Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-29
'ecial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

November IA. 1890.
A addition to the plant of the North Amer
"A lean Dredging and Improvement Company
which has the contract for dredging the harbo,
at the eastern terminus of the canal, has beer
made during the past week by the arrival from
the United States of powerful suction dredge
the Nicaragua, and two clapets, thus giving
that company two dredges with which to carry
on the work here. In order to prepare the
way for these machines the canal company's
dredge, the City of Paris. has made
a channel through the bar and along.
side the pier fifteen feet deep and for distance
OF about 1000 feet. A large part of the sand
and clay so excavated has been piled up on the
pier, forming bank fifteen high, thus being a
| protection to that work, which extends nearly
800 feet into the sea. In few days the Mica
ragua, to be followed by a second dredge, the
Herbert, will begin work deepening and widen
ing the channel, while the bucket dredges be-
longing to the canal company will be placed to
work on the canal line. There are now seven
powerful dredges in the harbor. three of which
| will be at work by next week, while the re-
mainder will begin operations as soon as they
| can be htted up, which will not take long. as
| nearly every article needed for them is on hand.
! THE DREDGING PLANT AMPLE.
I Iuc uIeuSlHS pIdnt mere, together WIFI tDaC
which is to come from Colon is ample for all
the dredging work on the eastern portion of
| the canal. An abundance of material is on hand
! for pushing all branches Of the work. Three
| lumber schOoners with creosoted ties for the
! railroad, piles for the pier and wharf and tim
Der for putting up additional buildings have
! been unloading here during the past week, while
a steamer that has brought / 800 tons of coal is
now nearly discharged. As a single dredge of
| the kind the company owns burns ten tons of
coal daily large quantity of this article is
| needed.
! Work on the large machine and blacksmith
shop is being pushed and the foundation for a
! building affording greater facilities for the
, corps of draughtsmen now engaged here in
/ preparing drawings of locks and other works
! Is ready for the superstructure.
] Progress on railroad construction ia keeping
/ pace with that being made elsewhere and of
the twelve miles necessary to reach the divide,
| or rock cut, seven miles of the track has
| been laid down and the grading over the
| entire distance is nearly completed.
CHIEF MENOCAL TO 90 TO THE INTERIOR.
Chief Engineer MenOcal will leave for the
| interior next week, when he will take possession
of the land of the canal route from the lake to
! the Pacific. for which the government has been
paid $500 in order that the contractors NAV
begin at once clearing the line of all vegetation
| preparatory to extending construction work to
that vicinity. West of the lake the country is
| not SO thickly wooded as it is nearer the At
lantic terminus of the canal. it being chiefly
pasture land. yet some very heavy timber is to
be found there, largely of valuable hard woods
| that have been allowed to stand because of the
expense of getting them to the coast where
they could be exported. There is a lack of the
| underbrush which in the unsettled part
OF the republic is SO thick that one can
travel only by cutting every foot
| with the contractors provides that they will
preserve such timber may be of Use for con-
structiOn purposes and by this method the ties
for the railroad which will parallel the canal
are to be obtained. In that way they will be
secured at a minimum of cost. while they will
be of the most durable wood. It will be a
| strange experience for Americans to travel over
such a road and see ties made of wood that in
the states would only be used for veneering
purposes.
The contractors who will undertake this work
| are all prominent Nicaraguans and they are
under agreement to push the work. Labor
| on the west side Is more plentiful than in any
other part of the country and there will be no
delay ON that account The clearing will begin
| at the lake.
THE CITY OF AMERICA.
| Mr.. ]. A. Roman, commissioner Of the gov
eminent of Nicaragua, during his visit here of
the past few weeks, has by direction of the gov
ernment arranged the details for the sale of
| lots in the City of America, which was lately
| laid out at the mouth of the canal. The plan
| adopted should satisfy the believers in the
| single tax doctrines as to some extent the plan
| Is III accordance with those principles. and the
| title of the ground will remain in the hands of
| government. leases to be made to those who
| agree to improve the property.
| The new town extends along the coast to the
| north of San Juan del NOrte, from which it is
| separated by park 1000 feet wide The mouth
| of the canal is about three miles from San Juan
del NOrte, and it is in this vicinity that it is ex
pected the most valuable portion of the coming
| city will be- it being also the terminus of the
railroad which runs parallel to the canal as well
as the tramway connecting tho city with San
Juan. The government divides the lots into
| two classes, according to their desirability,
| though they are nearly all more or less
well suited for building purposes. The
leases VIII run for five years. The
/ lessee must deposit with the governor of Amer
| lea 525 upon declaring an intention to take up
a lot. this amount to pay his ground rent for
| the first year, which ends ON the 31st of De-
| cember, 1891. Fifty dollars must also be de-
| posted with the governor guarantee of
| good faith i'll the agreement to improve the
| land by next June, and in the event Of failure
| to do that the deposit will be forfeited to the
government. No person will be permitted to
take up more than 100 front feet OF land nor
less than so feet, and for each SO feet
| taken up the improvements must amount
to at least $500. The government charges
rent at the rate of GO cents per annum
| for each front foot for the second and third
years and double that amount for the fourth
| and fifth years. at the end Of which time new
| lease will be made basis of the value of the
/ ground at that time. the Improvements belong
| ing to those putting them on the lots and can
| be removed or sold if the same party does not
| renew the lease on the terms the
government establishes. The above rates
| are for the most desirable lots, but half the
! price being charged for those rated as second
| class. While the terms of the leases are for
| five years, yet any one wishing to improve the
| property with more costly buildings than those
| required for right of occupancy, such as hotels
| large business houses, &c., will be granted
| longer leases by special concession.
| THE TERMS CONSIDERED LIBERAL.
These terms are considered by the govern
ment as sufficiently liberal to attract improve
ments to the new city where buildings will
! yield large interest on the investment while
| the increase in the value resulting from the
prosperity which the construction Of the canal
Is bringing will revert to the benefit of the
government. Arrangements for leasing the
ground will be completed in short time, but
| only every other lot will be rented the remain
| ing portion to be disposed of later on.
| The United States Kearsarge stopped off San
Juan a few days ago for the purpose of verify
| ing the reported changes that have taken place
In the harbOr since the construction of the canal
| began. Captain Elmer had his officers en-
| ployed on this work for several days. with the
result that the correctness of the latest charts
OF the company were proved. The kearsarge
| stopped here several weeks ago for this pur-
| pose, but before anything could be done she
| was called to Colon. it being ut the time the
| great fire was raging there
i a,.n., -.