The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-03-20
THE DAILY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1889.
BUSINESS TO BE DONE BY THE MICA
RAGUA CANAL.

BUSINESS TO BE DONE BY THE MICA
RAGUA CANAL.
The granting Of charter by the
United States to the Nicaragua
Canal Company, to which we have
already alluded, has brought that
great enterprise prominently before
the public, and awakened much
larger measure Of interest in the
subject than has hitherto existed
Commander Taylor, of the United
States Navy, delivered an address
before the Franklin Institute Of
Philadelphia not long since, in which
the whole question Of future inter
oceanic canal tr~ tic was treated in
an exhaustive manner.
The business awaiting the con
struction of the canal was tabulated
as follows
Tons.
l. Trade across the Isthmus i ,2l7, $50
2. Trade between Atlantic and
Pacific ports of United States. I45 ,7I3
3. Trade between Atlantic ports
OF United States and foreign
countries west of Cape Horn 752, 585
f. Trade between Pacific ports
OF United States and foreign
countries east OF Cape Horn. SIS, 844
). Trade around Cape Horn Of
European countries. ....... 1.47I, 800
8. Trade of British Columbia
with Europe ................ 39,sI8
Total tonnage ............ 4,507,O44
The distances from New York to
the United States ports on the Pa
ciic are now from 1900 to 14,OO0
miles. By the canal, these distances
will be from 1850 to $500 miles, a
reduction of nearly two-thirds. The
distance from Liverpool to Auck-
land Is 500 miles less by way Of Mica
ragua than by any other route, and
$500 miles less than by the Cape of
Good Hope. Sailing vessels between
Europe and Japan would, by way Of
Nicaragua, save at least 5000 miles
over other routes.
In addition to the large and grow
ing commerce Of San Francisco, the
resources of the entire Northwest
coast are to be taken into considera-
ton. Portland, Ore, with 10000 in
habitants. last year handled 12,50O,-
600 pounds of wool and 100000
pounds of hops. Her domestic ex-
ports amounted to 100000, and
her foreign exports amounted to
S5,00O,00O. Her merchants moved
23S,0OO tons of wheat and -four, and
her grain feet numbering seventy
three vessels, registered 93,320 tons.
The total foreign and coastwise. ex-
ports from the Puget Sound collec-
ton district, last year amounted to
nearly 100000. The salmon can
neries of the Northwest coast ship
ped 100000 cases.
There are said TO be 10000 square
miles of yellow and red fir alone in
Washington, generally known in
trade as Oregon pine" and the
trees of these forests reach twelve
feet IN diameter and 800 feet in
height. The timber field Of Oregon
Is quarter of the superficial area Of
the State. or $4,000 square miles.
The natural growth and develop
ment of the Pacific States and Terri
tories will be stimulated by the
greater profit on their productions.
resulting from shortened and conse-
quently cheapened water transp9r-
tation to distant markets. This viii
add largely and rapidly to the esti-
mated business Of the canal from
these sources, the figures in the
above table being based on present
conditions. The acreage and pro
duct of the wheat fields of Eastern
Oregon and Eastern Washington
have doubled within ten years. and
there is enough vacant wheat lands
to permit the same phenomenon
within the next decade. The lumber
trade of Oregon and Washington
presents the most notable develop
ment of any line Of commerce during
the past year. In 1856, the total
shipment was 100000 feet. In
1887, it averaged 100000 per month.
or eight times the total of 1856.
The trade between Australia and
the Atlantic ports of the United
States has been quadru2led since
1865, though it is still trifing in
comparison with the total fnraio,n