The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-20
Uniting the OceAns.


Mr.. w. n. King, Jr. who has been in
Nicaragua with the party Of engineers
who are engaged in making surveys for the
inter-oceanic ship canal, as special cor
respondent of the New York Herald, is at
present in New Orleans on his return TO
New York. Mr.. King is firmly convinced
from what he saw that the canal can be
built for very reasonable amount, and is
very enthusiastic with respect to the ad-
vantages of the route which is now being
surveyed. All the time that he was in
Nicaragua he enjoyed excellent health,
although he was subjected to a great deal
OF exposure and frequently traversed
immense swamps with the engineers.
1t begins to look as if the Nicaragua
canal were going to be built. The COM
pany which has undertaken the enterprise
is composed Of capitalists of very large
means 1t is spending a great deal OF
money In preliminary surveys, which indi-
Gates that it is thoroughly in earnest.
Various surveys have been mads for a
canal across Nicaragua, all of which
have demonstrated that communication be-
tween the two oceans for ships of the largest
draft can be obtained for an amount less
than has already been spent on the Panama
canal. A canal across Nicaragua will, OF
course, be much longer than the projected
one at Panama, but the greater part of it
will be through the San Juan river and
across Lake Nicaragua
OF course locks will be necessary, but it
has also been determined to place locks in
hn
latter canal should be completed it would
have no advantages over the Nicaragua
canal 1t is by no means certain, however
that the Panama canal will be completed
at least during this century. 10 to the
present time over 500 COO, 900 has been spent
upon it, and the most difficult part of the
work has not yet been undertaken.
NJ. de Lesseps, by means of
the lottery scheme which has lately
received the approval Of one
branch of the French Legislature, hopes to
receive s100,OO0OOO more, but he himself
admits that that sum will not be sufficient
to complete the work. He undoubtedly
hopes to get the government so far commit
ted to the work that it win have to shoulder
the burden of completing it, thus making it
a government enterprise. 1t is far from
certain, however, that he viii succeed in
carrying out this plan. If he does not, the
chances are that the canal will have to be
abandoned.
Tho Nicaragua canal is a private enter
prise The only thing asked from Congress
is a charter, and there is no reason to think
that there will be any difficulty in obtain
ing that. 1t has been demonstrated that
the canal will pay handsome dividends
upon an investment of S400,000,O00. The
calculation is based upon the returns from
the shores of the Suez canal. Those who
remember when this latter canal was only
aprojected enterprise will recall the fact that
it was freely predicted that it would never
pay dividend. 1t does pay dividends,
however, and very handsome ones.
a canal across Nicaragua would be of
vast benefit to this country. 1t would be
particularly beneficial to the South Atlantic
and Pacific coasts. The probabilities are
that it would increase immensely the com
merce Of this city. If it were undertaken
at once, and pushed forward as rapidly as
American brains and money could push it,
there is not much doubt that it would be
completed much sooner than the date fixed
for the completion of the Panama canal.
1t would be an American work,
and would be wholly under
tho control of Americans. That is mat
ter that is well worth considering. If Con
gress grants liberal charter the proba-
bility is that the canal will be begun soon
after the charter is obtained Nicaragua
has made liberal concessions to the canal
company. In fact, she has done all that
could reasonably be expected of her.