questioned, gives the following
az his estimate Of the entire cost Of
the work, after long and critical OK
animation:
Western D~Ivision-from Port Brito to
the Lake. Distance, 16. 50 miles; es-
M iaIs'a p~ i0is Nicaragua: 'sl' ''0 I'll
Distance, $3.50 miles; estimated
Eastern Division.irom Lake t. Grey. ''''
town; Distance, los .4s miles, esti-
construction Of Greyiovn HaJor. 1 IS ,ss
Construction OF Brio Harbor......... 2,3s7 ,7S
Total-Distsnes, ISL .2s miles; cost. $50, 81, III
A subsequent estimate, based OF
more recent surveys made by Mr.
Menocai. has reduced this amount t.
$41, 1913, 839-a reduction of $11, 383,
879 and by abandoning the valley o,
the San Juan river in favor of a di.
rect route to Greytowu-ascertalneC
10 be entirely practicable-ths dis
lance is reduced to 1857 miles, the
total canalization being but 53-1;
miles.
1t is we'll knewn that the Sue.
Canal and, in fact, almost all srea,
public works, cost far more than tn,
estimates made by engineers. Blu
applying this rule most literally can
not briug the outlay on the Nicaragu,
route above 800, 900. 900. The sur
veys of this rente, made subsequsn
to those Of the other reutss pr0pos
ed, have developed extraordinary fa
cilitles for the work. Materials need
ed for construction are abundan'
throughout the entire line. The har
bors of Brito and Greytown, at tn,
western and eastern termini, are cap
able OF being easily made %eonvenieD
from Lake Nicaragua is free from de
post and is abundant and easily oh
tained--the lake itself being the sum
init level Of the canal. The rainfall i
not excessive. The climate durln,
the trade winds is delightful. Tn
country il capable of producing al
the subsistence that would be re
quired by the laborers employed i
the construction Of the canal. Th
local productions are valuable, an,
such an constitute many of the mos
important articles of commerce. l
the construction feeders, tunnels ali
yiad ucts are not necessary. Deeper
dent nowhere on streams which i
the rainy season are irresistibly de
structive, aud in the dry season ar
reduced to mere rivulets, the cant
would always be provided with a ur
form and easily controlled supply
water.
A canal constructed on this routt
aud At the estimates before us, eeul
not fail to be al economical .higkwa
as well as a profitable lnvestmen,
Estimating the cost of the canal
SIS, 0O0, 900, a charge of 80. so for can,
tolls and all other charges would Civ
a gross income of $40, 900, 900 on til
1000, 900 tons upon which former ca
culatiens have bsen based. Deduc
ing from this 81, SOC, 900 for the e.
Penses Of maintaining and operatin
the canal, we have IS, SOC, 900 as til
net earnings of tho work. Any re,
sOnable mobilization of these figure
would give an encouraging exhibi
The liberal concessions made by til
government of Nicaragua TO the Pr
v%isional Interoceanic Canal Societ
Indicate . determinations OIL the pal
of that government to mako the bul
dens Of the enterprise as light % POI