The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-30
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

ponds upon the execution of the Mica
ragua canal that its non-existence is
source of astonishment to intelligent Eng
lish and French observers. The whole
business population of this Coast, both
agricultural and manufacturing, without
distinction of party, ought to unite to
bring their influence to bear upon the next
congress to authorize the 500, 000, 900 in
direct subsidy to the present Nicaragua
canal project. This loan of the credit of
the United States to build this canal was
strongly supported at the last session of
congress by John Sherman.
The recent Chilean difficulty revealed
the practical impossibility of promptly de-
Tending the Pacific coast ports from at
tack for the lack of the short cut of this
canal, by which we could send our war
ships quickly from the Gulf of Mexico into
the Pacific, instead of by the present long
passage around the Horn. The Nicaragua
canal could be completed within five years
with government backing and opened to
navigation at total cost of not more than
$115,00000O. The Panama canal has
already cost over $500, 000,0 900, and the
project is likely to become hopelessly
bankrupt before it sees success in sight.
According to the recent report of the
liquidator of the Panama Canal Company,
the further expenditure necessary to COM
plete the work as lock canal would be at
least $3.50, 10000 The original tide-level
canal proposed by De Lesseps is believed
to be full of difficulties that are practic-
ally insurmountable. Between construct
ing the Nicaragua and completing the
Panama lock canal there is difference in
the cost of about $65, 900 900 in favor of the
former. The project of ship railway
across the isthmus of Tehuantepeo was
preferred by Senator Hoar at the last
session of congress, on the ground that
the canal could be easily blockaded by
Great Britain, Mr.. Hoar forgetting that
the ship railway could be as easily block
AIDED as the canal and that the railway
necessitates lift of about $50 feet for
every vessel and ever pound of freight
passing over it, as compared with lift of
ITO feet by locks on the Nicaragua canal.
The lifting by locks is attended by no ex-
will be attended by great expense in
country where locomotive coal has yet to
be discovered.
The Nicaragua route includes . great
lake ITO feet above the sea level, spread
out to within less than four miles Of the
free waters Of the Pacific, and within
about ten miles of the Atlantic, with low
ground intervening, presenting no obsta-
Gle to dredging, nor any difficulty to
keeping the channel clear when COM
pleted.
Humboldt early in the century recog-
nized the Nicaragua canal 50 manifestly
the design of nature as certain to be
opened. The question is whether the
United States will act promptly to secure
its control or let it drift into the hands of
Great Britain, as has the Suez canal and
Straits of Gibraltar, and as we have al
ready let France occupy Panama.
England's occupation of Gibraltar so
embarrasses France that company has
been organized to build ship canal from
Bordeaux, on the Atlantic coast,
to Narbonne, on the Mediterranean.
This work will cost $3.50, 600, 900; it will be
$50 miles in length and it will save $50
| miles to vessels going from Southern
France or Northern Italy to the Atlantic.
To unite her sea coast and save $50
miles sea voyage by avoiding the
Straits of Gibraltar, which Eng
land could now in event of war block
ade with her fleet, France is willing to
spend s130,00O,000 to $4,000 900. The
Nicaragua canal, which would practically
unite our sea coast and make the
| protection of our Pacific ports
| quickly possible, would save to
our marine thousands of miles of
sea navigation at a less cost by SIS. OO0, 900
than France proposes to pay for the saving
of go miles England by an agreement of
all the great powers of Europe signed in
| October. 1887, guaranteed the neutrality of
the Suez canal TO the world, and under
similar arrangement the world would be
| quite willing that we should build the
Nicaragua canal and protect it as England
| does the Suez canal, but the world will
not always wait upon our convenience
| England or France will build it and then
we will not be quite as well off practically
as though We owned the canal or helped
| build it,
But the prosperity of the Pacific coast
waits on the speedy building of this canal
| by the loan of the credit of the Unite d
States, under such conditions as would
prevent any possible combination between
the canal and the railroads, such as now
| make water competition via the isthmus
and the Pacific Mail fiction.
The construction of the Nicaragua
canal would be of vast commercial i'm
| portance 10 the future growth Of this coast,
| for il will connect the Atlantic seaboard
| of Europe and America with the Pacific
| coast Of America, Asia and Australia.
| Within ten years after the building of this
| canal San Francisco would have 500, COO
| people.
| Gross earnings Of LAT railroads for Octo-