New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-07
THE INTEROCEANIC CANAL.
PROSPECTS OF THE NICARAGUA PROJECT
AN AMERICAN MAN-oF-wAR OFF THE BAR
HARDoR WORK AT GREYTowN-A POINTER
.r,rnr>r rrrrr COS an, NIL


are indifferent to the development of the Nations
naval resources need to travel in these Southern
countries and TO enjoy the exhilarating sensation
of seeing man-of-war come into port with the
Stars and Stripes flying. The experience will
knde patriotic glow in their hearts, and they
will never again be inclined to question the utility
OF Congressional appropriations for the strength
ening of the fleet The United States cruiser
Petrol anchored off the bar this morning on the
fourth day from Port-au-Prince, Hayu. The
Royal Mail and the Honduras steamers, which
come 10 this port from New-York and Colon, san
under the English flag. 1t was evident when the
American colors were first made out from canal
headquarters that the steamer arriving uheApecc
edly was a cruiser. party of Americans, heaoeo
by the Chief Engineer of the Nicaragua Oahai
Company. Mr.. Menocal, went out in tug 10 meet
her The Petrol from distance looks Twice as
large as she is. AS Captain Morton, veteran Oh
this coast, quantity said "She is the biggest HC'e
ship afloat" Her powerful battery and her grace
full lines were greatly admired, and there was hot
ON American visitor whose pride was not toucheo
when her crowded but wellordered deck was
reached. On board the perfection OF naval us
cipline was revealed. acknowledgements w.
II. Brownson welcomed his guests win sehiai
courtesy. and every one who was conducted about
rood thing to have not only country and flag,
but also navy of which there was no cause 10
no ashamed. The Petrol with her eleven officers
ond 7 % men has been cruising among the Wind
xrord Islands and off Jamaica and Hayu since she
loft Vampton Roads in December. She sailed from
Port-au-P Prince unexpectedly under telegrapmc or
ders from the Navy Department and is TO remain
here indefinitely.
There was once q time when an American war
vessel was not welcomed in Greytown. Ihat was
IN 1853, when Captain Hollins, OF the Oyahe'
opened fire upon the town ana desuroSeu ~ ~ ~
.,;o+or for GROSS affronts offered to an American
dinlomatic agent, and for wanton aclS Oh spoii"-
zion and plunder committed by adventures from
The MOSQUITO coast. The flag is now d iaiiIii"i
object in the harbor, for 1T floats ABOVE 'iie o0
of the Canal Company, the construction "oiA9 III
the harbor and the numerous steam oi"iO @H'
Moved in towing dredges and conveying pass"
rors nm the rivers into the interior. The somno
- Sponisb town that is indolently dreaming OF
n future of commercial prestige and importance iS
.o.stont,v reminded by the colors that an Amer
Coo, orternrise has been undertaken here Inc
,,nroocbing visit of the president OF the canal
Construction Company and party OF sixteen
Americans was announced fortnight ago; put IL
,,os not until the Petrol appeared of the sahu
dimes that the significance of the event was IuiiS
ennreeiated by the native population iheS h"'e
nromptly interpreted the presence OF uhe war
Shin as an intimatiOn that the Umted states "o'
is interested in the progress and success oi
the great engineering work which has peen ui'-
dor,aken here. This may be rash assumption
ON their part but certainly it is singular colci
dence that there is an American cruiser III poi'
on the eve of the first official inspection oy rresF
dent Warner Miller of the Nicaragua Caial houoc
Wby should not the United States uo'eIhineho
take pains to make known IN some way ns ap-
probation of the magnitude OF inc in'eIo0oaNAo
,,otoryvav which has been projected by American
o,,,,;,oorSp Surelv no better use can be made OF
tho new cruisers than that of exhibiting thein
,ybenavcr and wherever National interests are at
s+o,o and the prestige of powerful Government
e needed in support Of American enterprise
If the Petrol had arrived in December she mign'
have entered the port instead OF anchorhg ou.si'c
,he har Northers of unprecedented violence nave
u. durino the winter and the outer and
500 bars have shifted so that the depth OF water
., ,he shoals is now only nine feet. This does
not imnlv failure on the part of the engineers as
loo bean hastily assumed by opponents OF the
oa,o1 II only means that they have undertaken
= ,ork which is exposed to interruption from
natural causes.
When engineering operations were oeguh Ill
October. 1889. the harbOr of Greytown was COM
nletely closed by sand dunes and hnmmocks lying
bigb above water from shore to shore. Ihls oal
"a boon created by the sea waves. Sand had
built upon sand from east to west until haroor
once deem and easily approached by deep chah-
mol was completely inclosed and converted INTO
3 4osb ,vo+er lagoon The first work or the en-
c;reers was the restoration Of the harbor by Ihe
formation of new coast line which would shel'er
tho entrance channel from the wash OF the waves
ord tho shifting of the sand In the COURSE Vi
fourteen months breakwater was QUIZ 10 'le
vindward OF the proposed channel, anu wleh AZ
was only half finished the harbor was openeu'
When the inner bar was first attacked anu pioheu
3brouoh there was depth Of nine 1eet Oh wafer,
and as the dredging advanced this was lhcreaseo
70 fourteen feet. The engineers had been remark
oblv successful but their battle with nature hau
orlv begun as they were well aware MOI ul."
the breakwater, then 900 feet long, couiu ~
carried out TO the outer bar announcer lOoo ne"
,,,o,ld there be q coast line perpendicular to the
nrevailing direction of the wind, ana the acon Vi
.ho waves he restricted 10 beach-building outside
tho line Of the channel The furious northers have
retarded the progress of the harbor improvements
d tho ,cater is shallower than it was in portions
~ tho channel: but there is still depth OF nine
foot whore was formerly solid obstruction OF
sord bfnh above tide level. The fresh deposits OF
sand are disappearing under dredging. ana the
former depth of fourteen or fifteen ieet VIII
gradually be secured but not until the preak"a'er
is completed to the outer bar Will the tendency ol
tho sand TO shoal across the entrance De WhoAy
counteracted. Nature will have TO be conquered
foot by foot by engineering science
AZ New-Orleans and during my run down the
coast ! was repeatedly told that the work at
Greytown was a complete failure; that the haroor
was rapidly filling up with sand from the San
Iuan River: and that engineering operations would
sneediIv be abandoned, because there was not
sufficient force in the current 70 wash out the
entrance and to prevent the formation OF new
bar. Such criticism this is conspicuous Tor