, 1889-01-03

Omatepe. The volcano OF Omatepe was
active last December, and now u long line
OF smoke Just betrays Its life. The slopes
of the big mountain, once heavily wooded
are pretty we'll blaEed. The other cone,
that Of MADEIRA 10 extinct. Down from
It's summit, and tumbiing INTO iss Mae
1000 feet below, is a splendid fall OF water.
AZ Won approach the island from the east
erp shore Of che lake. this waterfall hashes
in the sun like y line of silver. The prin-
cipsl town on the western shore. OF the
inke is Riyas, IL stands q marked con-
trust 10 the ordinary Spanish American
town, being clean and neat, with
straight, graded streets. Here Gen.
eral Walker. In the expedition OF
1855, fought his hrst and last
battle. The country between Rivas and
Britto, the Pacific port and the .,,.e western tern
terminus OF the canal route. is hi!ly and
consequently more healthy than the low
lands OF the east. The road from Rivas
seaward is bordered by beautiful gardens
and plantations rising gradually to fer
tile table land. As you approach the ocean
the forests become thicker and more ex-
tended. the trees taller and more vigorous.
These forests at Brito stretch almost into
the ocean. The narrow beach OF 100 or
200 PAGES is interrupted at intervals with
high, insurmountable cliffs.
With this rough descrip ption OF the
country along the route along the Nicara-
qua canal, the actual survey from Brto to
the starting place at Greytown may now
be traced. In March, 1887, the Nicaragua
Canal Association secured from the repub-
lie of Nicaragua exclusive right OF way
through its territory. The government of
Costa Rica, whose country touches the
south bank Of the river through u portion
Of the canal route, has recently granted
similar concession. An elaborate survey
had been made in 1872, another in 1883,
and the third and latest in lSS7'SS. The
great feature Ia all of these surveys Is the
profitable employment Of
NATURAL WATER BASINS.
Roughly speaking. the distance between
the two termini is placed at little less
than 40 miles, OF which, by. the latest
survey, there are l4l miles OF free naviga-
tioB.
The route is divided on the surveys into
three divisions-the western, miadle and
eastern. The western division runs from
Brito 10 point six miles south OF Rivas
on Lake Nicaragua; the middle, from the
lake TO tbe great divide between the San
Francisco and Deseado basins, and the
eastern thence 10 dreytown.
The climate Of the western division is
healthy and the soil of sand and clay. con-
ducive to easy excavation. The harbor o.
Brito ia about 342 feet wide at the entrance
and extends into the interior for mile
earth dredging one and ope-eighth miles
to lock No. is required. the force
of the current Of the Rio Grande
river being directed just above the lock,
through special cut to the coast. A lift
of 35 feet. another stretch OF dredging to
to the extent Of two miles to the junction
of locks 8 and brings the canal to the
summit level at the Tola basin,
a sheet of water OF about 1910
acres, formed by damming the Rio
Granje. 1t is possible that two locks will
be substituted tor the three above meu-
toned TO correspond with the two set
down in the survey on the eastern division.
The difficulty lies, however, in construct
ing locks sufficiently tight to sustain the
increased weight Of water, total Of ITO
feet. If such construction seems inpracti-
table, three locks will be built at each end
of the route The Tola basin offords
% miles of free navigation, rare for "a
small area of mud dredging in the upper
portion. From this basin there extends
stretch of AS miles of canal to the
western shore of Lake Nicaragua. About
midway in its course the canal strikes
height of about Al feet above lake level
or Isl above the level of the sea.
A cut Of seventy-one feet (twenty to forty
of earth covering, the rest rocls) is here re-
quired, giving depth of thirty feet, or
two feet deeper than the ordinary earth
cut. This provides for an increase in the
depth Of the canal in future if expedient.
The width of the canal will be eighty feet
at the bottom, while the top width will
vary with the slope of the sides from three
to one up. Passing through the divide,
the canal meets the waters of the Rio
Lajas, whose current, like thaG of the Rio
Grande at the coast, is directed by sepa-
rate channel to the lake. About 2400 feet
of rock and earth excavation is necessary
at the mouth of the Rio Lajas to obtain
the required depth of twenty eight feet.
Summarizing. then.
THE WESTERN DIVISION
covers stretch of 1897 miles. of which
II SO ale canal, and 20 free navigation.
Very little work is necessary on the
middle division en- account Of the lake and
the slack water navigation. The lake af-
lords 5611 miles free pavigation save for
stretch of mud dredging at its eastern end
Tor eight miles, at an average depth or oL2
feet. The normal level OF the lake, 1918
feet. is raised to ITO feet by constructing
4 dam on the San Suan river at Ochoa, so
feet above the present surface of the water.
This damming affords, beside, Stretch
of "a miles slack water navigation. At
the Toro rapids. % miles from the lake,
some little rock dredging becomes neces-
sary, while below the rapids sIuall
stretch OF earth dredging il required. At
the left of the Ochoa dam the canal departs
from the San Juan river, as the latter is
thereafter totally unfit for navigation, and
follows the course OF the San Francisco
nk- aknix IS So nI h.,s.