The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-01-17
NICARAGUA'S WATERWAY.
IMPORTANT PROGRESS MADE IN
RECENT MONTHS.
Opening of the Harbor at Greytown-First
Vessel to Come In-Work Done on the
CanaI-Talk with Chief ef-EngIneer Meno-
Cai-Personals and Briefs.

oai-Personals and Briefs.
HEADQUARTERS NICARAGUA CANAL
Construction COMPANY, SAN JUAN DEL
NoRTE (GREYT0wN) NICARAGUA, Decem-
Der p, $780, Special Important events
in the progress Of work on the Nicaragua
Canal have occurred during the last sever.
a, days, and before the year 1891 arrived
the first vessel has entered the harbor OF
san Juan del Norte since il was clio ed 10y
a sand bar twenty-five years ago, and since
dredging on the canal was commenced.
This vessel entered the harbOr to-day, it
being the schooner Robert RuA, loaded with
lumber and drawing nearly eleven feet Of
water. 4 severe storm has prevailed here
during the last two weeks, aud this morn
ing heavy sea was rolling i'm over the har-
Dor entrance. 4 tug was sent ont 10 tow
the schooner in, the former being under the
command Of Captain Thomas III. Morton, a
sea captain Of over a quarter OF a century's
experience, and for a long period in COM
mand Of one Of the steamers Of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company. The schooner
pitched considerably as she entered the
channel. that has until lately been obstruct-
cd by the sand-bar, but she went ahead
steadily, at no time touched bottom. and
now | les alongside the cOmpany's railroad
wharf, being unlOaded there instead of by
the expensive method Of lighterage that has
been made necessary for so many years
while GreytOwn had only an open read
stead for vessels touching here 10 stop IN.
rne entrance Of the first vessel into the
harbOr was the subject of congratulations
on all sides to Chief Engineer A. G.. Mono
cal. who watched the operation. The OPEN
gf tho haritgr az fhig curly fina nd
with the expense thus far involved in the
work, more than verified the predictions he
made in reports before it was commenced.
FEARS ABOUT THE BAR.
There have been fears expressed on the
part Of some, lest the wave action in heavy
storms should result in re-establishing the
bar, in port at least, before the building OF
the pier % It's full length Of LOO feet, 1t now
being completed for nearly a thousand feet.
such fears, however, have been shown as
perfectly gfOundless by the experience Of
The past Two weeks as a heavier storm has
never been known here tha1 the one eXpe-
rienced IN this time. The proof that the
action of the sea has not shown the least ten
dency toward filling the channel is con
lusve.
Before the work on the Nicaragua Canal
vas commenced a great deal was heard
nected with the enterprise, in relation To
This harbor and the great cost that would be
involved in is restoration. This argument
was used as one Of the strongest by those
whose interests were with the Panama Ca
nal project, and il was common TO hear that,
before the eastern terminus OF the Nicaragua
Canal should be restored, itwOuld be neces-
sorry Il spend in the work ten or twelve mil
ions Of dollars. SO often has the supposed
costiiness Of the work been referred TO that
those not well informed on the subject have
come to believe that it alone. at least in-
wolves the expenditure OF many millions.
TALK WITH ENGINEER MENOCAL.
In order 70 secure some accurate infJrma-
tion on this subject your correspondent
asked Chief Engineer MenOcal to-day what
amount Of material has been removed from
the harbOr, the cost per square yard, and
whether he could now estimate the proper
tiOn Of work which has been done, aud So
arrive at an approximation Of the eNpens
for the entire amount Of dicdging from such
unquestiOnabe data.
"Our system OF accOun here" he an
swered. "peFmits us TO state de
iiitaly the cost OF any portion ti
ihe work being carried on. The harbor has
been opened by two dredges that were pur-
chased by this company from the Americas
|NNIIAtAlNE ana l'AtN-llA A'i4lfah a.
Colon. where they had been al work on tha
Panama Canal. The operations Of these
iWo drCdges here have been equal 10 one
lredge digging constantly for twenty-nine
days, and lO9.0 cubic Yards Of material
have been removed by this work, which be-
ean on the 18th Of October. The total eX-
pense Of operating the dredges Tor thi-
time was l0,glSG2 soles, or about
5000 American currency, being vs.
>Oles, or about cents gold per cubic yard.
Ny estimates of the dredging required d.
the harbOr Of GreytOwn are about nine
millions and "A half cubic yards, 80 1t i-
readily seen that we have already accom-
plished One.nineteenth part OF the entire
work TO be done in dredging the harbor, and
that for 5000. American gold. lnen the
DELAYS incident TO beginning the work mus
b. taken into consideration as naturally iD-
creasing the expense 10 some extent. The
dredging we have accomplished IN tie mar
Dor has been the mos, difficult part, as IL has
been IN the channel over the bar whee the
sea often rolls heavily, and we had shallow
water TO work in"
"What are your plans FOR the future for
deepening the channel and executing Worh
in the canal?" he was asked.
whenever the weather is favorable the
dredges will be kept at work IN the ndrDoI
and the harbOr entrance, bit when the sea
l. heavy this work becomes difficult, and
then the dredges will be employed digging
IN the canal, whore one has been Worklns
for the past three DAYS. We are now dredg-
ing the canal to depth Of fourteen ieei
preparatOry TO making II the full depth oi
thirty feet. The swamp being four or five
feet above sea level this involves a cut o.
nearly twenty feet that is now being
made"
"Hoy do the estimates for other worke
compare with the actual expense OF pei
forming themi"
II estimated that all railroads in ihis
country would cost $4,000 gold, but tho ten
miles built through swamp only involves
an expense OF sOmethiug less than hail thal
amount. Then in buildlng the railroad u
must be remembered that the material used
i'm grading was taken from the mouth OF Tue
canal. where the dredges are now al WoTk
and several hundred thousand cubic yard
nave been excayated in that manner, whlcl
is a gr at saving 20 the company. Inc buiie-
ing OF the pier IL costing not more than haii
the estimated cost. Dredging on the bar
which we have seen has cost but seven cents
a cubic ward, was estimated by me AT ioft!
cents a yard. and the average cost OF all the
harbor dredging was calculated to be tWeh-
ty cents. We have cOutfactsd Tor the ciear.
inp Of the canal route on the Wesl
side at $50, all timoer suitable Tor rali-
road ties 10 be saved, while In my estimates
YOU viii find that work estimated AT fiVJ al
acre. Then, too, 10000 mansanas "a man
sana is nearly TWO acres) for the canai on
The vest side has been purchased ana paiu
for i'm cash for $50 mansana. Just one-haii
the price / estimated for. In addition TO
these nglires, made an allowance OF =,
per cent. for contingencies, which, OF
course, have not arisen"
CAPTAIN MORTON,
Cartaiu Morton, VINO has tue dlstlnosion .
-, bsyin,, charge Of the towing OF the first
yessei mo the reclaimed harbor, was, by
cnrions co.iucidence, the captain who to0k
N"t 49, t.... ...,.,tv-fys. wears aVO the