Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-12-25

cession was before the senate at the
last session, says a Washington tele
gram to The New York Times it was
stated that the United did not intend
o construct the canal under that con.
cession, but intended to obtain further
rights and more absolute control than
that concession would give it. The
Menocal concession recognized the
Clayton Bu,wer treaty as being in full
force, and the secretary of state ex-
planned that the United States would
not proceed until the defect was cured
by the negotiation Of another treaty
with Nicaragua Therefore, it may
be assumed that the senate was nearly
year ago very fully advised as to the
views of the executiv in this respect.
understand from very high author
ity that the senate committee on for
eign relations was advised and con-
suited with ia regard to all the import
ant provisions of the treaty before it
was concluded. The United States
intends that the canal shall be free to
all nations upon the same terms that
her shipping has been. The treaty
provides for this in the broadcast man
ner Fer only superior advantages
are to be the control, management
and administration, and use for her
war ships in the event of foreign com
plications. But in this respect she has
nearly as great rights under the treaty
of 1857 with Nicaragua. That con
venton permitted her, upon giving
notice to the government Of Ricdra-
qua, to transport in her own vessels,
troops and munitions of war. Now
she can do this without notice if she
builds the canal.
The construction of the canal pre-
sents no extraordinary engineering
difficulties. The entire length of the
route is 181 26 miles OF this distance
only 6174 miles Will be canal proper.
The rest is slack water and lake navi-
CATION. There will be four dams in
the San Juan river, and three short
canals around the three rapids which |
obstruct the navigation Of the river,
the entire length Of which viii be
3 81 miles. The leegth of the canal
from, the lake to the Pacidc ocean at I
Brito3is 1888 miles, but in this DIS
lance there will be ten locks and a
summit level of 1874 feet to be over
come The cut at the summit will |
have to be that depth, but this will |
not be more than mile in length. |
The maximum depth in nearly five
miles from the lake will be les feet,
and for one half of this distance the
cut will be an average of twenty feet.
Quite extensive works viii be required .
to make a good harbor at Bnto, and .
considerable dredging will have to be
done at Grey town This harbor twenty /
years ago was deep, vita an easy APP /
proach, out it had filled up with sedi- /
ment carried down the San Juan
river. All this sediment comes, how /.
ever, from below the point where the
canal leaves the river, and by closing
the old mouth of the stream the silt
deposit will bo stopped, 1t will re
quire FIVE years TO complete the canal,
and the cost ought not to exceed $685.
600, 900; the work can probably be
done for $40 600, 600. This was the
estimate of Mr. Childs, one of the
capable engineers Of his Time mace
after a careful survey Of the route.
l have it from uuquestioIable
authority that the canal congress
which sat in Paris in 1879 would have
recommended the Nicaraguan route
but for trick that was played on it,
AS it was, the majority in favor Of the
Panama route was a very narrow
bHN. Inc ANltdidE Wall IOALt utO
many advantages over that Of Pana-
ma. The cost of construction will
be a great deal less. 1t will require
many years more of labor and mill
ious upon millions to complete the
Panama canal. The digging of the
canal is the least of the engineering
difficulties to be overcome An
enormous rainfall at certain seas ons
has to he provided for, ia order that
the resulting foods may not destroy
tbe canal. Very extensive aud ex-
ceedingly expensive works will have
to be constructed at the Pao6c
terminus to overcome the tidal diff
culGes. OF course, with modern inn
provements in machinery and mech
auical appliances, with modern
engineering skill and an abundance