, 1889-01-03

This stretch consists wholly OF earth OK.
cavation. At Greytown harbor q channel
will have 10 be dredGed and a breakwater
built 10 keep the channel clear. Grey
town at one time had very good harbor,
but the strong shore currents have swept
on the sand and banked IT. up beyond the
possibility OF navigation. The eastern
division is nineteen miles long, OF which
fifteen Ia canal and four free navigation.
Summarizing, the total length Of the
Nicaragua route Ia 1897 miles, 29.S9
canal, l40.7s free navigation.
This route. as roughly described Is be-
yond doubt the most excellent one IN re-
speot to .opracticability and expense that
has vet been devised. Its superiority over
the Panama project IL obvious. The DIFF.
ference In the two schemes IL simply that
BETwEHN RIGHT AND wsONa.
Again, the lSS7.'SS Nicaragua survey is a
vast improvement on that OF 1885. The
Tola basin, on the western division, saw
ing 5 % miles of canal, is feature of the
last survey, while in the middle division,
In place of three miles canal and nine
miles of free navigation in the San Fran
cisco basin, the 1SS7.'SS survey sub.
stitutes about two miles canal and ten
and one-half miles free navigation. In the
eastern division saving IL. found in the
damning of the Deseado, thereby saving,
as mas Deen Shtu, IOuT uiiFs VI Chhui.
To avoid the great divide cut on the
eastern division, a previous survey has
outlined 'lower route" branching from
the regular line of the canal. just at the
Ochoa dam. and running with a gentle
curve to the junction of the San Juan and
its tributary, the Rio San Juanillo, thence
trending upward to Greytown. The OBJ.
jections to this route are that 1t il much
longer and requires forty nine miles OF
canal excavation, where but 16 10 are
necessary on the upper route" With.
ont doubt the upper route" is the rlore
practicable of the two. for the deposits of
| tapetate do away with the principal OH
| lection to the great divide cut, while the
climate. much more healthy than that OF
| the lands on the clover route, will rem
der the work more efficient.
| IL is esti mated that the cost will be in
the vicinity of $50, 900, 900, to which $685.
000, 900 have been added for contingen-
cies. The capitalization of the Maratime
Canal Company of Nicaragua is liked by
congress at 500 900, 900. The bill has
/ passed the senate by vote of over two.
! thirds, and is now In the hands of the
house. The importance of q canal which
shall connect the two oceans cannot be
overestimated. The tonnage represented
| by the Atlantic and Pacific ports of the
| United States between the Atlantic states
and the foreign ports OF western South
America, and. vice versa, the Pacific
ports of the United States and the foreign
nations east of Cape Horn, between Eu.
rope and foreign ports west of the Cape,
and betw British Columbia und Eu.
70 pe, all will throng through the canal.
Moreover, all the trade across the isthmus
itself will be directed through this chan.
mel.
The total tonnage is calculated TO be at
least A. 225. 900 tons. The American por.
tion of this amount is bound to increase as
soon as the Pacific ports are brought with
in reach of our coasters and competition
springs up with the foreign bottoms that
have 80 far monopoized the carrying trade
on the western coast. 1t is to be hoped
that .he house will speedily approve the
bill that the senate bas already assented to-
that work may be begun on this carefully
and minutely surveyed route.