The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-06-17
NllARLenA nAnAl.
Its Effects 80 aartne fAa.t tli4.
uttfFr.

Captain WIN. l. MttfY roconll,
addressed tine Real EH4c Exchange
Of san Francisco N "lHr Effect Of
the Completion of tie Nicaragua
Canal upon Sau Franci-c1 lnd CALI
furnia
Captain Merry doscrihe' thc Canal
rs summit level ol uaviga ion,
lI3.4 miles bong 10 fcet nb We the
oceans with ~urflc beck caual Mt
each end. on the Pacific ll.lG miles
long and on the Atlantic II 81 miles
long, making tie leug'h of tine canal
to he cxcavated 20 09 mles aud
total length 1915 miles, locks,
three at each end, 1000 feet 10y 80
by 80 feet deep, large enough at
times to pass Two aud three ships
at one lockagc estimated time for
passing through. twenty i9ht hours:
distance saved between san Fran
cisco and New York 1884 miles.
nearly one half the eaIth's circum-
ference.
The construction of the Nicaragua
Canal is ceitainlv. The work
already done has been eminentIy
successful, and within engineers
estimates. About So .000, 600 have
been expended thus far-Amei lean
money raised by private subscIip
ton.
The total cost of construction will
be considerably less than 500 00O,-
600. How long before it will he
opened? With abundant means in
five years. If the work is delay
by the negotiation of securities,
causing at times decrease OF the
working force, possibly tits may be
extended another year. The world
may safely send its ships through
Nicaragua in January, 1897. No
more Cape Horn for San Francisco
after that! What viii be the effect
of the opening Of the great worlds
highway on our city and on our
Pacific Coast? How will it affect
Icul coJdIc NaluC III Gan i lduNloCU
and the interior of California? The
canal means commercial liberty, in
dustrial development, increased po-
pulation and the markets of the
world open to producers and mer-
chants. Will it hurt railroads? No.
On the contrary, it will benefit all
Pacific Coast lines of transportation.
Where a temporary injury may be
inflicted a three. fold compensation
will come with the adjustment of the
new conditions.
Capt. Merry went extensively
into the question of the wheat trade
as likely to he affected by the canal.
The promise that the railroads would
furnish all the necessary transporta-
ton of wheat to Atlantic ports,
whence it could be cheaply carried
to Europe by sea, had not been full
flied. Wheat still went round Cape
Horn and the trade was gamble in
which the shipper was the probable
loser. With the completion of the
canal the European wheat market
wOald be within twenty-five days
easy steaming from San Francisco,
and the gambling element would be
obliterated from the question.
The lecturer claimed that the
canal would open the markets OF
northern Europe to California fruits
and garden products by the use of
steamship refrigerators. Their
fruits and vegetables woull arrive in
that market at a season when the
home productions could not he had
at any price. With such demand
added to their domestic market,
over-production would be impossible.
A great impetus would also be given
to the lumber trade of all the North
west by the canal.
Touching on another point, Cap
tain Merry said that the trade of
India, China and Japan cannot fail
TO be. greatly affected. The Suez
route will no longer be able to sup
ply Atlantic ports with teas, silks,
ETC., the route across the Pacific via
the Nicaragua being three days
shorter seaming distance.
Capt. Merry concluded by ageneral
summary of the advantage Of the can
al. When the canals constructed the
mistaken policy OF making Pacific
Coast ports way stations and NewGork
the main distributing point must be
discarded, and distribution from the
Pacific Coast eastward will be the
aim of Railway companies with term
inals on the Pacific Coast.
These favorable prognostications
regarding the benefits the canal
should bring to the Pacific Coast
have an important interest Tor IIa-
wall. Apart from the direct hene-
fits that may be anticipated for
these islands from The completion of
the work, the increased prosperity
of the Pacific Coast must, in the in
innate relations between there and
here, have a rehe- effect of CORE
spending advantage to the Hawaiian
Islands.
UAtC HrtiIukv