Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-04
correspondence o, The Evening Star.

corrsspondence Of The Evening Star.
SAN joan DEL NoRTE (GREYTowS), NICARAGUA,
March Is, 1891.
4 LTHOUGH SEVERAL YEARS WILL
Ahavs to pass by and great engineering
feat be performed before a description of a
trip through the Nicaragua canal can be writ
ten yet today can go from ocean to ocean,
but sixteen miles of the distance to be made
overland, and the scenes have the advantage of
being Of the old order that to some extent will
be changed when the great waterway is open
and ships are seen on the lake making in thirty
hours journey that now consumes six months
Of stormy passage around the Horn"
Approaching Greytown after a voyage
through the Caribbean the first view of land is
Of long low coast, scarcely raised above the
ocean, and groups of two and three-story
frame buildings here and there. to the right Of
the long breakwater and pier that is seen ex-
tending into the sea. The coast line runs
north and south and the harbor entrance is to
the north OF the pier. The canal company's
buildings form three groups, the first of these
being the store houses. the second the ad-
ministration department. chief engineers
house and residences of officers, and farther
up the beach, a mile from the mouth of the
canal. are the hospital buildings. These
structures occupy the beach and back of them
for miles is a swamp, over a mans head in
depth in the rainy season. although the bottom
is above sea level, and the land could readily
be drained. and when that Is done the rich
soil of decayed vegetation will doubtless be
valuable for the culture of the plantain and
other tropical products The buildings Of the
canal company are all constructed of frame
with balconies about each floor and the rooms
open on these.
THE WORK OF THE DREDGEs.
Upon going ashore in tug full view Of the
canal works is obtained. The dredges are seen
around the harbor and one or two Of them are
e1cavating the canal which has been dug to a
depth of fourteen feet some hundreds of yards
from the harbOr. The big Colon dredges are
throwing out banks OF sand on either side of
the canal. the line of which is cleared for a
number Of miles inland. the trees being felled
for q width of 800 feet. and beyond the tangle
Of stumps that have escaped the fire can be
seen the hills Of the Divide ten miles away,
where the heavy cutting for the canal is to be
done.
On either side and extending for long dis
lance to the north of the canal is laid out the
new town Of America. the land being owned by
the government and the canal company. the
former only disposlng Of its property BY giving
leases. building BOOM other than the
operations Of the canal company, has not visited
America to any extent, its houses being COM
posed only Of a number of one-story structures
built in a cheap style. One of these ia the
it wave the eolors Of Manageable blue white,
blue flag.
English influence predominated until band
Of Americans landed in the town in December
Of 1881 to survey the canal route, and since that
time one has seen more of the stars and stripes.
The United States is represented here BY Major
William Brown. the consul who has held his
post for nearly decade. and is justly popular
with all Americans with whom he comes in
contact
PLENTY OF ALLIGAToRs.
Upon leaving the town for trip to the Paci-
&c one Of the most striking changes is the diff
ference in the scenery met. At San Juan del
Nor.e but little is seen to suggest the tropics.
yet when the river steamer. one of the class Of
stern paddle-wheel boats that are common on
the Mississippi. has steamed from port for half
an no IT the change begins and We enter into q
country of palms. Farther on is the tangled
growth Of the forest-a scene Of thick. hanging
vines. orchids and other parasites covering the
branches of great trees Clear days, when en-
countered east Of Lake Nicaragua, are appreci-
sted here, for the rainy season prevails for the
greater part OF the year. With temperature
ranging about seventy degrees the humid eli
mate is conducive to a rank growth Of vegeta-
ton, and on the sides of the river the matted
tangls of forest and jungle forms walls through
which the eye cannot pierce for distance OF
twenty feet at any place. Lazy alhgators
are sleeping In the mud along the
DduAs pdSStilStE VI
steamer is seldom lacking some one who wastes
G store Of cartridges only 10 see the brutes sink
into the stream out Of sight. But their name
is legion and every bend in the river is apt to
disclose the form of one along the bank OF
sharks too there are an abundance from the
harbOr TO and throughout the lake, this being
the only place where they are known TO breed
in fresh water. Cranes are here and there
along the bank and nocks of parrots chattering
noisily occasionally pass over the river or q
brood Of monkeys may be heard bowling in the
are seen birds Of rare plumaGe, strikingly
gorgeous in red. gold. yellow. black and white.
and 10 seems strange to see their perfect feath-