The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-12-01

the engineering and other plans were
satisfactory, the route selected practices
BILE the estimate reasonable and the
probabilities Of traffic such as to render
the undertaking financially safe.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CANAL
The entire length of tho canal from
ocean to ocean is precisely 1863 miles, Of
which distance it is only necessary to
excavate and construct twenty.six miles
OF canal. Lake Nicaragua fills q cavity
in the midst Of a broken chain of noun
tains, furnishes q safe harbor sufficient
in capacity for all the navies and chip
ping OF the world and inexhaustible
supplies of water for lockage. tits ITO
miles long, 80 miles wide, and has a
maximum depth of $50 feet. On one
side is the San Juan river, ranging in
depth from 10 to 100 feet and emptying
into the Atlantic at Greytown. On the
other side OF the lake is Iowa river. The
channels and basins of these streams
and OF Lake Nicaragua will be utilized
for q distance OF l43 miles. The lift
from the level OF the ocean to the sum-
init level OF Lake Nicaragua is ITO feet,
aud will be accomplished with the aid
| OF a series of these locks situated near
the respective oceans at each end.
Including payment OF interest during
the progress OF the work it is calculated
that Sl00,0OO,0OO will cover the entire
cost of the project, and that a reason
able estimate of the time Tor the COM
pletion is five years.
The work done by the company to
the present time includes the COM
| pletion OF final surveys for location and
construction, the subterranean exami-
nation OF the strata requiring removal
by means of borings with the diamond
drill; the restoration of the harbor OF
San Juan Del Norte (Greytown) which
has been closed for twenty years, to the
extent OF securing an easy entrance for
vessels; the construction OF extensive
wkarves and landing facilities; the
erection OF permanent buildings for
officers quarters for the men, store
houses; the building OF a number OF
large camps along the line for the
accommodation OF employees, the COM
pletion Of all necessary telegraph lines,
the clearing Of the timber from tho line
of the canal, the completion and equip
ment of twelve miles of railway along
the line of the canal. The purchase OF
the most valuable and powerful dredg-
ing plant in America; the fitting up and
operation OF the plant and the opening
OF nearly two miles OF the canal.
WHAT WILL DE ACCOMPLISHED.
The company has expended to date
about six millions OF dollars, and the
work shows the auficiency o: the esti-
mates for the harbor and canal dredg-
ing and railroad work. 1t is held that
the building of the canal will wonder
fully develop the fruit industry Of Cali
fornia, increase the price OF timber in
the northwest, quicken mining and
fisheries industries, open n short route
from southern cotton to Japan, increase
population, enable the United States to
compete with Europe in the coal and
other trades of South America, and that
the tolls may be so moderated as to.
yield a handsome profit on tho invest
ment and yet fall lightly on the ship
pers. AT a rate OF 81 per ton, the came
as charged by the Suez canal, it is esti-
mated that the annual income would be
S12, 1000, and that the cost OF mainte-
nance would not exceed 100000 per
annum.