New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-24
THE ClNlL gQVTES

The Nicaragua leaiy outlines Y llYAi f9N'e W
thai alIeady surveyed ny lhe lEeNfl' sPl'pNNl'
In man on another page The Felallye pNs'''Vns
of the two canals are brpnSht pe'p'p Wv
readers eyes. The great adHahlaHe ~ Wv
Nicaragua route, apart from mechanical "o'a''s
of constructions is It's northern position IN COM
harrison with the Panama line. There ~ u
material saving of distance between New 10Th
and San Francisco by the Nicaragua route ana
the prevailing winds are more iavofaD'c
Another impor,ant consideration is the SUPER
oritv of the harbors. At Port Said, the en-
trance port of the Sucz Canal, harhor haa W
be artifcially constructed at enormous expense.
The Panama harbors. although adequate 1oi
present needs, would have to be enlarged ana
constantly dredgcd, If tidewater cahai we'c
opened To the shipping of the world. Grey
town. on the other hand, is naturally one OF lhe
finest barbors on the coast, and although 1t has
heep neglected for many years, it could be con-
ye,ted into n safe and commodious anchorage
for the largest vessels. BritO can also be con-
verted into a good harbOr, although a greater
outlay will be required. When once inproVeu
these harbors would not need constant care 10
offset the sitting of the sand, when Is pcr'''a-
ncnt source of difficulty and expense at the
Panama rOadsteads.
The Panama route passes through a mountain
range. following the beds of two streams anu
picrcing the sthmus at point where 1t is from
forty-two TO forty three miles wide. Inc
original plan calls for tdewatcr canal, ana
consequently involves the tunncllng oi the
backbone of the isthmGs. The chlci objections
to the project are the enormous expense oi inc
rock cutting; the deadly climate the vioicn'
rains which annually convert the Chngres mo
"A torrent and would overflow the banks oi the
canal and fiji ii with sand and stones; ana Inc
frequency of earthquakes, which would DO
constant menace 10 tho pcfmancnce OF the
work. The year 1883 was originally an
nounccd by NJ. de Lcsscps for the opening OF
the canal. II in clearly impractcablc To com
plctc the canal within ten years, and many oil
the best-inlormcd engineers are confident that
II will never be finished. If NJ. de Lesscps
were n younger man, the magic oil his name ana
the triumph won by him at Sucz over Engllsh
sccpticism might enable him Ia draw upon
French investors with impunlty. His advanced
age il strong argument against the success OF
tbe euterurise An immense sum has already
been sunk in the Culcbra section and ut other
fairly begun. The Panama ditch is primarily
matter of finance. and ii French investors reach
the bottom of their savings next year. NJ the
year after the work will have to be abandoned.
The Nicaragua route Ia longer than the
Panama from ocean 10 ocean, but both the lake
and the rivers are utilized. The climate is
much mure favorable. aud the country along
the line IL dotted with villages. The chiei
affection raised nj The international Canal Con
eipss wns based upon the system oi lochsse,
The original plan favored by Admiral Amn,cn
aud Captain Phelps involved the construction
ol Four laina having an average height oi gpip
tprl aud an aggregate length NJ i,3YO ihila
aud alno III twenty locks ~ an average liIi oi
something oyni ten feet, Lake Nicaragua when
full ID iO7ia feet above the ocean levels II
has u surface drainage al D,lbO square miles,
and furnishes All outflow oi water into the san
Juan River entirely adequate for the leakage
of vessels passing through the canal The cost
of this waterway has been variously estimated.
Engineer Menoca allowed sol ,6SO,777 for the
western division, distance 10 l-3 miles
S7l5,G5S for the middle or lake division,
distance 56l2 miles; $25,O2O,9l4 for the
eastern division, distance lOSi2 miles; and
total estimate for the 1Sl.26 miles being
$50, 577,71S. 1t seems to be generally con-
cedcd that if this work were undertaken as a
Government enterprise the cost would not fall
below 500, OO0, 900, and might even exceed it.
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