The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-08-07
ON THE NICARAGUA CANAL.
CUTTING THROUGH THE ls1Hmus.
The American Canal Managers Getting
Everything In Readiness For Their Great
work-The Errors of De Lesseps
VIII Now BE Avoided.

GREYTowN, Nicaragua, July 1s.-This hith-
erto dull little town, destined to be the At.
lantic port of the Nicaragua canal, is rapidly
awakening into new life, and is already
poisoning out as the scene Of considerable
activity. The terrible example" set by the
Panama fiasco has been most useful lesson
and guide for the American canal company.
All the errors into which the French company
fell have been avoided by the American canal
managers, and il may be said that every dollar
squandered by the De Lesseps syndicate has
been q dollar saved to the American company.
Sickness, starvation, dissipation and despair
marked the route projected by the fnanciers OF
Paris, but health, plenty of food, decency and
quiet energy are the characteristics Of the
American engineers and their assistants.
The Panama people paid their employees so
much a month and allowed them TO lind
themselves" that is to provide their own food,
but the hard-worked laborers generally neg
lected TO supply themselves with solid food,
and, on the other hand INDUCED continually
and disastrously in strong drink. The result
was much sickness little work and q terribly
long death list. The American company, on
the other hand, pays high wages, if not
higher, than the French company and in add.
ton supplies all its employees, even the Jamai-
can and other colored laborers, with good, whole
some food and plenty Of it, shipped direct from
New York and purchased in the best markets
Good bareback (ship's biscuit), rice,
bacon. fresh meat, vegetables and
coffee are served out TO all the American camps,
and as the work expands all the suffers stores
along the line of the canal, from the Atlantic
TO the Pacific, will be under the company's con-
troll and strict supervision, the goods sold being
charged for at cost price only, so that the COM
pany's employees will get boots, shoes, shirts,
socks, tobacco, cigars and also other Injuries
of a nature akin to the two last mentioned arti-
cles at the same rate that they can in New
York. The company's idea in this connection
is TO keep up the morals OF the men and let
them have decent profit left when their
monthly wages are paid. This plan has worked
admirably up TO the present moment.
In still another respect is the American
canal company's policy different from that OF
the Panama people. Everything it is possible
to do for the health of its employees is being
done and still further efforts are being made in
this direction. Portable buildings of all
descriptions are being continually shipped
from New York to Greytown and the engineers
and mechanics will soon be practically as well
housed in Greytown as they would be while at
work in any part of the United States. Over
an immense store-house will be the quarters
for 100 engineers Added TO this building will
he billiard room, reading room and library.
Officers of higher rank are Quartered in another
handsome building containing sixteen rooms
while the headquarters OF Chief Engineer
Menocal will be in as pretty a frame cottage as
you could find at Seabright or Long Branch.
Recognizing that pure wafer is the source of
good health, the Greytown engineers of the
Nicaragua canal construction company have
Just received orders to survey and lay out the
ground and plant Tor two large water reser-
vOirs. Fifteen miles of steel water piping will
convey an abundant supply OF perfectly pure
water from the Deseado basin to GreytOwn.
Thus. so soon as the jetty and wharves are com
pleted, ocean steamships will be able to
water" at the company's dock. The town
of Greytown, otherwise San Juan Del Norte,
viii also receive its water supply through the
canal compaDy's pipes.
It's reported in Greytown that the canal
company is figuring upon a line OF three
American steamships which may be estab-
lished between Greytown and New York and
San Francisco and BdtO, one of these steam
ers to be devoted to carrying stores and ma
chinery for the company's use between San
Francisco and Brito, for the construction of
the Pacific harbor OF the canal, and the other
two 10 perform like service for the company
between New York and Greytown.
Property about GreytOwn. Fl. San Carlo and
Brito all along the line of the canal route, in
fact, is rapidly advancing in value. Some con-
tractors from San Francisco and Chicago are
announced 10 be comngth way; several from
New York are still figuring here, and it is ex-
pected that by Jan. 1 the San Francisco con-
structOn party will begin stirring up the mud
at Brito, while the New York construction par
ties will be digging their way toward Lake
Nicaragua from the Atlantic side, for 1t Is now
said 10 be the plan of the Nicarauua canal CON-
pany 70 attack the Isthmian problem from two
sides-the Atlantic and the Pacifc-at once. If
this plan is actually decided upon land we
shall know the truth in this connection upon
the arrival at Greytowa of Chief Engineer
Menocalh the Nicaragua canal will be open To
navigation in a much shorter time than at first
contemplated, while inside of say two years
and half, the grand fresh water bosom of Lake
Nicaragua, draining a water shed OfS,000 square
miles will be thrown open to the world, and.
say, in about two and half years more. in
1894 or 1895, the whole canal will be ready for
business
As a rendezvous for an American fleet and as
a coaling sta ion and dock yard for American
men-of-war. Lake Nicaragua will form an i'm
mensely advantageous addition to the war
power of the United States. for feet there as
sembled could coal, provision and repair and
swoop east or west. strike north or south and
have a safe refuge should such safeguard be
needed. Thus it will readily be seen that it
must be distinctly understood at the start that
the Nicaragua canal is an American institution
and that the growth of the strength of our navy
keeps pace with the growth of the Nicaragua
canal even without increasing the number of
ships. This conclusion is arrived at from the
fact that our Atlantic feet few hours notice
could reinforce the Pacific feet, or vice versa,
while even a small squadron anchored in Lake
Nicaragua would be extra useful from the fact
tina, il could strike sudden and unexpected
blows either in the Atlantic or the Pacific at q
moments notice.
Work on the telegraph line, railway route,
buildings and preparations for the ietty con-
struction continues, but in view Of the fact that
this gigantic enterprise will take about five
years to bring 1t to q successful termination, it
is not TO be expected that each mail will bear
news of great obstacle overcome, and
nearly year of installation work is needed.
Steady, strong and sure blows are now being
dealt at the SECRET of the straight and il is
perhaps needless 10 add that the company is
made up of good American git thar materia
warranted not to shrink under any circum-
stances.
FXPL ORATIONS IN MEXICO