The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-04
OVER THE ISTHMUS.
How the Nicaragua Canal is
Getting Along.
TWO YEARS MAY COMPLETE IT.
IL WIN Strengthen the Naval Power of the
United States Martin Burke Turned
Over TO Chicago officers.

GREYTowN, Nicaragua, July IS.-Tbis
hitherto dull little town, destined to be tbs,
Atlantic port of the Nicaragua canal is ran
idly awakening into new life, and is already
poisoning out as the scene of considerable
activity. The American engineers and
their assistants do everything possible for
the health of the employees and still further
enortS are being made in this dir ction.
Portable buildings of all descriptions are
being continually shipped from New York
to Greytown, and the engineers and
mechanics will soon be practically as we'll
housed IN Greytown as they would be while
at work IN any part of the United States
recognizing the fact that pure water
Is the source of good health, the GreytoWn
engineers of the Nicaraguan Construction
company nave Just received orders to sur
vey and lay out the ground and plant for
two large reservoirs. Fifteen miles of
street water piping will convey an abund-
ant supply of perfectly pure water from
Deascado basin to GreytOwn.
10 Greytown the example of Panama has
been most useful lesson and guide forthe
American Canal company. All occurrences
IN winch the French company failed have
been avoided by the American canal mana
gers, and il may be said that every dollar
squandered by the De Lesseps syu-
dlcate has been lesson TO
the American company. Sickness,
deception and despair marked the route
projected by the hnancers of Paris, but
health, plenty of good food and quiet en-
ergy are the characteristics of this one.
80 soon as the jetties and wharves are
completed, ocean steamships will be able to
water at the company's dock. The town
OF Greytown, otherwise San Juan Del
Norte, Will also receive its water supply
through the canal company's pipes.
1t is reported in Greytown that the canal
company Is figuring upon line of three
American steamers which may be estab-
hshed between Greytown and New York,
and San Francisco and Baltimore One of
these steamships is to be devoted to carry
ing stores and machinery for the company
between San Francisco and Brito for the
of the Pacific harbor of the
canal, and the other two to perform like
service for the company between New
Y ork and Greytown.
Property about Greytown, Fort Carlos
and Brito, and all along the line of the
canal route in fact, is rapidly advancing in
value.
Some contractors from San Francisco
and Chicago are announced to be coming
this way, and several from New York are
still figuring here. 1t is expected that by
January the San Francisco construction
party Will be stirring up the mud at Brito,
while the New York construction parties
will be digging their way toward Lake
Nicaragua from the Atlantic side, for it is
the plan of the Nicaragua Canal company
to attack the lsthmuSian problem from two
sides, the Atlantic and Pacific at once. If
this plan Is actually decided upon the Mic
lragua canal will be open for navigation in
much shorter time than at first contem-
plated, inside OF say two years and a half.
The grand fresh water bosom of Lake Mic
aragua, draining water from a shed of 5000
square miles will be thrown open to the
world, say IN about two and half years or
more, or in 1S9+95. The whole canal will
be ready for business as rendezvous for
the American fleet and as a coaling station
and dock-yard for American men-Of-War.
Lake Nicaragua will form an immensely
advantageous addition to the war power of
The United States, for a fleet there as
'embled could coal, provision and repair
and sWoop east or west, strike north or
south and have safe refugee, should such
/ safe guard be needed. Thus, it will be
readily seen, it must be distinctly under
stood at the start that the Nicaragua canal
S an American institution. and that the
growth in strength of our navy keeps
pace with the growth of the Nicaragua
ANAL, even without increasing the number
If ships. This conclusion is arrived at
rom the fact that our Atlantic feet at
ew hours notice could reinforce the PACT
ic feet, or vice versa, while even a small
squadron anchored in Lake Nicaragua
would be extra useful, from the fact that it
,ould strike sudden and unexpected blows
,ither in the Atlantic or Pacific at a
moments notice