National Republican., 1888-02-26
IHE NICAR Aqua CA\AL.
WORK on THE SURVIVING PARTY
ALONG THE ROUTE.
Rem .rkabi- Features and Incidents Of
the "trip Riding on the Cowoatchsr
of tho Engine Visiting President
Oarazn at tn. Capital.

Especial Cor e.pondencc Of the RErrBicAN
MNNAGrN. NIc,n>GrN. Jam. N.-N last
Civil Engineer r. Il. pcary in charge Of
the expedition, has reached the capital,
where hc has come tu pay hi, RESPECTS to
President tarlzo, the work of surveying
the canal route having been commenced
and progressing lhvombly. The journey
and soiOurn here has been attended 10y in
cidcntS of note, and some features of the
trip have been rather remarkable. LcnV-
ing the headquarters camp two weeks ago .
the representative of the company pro-
cccdrd via the san Juan river and across .
Lake Nicaragua to Granada, where hc
found in waiting, to extend n hand of
welcome, the presidents son, and on the
following day a special train was at his
disposal to complete the trip to Managua
The weather was uS in spring time i'm the
states, the sun shOnc brightly, ami Il
pleasant breeze blew over the lake
while the singing of the birds amid the
flowers that blOOmcd everywhere lent y
great charm to the scene, which cuntrlStrd
greatly with that which had just been left .
on the San Juan river, where the rain has
poured almost continually since the ar
rival of the cNpcditiOn,thc record at head
quarters showing II rainfall of T. inches in
- days, over II inches falling in one day
alone. At Granada and through all the
country west of Lake Nicaragua the dry
season has set in in earnest, and but an
occasional shower of rain has fallen dur
ing the past two months.
The superintendent of the railroad had
been detailed to see to the comfort ANA en-
juymcnt of the visitors, and he made the
novel proposition that they might Scc
more uf the scenery from the COwcatChcr
of the engine than from the box car and
offered if they wished, to accommodate
them there. The offer wa, taken, and Mr..
pcary, the superintendent and the
RErrBlICANs correspondent, took seats
went the train. 1t was not long before the
effort needed to prevent being dashed
from the pcrilOuS position with the en-
gimc rushing along ut lightning speed
was thoroughly recognized. The rapid
motion made it as difficult to hold on as if
the party had been alOit in the rigging of
II vessel in II gale of wind, but il was too
late for any change of mind and when
down grade was reached the speed in
creased. There was Il cry of surprise from
one Ot the party when few hundred
yards ahead At the turning of Il curve was
seen Il herd of cattle standing ON the track,
having wandered from the fields
of the hacienda near by, The engineer
blew the whistle and down went the
brakes. The cattle started ON race down
the track, which they kept, and, despite
the work of the brakes, the train ncarcd
the herd every moment, and there seemed
no power To prevent II bloody ending of
the ride on the cOwcatchcr, the occupants
of which. standing up for II leap lat the last
moment apparently having To chuOsc
between being manglcd i'll the crash ui The
engine among the cattle or of jumping
before the herd was reached, which was
equally dangerous The few seconds uc-
.ttti.l lao this tnpilpnt Snptnnl lint
at the critical moment the cattle turned to
the right and were soon lost tO sight in the
woods, and the Passengers drew Il breath
Of relief and rcoccupicd their places
The balance of the journey To- MaSaya
was without incident, the natives along
the line of the road coming to the door
ways of their huts and staring in bcwildcr-
mcnt at the strange sight of turning the
cuwcutcllcr intua passenger coach. When
Masaya was reached there was found III
waiting II commission from the govern
ment, headed by the Subsccrctary of til,
interior canton, Mr. Chas. IL. Wills, til,
American consul who is citizen of Mary
land wcll-known in Washington, and t
number of prominent residents of the
capital, who had come To meet the visitor
and escorted them To the train in waiting
for Managua. ThcprcSidtnt expressed lii
desire to see the representatives oi the cN
petition that evening ut the palace, An'
accordingly they repaired thitlcr. Th,
presidential palace and the governmental
buildings, where sit the national Legislative
bodies, form one house, covering an entire
square of ground, with Il large plaza IL
front. II isa comfortable Looking two
story building which is being rebuilt ON
more prctentous scale, having brel
originally of adobe and very plain. tn
doorway was guarded by II couple q
soldiers and led into the court yard of til
palace, which was planted with banana
orange, lemon, and mango trees, vine
produced Il dense shade and lent coulncS
which is the principal living place, durin
the heat of the day, of the presidents
family. President tarazo came turwar
and shook hands with his guests, then lc
them to his reception room, large an
pre,tily ircScocd apartment plainly tu
iislrd. There were present nlllnh!
VI the members of his official famiI
Hnd the American consul The prc>idcl
=, Asri plain, unpretentious man, who III
Neit his quiet farm life for his present "ilic
lNie furnishing of the palace througilol
is plain and simple. not being more cN
pcllsivcly fitted than the average home Z
The richer portion of the people, and tn
plain rcpublcaniSm is II characteristic
the government and general me oi u
people. The president occupied Ia
guests in conversation through an inic
prefer, and inquired especially after NJ
pany, desiring to know when lac wo!l
arrive On every hand the first qucStl,
the NicaraguunS ask il regarding VI
Mcnucul, in whom they express great ro
tidcncc, and whose name Is II hOuselO
word all over the land.
Although the president does not Sprl
English, nearly every official of the roll
try does, the language of the states bril
considered an important part OF the cat
cation Of the boys, The following nddrc
was presented the president by Mr. Pear
being translated into SpuniSh
In behalf Of the president, the Ollice
and the members of the Nicaragua Can
Company, bring you greeting and oil
Nou the assurances of their best rcgar
and highest RESPECTS
1T is with feelings of deepest plcasu
that / am able to inform you that I
work of locating the grand canal, beg
~ auspiciOIiSly II month ago, Is now
hlll prIgrcSS; my camps all establish,
my engineers in the best of health n
spirits, and pushing forward with !
duuntless energy and disregard ofohstac
peculiar to American engineers. Area
are ten miles of line surveyed. ! "a
grutulHtc you and Nicaragua that I
financial world has at last graspcd I
fact that the Nicaragua route Is the natu
route, already thrrc-tOurthS built by
dulgcnt nature and Us the star of ill-iat
Panama sinks out of sight behind clul
~ financial ruin and reckless disregard
na'ur, obstacles, the star of Nica1g
rises with steadily increasing luStcr,
"WHI posted rs you are in regard Ia
bright prospects of the canal, were you
New York The momentum and elan of
great project, the deep current of pupl
and ruuIIciul interest and belief in il,
igcIlmgs Of pride and congratulolion "
which the people of the United Sta
turn their glzc upon this fair country
hhc dawn of tS prosperity and gl'
,,,,,nll L. 3, r,yrIutinu Ia Npu