Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-06-14
THE NICARAGUA CANAL,

lhE N1ChRAGUA CANAL.
While so much attention has been
drawn to the cutting of the Panama Canal
and the misfortunes of De Lesseps in push
ing that work, very little public thought
has been directed toward work of even
greater Importance that has begun, and in
all probability will be rapidly pushed to
completion-the cutting of the Nicaragua
Canal. We have news that the first of
American workmen and machinery have
left New York for the Atlantic terminus
OF the proposed canal-the engineering
forces have for a long time been in the
field. The enterprise is one that is backed
by cautious capitalists, who say that they
do not propose to throw their money away
as did the French syndicate and its Amer
ican collaboratorS on the lower isthmus.
The men at the back of the Nicaragua
scheme start in, they declare, with the in
tention of completing the cut within five
years, certainly in not more than six wears,
and hence mean to have the new water
way open to the commerce of the world in
comparatively brief time. The route is
not so lined with obstacles as that across
the Isthmus of Panama; the climate is
not so inhospitable for the non-acclimated.
indeed it is a desirable climate, and in
many respects resembles that of Central
al 70 INT
way will be much longer than that at.
tempted across the Panama Isthmus, and
considerable part of it is natural-that
which crosses Lake Nicaragua. The en-
tire length will be about 10 miles, of which
stretch of l3O miles will be upon the level
of the highest survey upon the route. The
estimated cost is SGT, 100000, but the Amer
lean promoters have been cautious enough
to provide % per cent. for lee way, thus
placing the possible cost at $50, 100000.
Nearly third more than this latter sum
has already been expended by De Lesseps
upon the incomplete Panama cut. The
first work that will be undertaken on the
new route will be the construction of
houses for stores and workmen at Grey
town the second the clearance of the
harbor of that place and the construction
of wharves. Then will come the work
of making the first section cut from
the East, which will be through sand
and soft clay, alternating, for distance
of ten miles In this section there is
very little rise of the land and the
cut will therefore be uniform, or nearly so.
with the bottom of the canal 120 feet wide,
the top 200, and with a depth of so feet
In the eleventh mile rise of $50 feet is
met with, and here will be constructed the
first lock- a half mile further west the
second will be put in, which will be the
summit lock, and it will be excavated from
solid rock. At this point an S00-foot dam
across a small valley will give four-mile
basin, and raise the water to a hight of LOG
feet above the sea level. From the end OF
this basin there will be rock cut three
miles long, and of an average depth of l45
feet. For the next twelve miles there will
be several short cuts and small basins, and
finally dam l,2G5 feet in length and 81
feet in hight, to back up the waters of the
San Juan river to the level Of and to the
shores of Lake Nicaragua, a distance of "a
miles. This lake is 10 feet above the Pa.
cifc, and 56 miles in length The route
will cross its southern end, where it is SC
shallow that a channel will have to be
dredged out. From the lake the excava.
tions will be along slopes and valleys, the
Chocolota creek and Rio Grande gorge to
the ocean. While it will be most i'm.
portant work, as it will cut off the long sea
voyage around The Horn" the create,
benefit will accrue to Central America, in
the development of which it viii play q
very important part. 1t will of course en-.
large our trade with the Central American
States, and will certainly strengthen the
ties between them and the United States
The Gulf States of our Union will rear
great benefit from the canal, for thei,
trade will be very much stimulated
in that direction. The effect of the cana
upon California will be to sharpen compe
tition between carriers, and augment the
contention for and divert some of the Ori
entail traffic. The transcontinental road
can hardly be expected to look upon tn,
work with enthusiasm, since it will pu
new competition before them. But tn,
corporators who operate these great high
ways are philosophers, and recognizing tn,
Nicaragua Canal as an early probability
they will simply prove themselves equal t,
any conditions its construction may i'm
pose