The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-07
The NICARAGUA CANAL.
What Has Actually Been Done Toward
Its Construction by the
-. Company.
visible Results an Insignigcant
Portion of the Work Already
Accomplished.
The Extraordinary T~horoughness of tho
Observation-Disclosures Devices
Health Of the Colony. "

& AAA0 -
Observation-Disclosures Devices
Health Of III Colony.
GRrYrowN, Nicaragua, April 7.-Under
this date a special correspondent OF
the New York Times wrote:
The long breakwater extending straight
ont into the sea, the wide clearing cut like
4 Grand avenue further than the eye can see
through the dense forest that covers the
lovlaud skirtinc the sea, and tho broad
excavation. the beginning OF the actual
work of digging the canal, extending a con-
siderable distance into the clearing, impress
the visitor even before he sets foot on shore
with the effective character OF the canal
company's work. Even the most careless
observer sees at once that a great deal OF
work has already been done, that much
money has been spent, and that great OBJ
stacles have been overcome.
But the visible results form a compare
lively insignificant part of the work actu-
ally done. A single example will make
this statement plain. Examination OF the
mans in the c~ompany's office shows that
eiphty-f five miles Of surveys have been made
for each mile of canal. Any engineer will
appreciate at once the Importance Of the
thorough preliminary work, knowing, as he
must, that it is essential to the successful
issue of the enterprise, and is economy in
the end. For the information OF the, gen.
eral reader it ia sufficient to say that this
enormous surveying work consisted In
running parallel and transverse lines for
the purpose of ascertaining the exact to
biography of the country and determining
the line of least expense, and what devia-
lions. if any, from the originally-projected
route would be necessary to follow that
line.
The difficulties encountered in making
these surveys can be realized by nobody
Who has not been over the ground across
which they have been run. Inc forest ap-
oroaches within q few hundred yards of the
sea and consists of huge trees, with their
tops more than a hundred feet from the
surface, while great vines descend from
their lofty limbs and fasten their roots i'll
the ground, forming circular colonnades.
Between these great trees, which the ma
tiyes say are a species of fig, palms of many
varieties spread their feathery foliage,
while from trunk to trunk is a dense mass
of luxuriant underground opposing en-
trance like a wall. For more than ten miles
inland the ground is flat and only a few
feet above the sea. At the present time the
soil ia dry, but still so soft that you sink
ncarly to the knee at every step, while IN
the rainy season it is said to be covered
with water and reduced to the consistence
oil slush, in which the pedestrian who ven
lures upon it will sink to his armpits.
1t is against such difficulties that the sur
veyors had to contend, cutting their way
with machetes-long knives like broad
swords-in dry weather, wallowing in slush
and often swimming besides in wet weather.
The work OF surveying was begun by the
company in December, 1887, and from three
to eight parties, consisting Of five officers
and seventeen men each. have been con
II stanily in the field ever since. Tit last OF
Abe surveys was completed on the Paclhc
slope about a week ago.
To return to the visible work. Greytown
is situated on a lagoon. Forty years ago 1t
was at the north of the San Juan river; 1t
had a fine harbor and ocean steamships OF
the heaviest draught could come up to lts
wharves. II was the point chosen by Com
modore Vanderbilt as the Caribbean sea
terminus of his steamship line run in oppo-
sition to the Pacific Mail. He had a line OF
steamers up the San Juan river and across
Lake Nicaragua, and his point OF departure
on the Pacific was San Juan del Sur, many
miles south of Brito, which is to be the
western terminus of the canal. 1t is neces-
EAIy tO I6Chll tulS w cho" SAoS ~ AN N'y
of the rush to California Greytown was al
important point, but when the canal COM
pany began operations here her glory ha(
long since departed.
The San Juan had turned aside from it,
old course, emptied it's waters into the Col
orado, and left her an inland own 1h'
mouth of the harbor filed up entirely anl
q sapdbar above high-water mark stretched
across the once deep outlet to the ocean
A narrow creek, connecting with the Colo,
RADIO. afforded her only communication wit
the ocean.
When the canal company began work it
material was unloaded upon the open SCI
ported in lighters across the outer bal
There is also an inner bar, at which tn
lighters had TO be half unloaded to enabl
them to cross.
In December. 1883, the company, havin
set up it's plant on the verge of the forest a
the north end of the lagoon, began tn
work of opening a p~assageway, to tho Sc
across the beach that divided the lagoo
from the ocean. This beach varied i
width from 800 to 800 feet. On the ocea
side the current sets from south to north
and across this almost at right angles hug
breakers roll continuously, impelle
by the trade wind. which perpetual
west. A breakwater was project
ed, to be forty-two feet wide and 200 fee
long, extending straight out into the ocea
and consisting of six parallel rows OF pile
connected by ~stringpieces and girders. th
inteIstices to be filled with brush an
weighted with rock. The site for the breai
water was established about a mile mort
of Greytown, and Immediately Oh its bein
run out for a little distance the combine
action of the eddy and the breakers bega
to cut a channel across the beach along i
north side. The action of the water WI
increased and accelerated as the breal
water was extended, and the beach WI
speedily cut in two. At this same time IL
beach grew seward on the south side
the breakwater, which was thus reverted |
solid land on that side.
When the breakwater had been carrie
out 800 feet, an outlet from the lagoon
the sea had been made by the natural age
cies above described, 500 feet wide and 8
feet deep. Dredging increased the dep
to about fourteen feet in the shallo'
est parts. at which point it h
since been maintained. The breakwater
now LOIS feet long. Work on it has be
temporarily suspended because a quar-
opened by the company on the Sandman rN
has been used up, and tho supply of 70
for filling i'll is temporarily exhausted. i
company's railroad has now been extend
to within three miles of Il point at which
inexhaustible supply of rock can be secure
As soon as this rock liz available work
the breakwater Will be resumed and pusht
Another breakwater has been start
about 200 feet north of the first and push
out about 400 feet. The work of drlvl
piles on this last Is still under way.