The Dillon tribune., 1884-12-20
THE NICARAGUA CANAL,
Esiinlate "f Construction Time to Com
plete n-A Huge Speculation.

II is announced at the Navy Department
at Washington that an expedition OF Amer.
ican officers and men will be sent to Mic
arigua to survey he route of the proposed |
Nicaragua Canal. Several different sur
vcy> have been made Of this route, and
Admiral Wynan, one OF the incorporators
OF the Nicaragua Canal Company, in Il let
ter TO the National Republican, says that
more recent examinations assure the fact
that the canal location can be very mate.
rally improved. The Admiral says that
the engineers estimates Tor labor and ma
!erial in construction are $4I,l93,S3y, but
that these estimates were not made to favor
the construction Of the work, but were
made for the Government. The Admiral
says: with a contingent of IS per cent
which perhaps would prove too small. it is
not at all improbable that the cost of the
canal when executed in the best manner
may not exceed S6s,ouo,ooo, interest in.
cluied, without sacrificing to economy.
Nearly every part of the construction can
be entered upon at the same time, and for
this reason the canal may be open for traf.
fc within five wears from this date. Nd
! uniting the maximum figure for construc.
| ton. instead OF the last named, let Us con.
slider the minimum figure of tonnage and
transit dues and Of the immense i,npor-
tancc prospcctively of our coasting trade
| ~ \, IL
lion tons, for the present, would be a low
estimate, and in less than half century it
would be five times that amount. The
grain product for export to Europe Of the
north Pacific now exceeds ,s,ooo,ooo tons,
and the vessels partly laden with iron and
Goa! and partly in ballast going through
the canal for cargocs would not be less than
100000 tons. Then we have the traffic
to and from Japan, Northern China, the
Philippine and Sandwich islands, the
islands OF the South Pacific, New Pea
Iard and Australia to and from our Allan.
tic and European ports 100000 would be
Il small estimate. We have, then, s,otnooo
IONS plainly in sight rs soon us the canal is
open for traffic, and we will l,ave the traffic
Of the Yves. coast Of South America to the
Panama Canal upon the hypothesis that
it will actually bc completed With canal
dues at 81 per net ton, aud dednctins
81 100000 for the maintenance of the
canal, and from tonnage we have $4,000,
600 for dividends, which is a small fraction
below per cent on SS:,3S767S. The max
!, imum cost Of the canal is arrived at b,
doubling the engineers estimate. But
r traffic Of enormous poportions will dcvelo
'fl from the construction OF the canal, witho,,
. which it would he impossible. And thel
!. the traffic from Puget Sound cxtcndin,
, northward 10 Bchring straits, TO our Eas,
/ cru coast and to Europe. In order to hav
a conception Of what this will amount Il
let the skeptic visit the Liverpool stea,ne
Oregon, and examine the thirteen splcndi,
timbers in whic;, that vessel is finished
Yellow cedar, when finished, is as beautiti,
as satin, is as easy to work AS cypress, an.
, surpasscs Oak in durability. All of thes
timbcrs arc superb, and are to be tourd il
enormous quantities, convenient for ship
mcnt, and can be put on board sailn: YES
sells and auxiliary propcllcrs at small COS,
, and with munificcnt profits can be sold il
: Europe at certainly below the narkc
price at this time of ordinary timber .
pine plank. Add TO this the constantly in
cre.sins wine prouuct of California tn>
We sec at once what Il mine of wealth tn,
i construction OF the canal will bring to al
OF the inhabitants OF the west coast anI
/ what az a,n.Ioratou i will Prov TO thost
, OF our east coast and Europe.
III" London Explosion.