New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-25
CONNECTING TWO OCEANS.
PROGRESS OF THE WORK ON THE NICARA-
qua SHIP CANAL.

qua SHIP CANAL.
PURCHASE OF THE PLANT FORMERLY USED ON
THE GREAT PANAMA FA1LURE-EX SENATOR
WARNER MILLER PRESENTS ROSY VIEW
OF THE FUTURE OF THE ENTERPRISE.
In The Tribune last Monday was published the news
Of the purchase by the Nicaragua Canal Construction
Company OF the Slavln outfit at Colon. consisting OF
seven large drcdges lighters tools machinery and sup
plies curious freak Of fate that brings the great
dredging plant Of the ruined Panama Canal project
into the beginning OF active operations on inc
Nicaragua Canal-the deepening Of Greytown Harbor
under the superintendent Of Chief Engineer henoca
The Office Of the Nicaragua Canal Construction Com
pany is at No. A. walst., and probably the busiest
man In It Is the president Of the company, exSena
tor Warner Miller. Mr.. Miller Is devoting great
deal OF earnest attention and nearly all OF his tme
to the furtherance OF the big American maritime snip
canal enterprise which is TO cost less than the euez
Canal and less than the sum squandered on the Pan
anna failure, but which will undoubtedly excel the
success that brought fame TO De Lesseps at suez and
will be n monument Of American sagacity, enterprise
and engineering genius that cannot but throw INTO
mournful contrast that monument OF disaSter' inc
drclry desolation Of the abandoned cuttings Oh De
LcSseps Mt Panama.
The removal OF the dredging plant Mr. Miller re
marked to Tribune reporter. Is the Elso hah III "'
coffin OF the Panama scheme
GWhat is tho present condition OF the WORK OF inc
Nicaragua Canal construction Company asked the
reporter. 49,,
We are now engaged in dredging Greytown harbor
and building railroad along the line OF the CANA III
order 10 begin work in tho Interior Inc railroad mas
made good progress during the summer. ME- iiea''
the contractor has just returned and reports u'al ~
is going on rapidly and satisfactorily, ana the hs'
secton Of railroad from tho Pacific Ocean up 10 the
mint whore the canal ntersects tho river VIII DE COM
pIo,cd early in the fall That will enable the company
~ end in their men, machinery and supplies ana oegih
,yor, on he interior line of the canal railroad IS
the first rcoulsite You cannot do anything III tha'
country without II.
MUCH PRELIMINARY WORK
"Of course the Nicaragua Canal Is al inn'ie"S 70
undertaking and n great deal OF preliminary work Is
necessary We have had TO build our own "harNos'
barracks machine shops. headquarters, oces' store
houses hospitals and stores OF all KINDS oecau'o MO.
aqua is n country in which there are no supplies 10
50 h, Pvervthing has TO be sent from hero aud
sewhcre and Won can that before large force Oh
mon can he put 10 work these preparatory matters
have 10 be attended 10. When Greytown Hsroor ia"
been drcdged ordinary vessels VIII be abie 10 ooo AZ
and unload at the wharves. instead OF having !" H'
ont I'm the open sea and lighters The cher
season for consultations has arrived at Greytown anu
,,, dispatchcs sent By him last week learn thas
everything is satisfactory Our prospects, indeed arc
o,c.,en. II Is estimated that II Will require SIX
years tims 10 finish the canal the minimum "ep
Of wafer in the canal throughout VIII DC '"ir'' iee
and will carry ships OF any burden "hie '"o us
tn.o .cross the isthmus is 100 miles, there VIII be
less than twenty eight miles OF actual canal. III" e
q free navigation either in the river or N the aAc' ~
h, hns will he able 10 20 at practically full speed
o. roorv the whole distance across The actua canal
mart * much less than the SueZ or than the fsian'
would have been II completed
"Does the climate Of Nicaragua Offer any obstacle
IN the successful accomplishment Of the WORK =
.No said Mr. Miller Nicaragua is exceptionally
favored I'm climate. It's situation makes IL the natural
thorouehfare Of the northeast trade winds OWING 10
whose hvgienlc influence Nicaragua is the healthest
region in Central America
"Can Won give me a general outline OF the details oil
the work proposed
0The details of the work proposed are briefly as
follows:
"A brcakwater at san Juan del Mort and the deepen
ing Of the harbof dredging thence 10 the WESTWARD Ii
miles through aluvia ground then lock OF thirty
foot lit At IA miles beyond there VIII be a
second lock Of thidy-one feet lft and dam across
the small stream DeseadO. above which VIII be two
basins separated by another dam and third lock 81
forty Ave feet lit aorng five miles OF free navigation
/ hcu "A
by twelve miles Of free navigation In the valleys OF
two small rivers, the san Francisco and the Machado
Hero the water will be raised by dams and emoanr
ments forming basins which will connect directly with
the san Juan above large dam across That river
which will raise the surface level In the river ana ahe
and secure additional free navigation OF 81 = miles III
the river and 81 . miles across the lake. On the
western side Of the laHc the canal enters cut OF sshi
depth in earth and rock nine mil long issuing thence
info the lola BASIN with l-2 miles OF free navigation
obtained hy damming the small stream the Rio "rAnde
A. his dam series OF locks lowers the level ciehy
five feet aud the canal proceeds In excavation down
The valley of the Rio Grande distance OF two miles
10 the last lock- tidal lock Of twenty to thirty feet
! lift below which the canal enters the upper portion
of the Harbor of Iro. L. miles from the Iaclh'
| Ocean where a breaAwatcr will be Constructed en-
| larginG and making more commodous the present
harbOr.
SOME LARGE ESTIMATES.
| IJere mr., summarcs.p added Mr.. Miller, "whicl