The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-30


Germany, Belgium, Cuba and Brazil contribute
10 81, 247 tons, while the Atlantic ports of the
United states with China, Japan, Peru, Chile,
etc, contribute .263 $50 tons Thus the tonnage
that the canal would control today, were il open,
at & per ton (the Suez chargesl means sl6,24s,-
ls6. which, allowing the heaviest running ex-
penses possible, means q return of over 70 per
cent. on the estimated cost OF the canal. and the
tonnage of the United States alone will pay into
the canal S, 10000 per year. This, after paying
operating expenses would pay dividend OF So
per cent on the estimated cost of building the
canal
The average value of a ton of ships cargo, a.
made up from the returns Of the four great mari
time powers, Is s57T
If the tonnage dues are based upon the value
OF cargo it viii only take 81 per cent to give the
above receipts. Certainly the saving in freight,
time and interest on capital by the shorter route
viii bring very large tonnage, aside from the
lesser insurance, wear and tear, increased safety
and earning capacity OF the ship that this route
offers.
But there are other reasons besides these and
the political advantages that call for the early
completion of this canal Nicaragua has been
called the Queen of Republics, and situated as
she Is, with splendid harbors on both oceans,
being only $50 miles from ocean to ocean, and
with noble lake of fresh water within her
bosom, connected with the Atlantic by broad
the Pacific, separated therefrom by low hills
(only forty two feet above the level of the lake.,
and 10 crown ali she 10 in the glorious trade
belt, whose winds give not only health, but
speed TO the laden ship. Thus her location en-
titles her to become queen amongst republics
The building of North and South American
railway has been advocated a means of reci-
procity. But there is one very important objec-
ton to such an undertaking, and that is, that
there is limit to the length OF haul by railway
beyond which the movement of freight becomes
practically prohibitory. But the completion of
the Nicaragua canal gives beautiful solution
OF this problem. As said, there is limit to
railway carriage; so, too, there are ports to
which il will not pay, or they are OF such ma
ture that the larger steamers engaged in ocean
Trade cannot enter aud yet they will furnish
fair traffic TO smaller vessels. And again ii pays
best for the larger steamers to have but few
calling ports to discharge and get their return
csrgoes as soon as possible. On the same pr1n-
cipe there is limit to the length OF the voyage,
beyond which 1t does not pay the smaller yes
sells to sail. Now at the entrance OF the canal
upon Lake Nicaragua there is destined TO be the
future metropolis of Central America Here
the railways of Central America will center,
and they. with the coasting steamers, will de-
liver their freights OF sugars, cofees, chocolate,
rice, fruits, tobacco, cochineal, indigo, dye
woods, rubber, mahogany, ebony, cedar, GOLD,
the southern seas, beef, hides tallow, etc. Thus
will the development of these countries find an
outlet, while the larger steamers will bring the
products from the worlds marts for distribu-
ton and get return cargo for the port TO which
they sail Having lost no time, her bottom having
been cleansed by the trip in fresh water, she has
not been burdened down with coal that she
would carry were she going TO deliver the
smaller consgnments that are intended for from
ten to thirty different ports She has not laid in
an open roadstead but at the docks in q beau
tiful harbor she loads and unloads.
Repairs have been made, where necessary, in
the dry docks at this point, and she sails with
new coal, q clean bottom and a cargo that needs
no transshipment. The ships of all ports pass
and meet here, for this canal is the clearing
house of commerce. This development aside
from the through business, would almost justify
the building of the canal, but when IL is con-
sidered in connection with the distance saved
on most voyages, as now sailed, who can doubt?
William Patterson, one of the founders OF the
Bank of England, in 1895 wrote:
"If neither Britain singly nor the maritime
powers of Europe will treat for Darien, the
period is not far distant when, instead of wait
ing for the slow returns of trade, America will
seize the pass of Darien. Their next move will
be 20 hold the Sandwich islands Stationed
thus in the middle, on the east and on the west
sides of the New World, English Americans will
form the most potent and singular empire that
has appeared, because 1t will consist not in the
dominion of part OF the land of the globe, but
in the dominion OF the whole ocean. They can
make the tour of the Indian and Southern SEAS
collecting wealth by trade wherever they pass
During European wars they may have the carry
ing trade of all. IL blessed with letters and
arts they will spread civilization over the uni
verse. Then England, with all her liberties and
glory, may be known only as Egypt now"
And John l. Stevens in the forries said
"A great city will grow up in the heart of the
country, with streams issuing from it, fertiliz-
ing they roll into the interior; her magnificent
mountains and valleys, now weeping in desola-
ton and waste, will smile and be glad. The
| commerce of the world will be changed the
barren region of Terra del Fuego be forgotten,
| Patagonia become a land of fable, and Cape
Horn live only In the recollections of sailors and
| insurers. Steamboats, will be smoking along
the rich coasts of Chile, Peru, Ecuador,
| Granada, Guatemala, California, our own Oregon
| territory, ard the Russian possessions on the
borders of Boring straits. Here markets viii be
! opened for products of agriculture aud manu-
| features, and the intercourse and communion OF
| numerous aud immense bodies of the human
| race will assimilate and improve the character
| of nations. The whole world is interested in
| this work. would not speak oft with sectional
| or even national feeling; but if Europe is in
different, IL would be glory surprising the con-
! quest of kingdoms TO make this greatest enter
| prise ever attempted by human force entirely
| our own work"
Thus prophecy has spoken. Could there be &
more fitting name than Fulton for the coming
metropolis? To him, whose genius furnished the
first great revolution in traffic, this would be