The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-07-04
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.
THE GREAT CENTRAL AMERICAN
IMPROVEMENT.
Brief History OF the Efforts Mado to
Connect the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans by n Ditch-After
Many Days.


dream of far-sighted statesmen OF the
great commercial nations to cut asunder
the two American continents where at
the isthmus the land narrows like the
waist of wasp between the two
oceans. and where their mountain back
bone dips to within few hundred feet
of the sea.
The successful completion of the
Suez canal revived the interest OF tho
civilized world in an isthmian canal.
At the instigation of its then famous
promoter. M. de Lesseps, an inter-
national congress was held at Paris, to
which this country sent delegates.
Their report and the fear OF foreign
control OF the canal turned the atten-
ton of the government and OF private
capitalists to the Nicaragua route. A
Provisional Interoceanic canal society
was organized by Captain Phelps, GEN
eral Grant Admiral Ammen, the Hon.
Levi p. Morton, and Others and in
1880 the society received a concession
from Nicaragua, which was forfeited in
1884 for failure to perform the con-
ditions Then President Arthur ne
gotiated treaty for the building of
canal by the United States in co-opera-
ton with Nicaragua; but the treaty.
while still pending in the senate, was
withdrawn by President Cleveland.
Among the concessionaires of the
Provisional Interoceanic canal society,
which had become merged into the
Nicaragua Maritime canal company,
was Mr.. A. G. Menocal; civil engin-
eer in the United States navy. The
failure of this company was due TO
long-continuedN effort to procure aid
from congress-an effort defeated by
the influence of M. dc Lesseps and
Captain Eads-and the attempt to
finance the company without govern
ment guarantee was made finally i'm
possible by the failure of the firm of
Grant & Ward. So long, too, as the
work on the Panama canal was in
active progress, it was impossible to
secure capital for rival almost a
parallel. canal Before the close,
however, of 1885 the failure of the
French undertaking was manifest to
close observers, for in that year the
tAICuSCS III tilC DGI-
Torrance of less than one-third of the
work of excavation amounted to dcuble
the sum estimated by M. dc Lesseps
for the cost of the whole. II was be-
ginning to be suspected that canal
could not be constructed at Panama
without locks, and yet the practicable
ity of a sea-level canal there was the only
scientific reason given at the congress
for preferring that location to Nicara-
qua.
Tehuantepec presented certain adj
vantages from a theoretical point OF
view, but it was impossible as site
for canal, and Captain Eads was un-
able to persuade the hard-headed bust
ness men of America that vessels could
be economically carried on wheels over
mountains. The necessities of COM
merce seemed to require some inter-
oceanic canal, and commercially it
made little difference what point on
tho isthmus should be selected for that
purpose SO long as the canal could be
constructed with reasonable economy.
Attention then was naturally drawn 80
the Nicaragua route, since the expert
mentation of half a century had failed
to find a better one. As early as 1879
the American geographical society, at
the instance mainly of its president. the
Hon. Charles p. DAILY had discussed
the question. The special advantages
afforded by the physical geography of
this location are unmistakable. Though
the distance from ocean to ocean here
/ ,s 1Nx,, he
River an6 Lake Nicaragua the length
of the canal to be actually excavated is
only 81 miles-a work of no extraor-
binary magnitude in comparison with
the As miles at Panama and the IS
miles at Suez. Here, too, the depres-
stoned formed by the lake is only ITO
feet above the sea, the lowest depres-
sion in the whole range Of the Cordil-
leras. Here from the scientific point
Of view, was the most economical route.
The canal, too, ought to be in control Of
Americans, and it was therefore pru-
dent to take up without delay the lines
dropped by the French at Panama.
Science. patriotism, and opportunity
agreed.
In this state OF public opinion. Mr..
Menocal, who had continued his inter-
est in Nicaragua and his friendship
with its government, learnt that the
President of Nicaragua would be will
ing to grant new concession to re-
sponsible American company. Accord
ly, the Nicaragua Canal Association
was formed. with unlimited liability
for the purpose Of receiving the neces-
sary concessions and Of arranging for
the preliminary surveys. Among the
members of the association were also
Messrs Robert Garrett, G. Z. Kissell,
James Roosevelt H. Hitchcock. and
many other men Of responsibility. In
March, 1887. the government of Mica
ragua and in the following July the
government Of Costa RIGA, granted lib
eral concessions to Mr.. Menocai as
agent for the association. The conces-
sion from Costa RIGA was necessary
because its boundary is contermlnous
with the south bank of the San Juan
river, and its territory would be flooded
IL a dam were erected, as was proposed
at Ochoa, at the confluence OF the San
| Carlo and the San Juan These con-