Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-22
HON, WARNER MILLER,
His Address on the Nicaragua
Canal.
What Its Completion Will Do for
This Coast.
A Lucid and Clear Explanation of the
Advantages and Profits Which
the Canal Must Bring to
the Whole World.

an intellectual and cultured audience,
comprising in its number members of
the bar, merchants. bankers and busi-
ness men, who had gathered to listen to
Hon. Warner Miller, president OF the
Nicaragua Canal Construction company.
On the stage were q considerable num-
ber Of prominent citizens, including
superior judges, members of the cham
ber OF commerce and county and city
officials.
On the stage, reaching from side to
side, was large map, showing the
route to be followed by the canal and a
map Of the world, (Mercator's proiec-
tion), was above it, showing the sea
routes now in use by vessels from sea-
ports on this continent to others in diff
ferent parts,o the world.
g. NJ. Wells, president Of the cham
Der of commerce, in introducing the
speaker, said that it was not 90 much
the personality Of the man as the mag
nitude OF the enterprise he had under
taken, which made his presence so i'm
portant in our midst. After referring to
the benefits which the coast must de-
rive from the undertaking, he intro
duced Mr.. Miller, who was received With
applause.
The speaker said, after having bowed
to his audience: "Mr. Chairman. ladies
and gentlemen, it gives me great
pleasure to be in your beautiful city,
and to met this audience. was here
ten years ago and notice with surprise
that your city is five times bigger now
than it was then. was very pleased
to meet here 80 many people whom 1
knew in former years in the state of
New York. They have faculty Of
selecting the best portions of the coun-
try to make their homes. 1t is with
pleasure that l find q responsive voice
here in my mission, as found all over
the coast.
"You are probably more alive to the
needs OF transportation from the coast
to the Atlantic slope and to Europe than
they are in the east, because you are
farther removed than they are. The
subject must interest you more deeply
because your national prosperity, now
and in the future, depends upon it. l
intend to give you description OF the
, Nicaragua canal, as proposed by the
company OF which l am president to
VOL yOu WA0u WO law uOAO, WAdV VIC
will do, and what the many advantages
are that will come to the people of the
coast, the United States and the whole
world by it's completion.
1.-The subject is not new one, a pass-
age having been discussed 400 years ago.
When Columbus discovered America he
was in search of road to the East In
dies, and he spent all the years of his
life thereafter trying to find passage
through that land. Many adventures
and navigators followed him with the
same object in view, but all were doomed
to, disappointment. Finally, 300 years
ago, bold explorers from Spain climbed
to the top of Central Americas noun
tains and saw the Pacific ocean.
"After de Lesseps had constructed
the Suex.canal, he took up the question
of building an artificial waterway across
the isthmus which connects North with
South America.
"Since General Jackson's presidency
every administration has given the sub
ject more or less attention. After the
war General Grant was reminded of the
necessity OF canal and it resulted in
an appropriation by congress, and au-
thority was given to send out an expedi-
ton to survey the isthmus. This eur
vey extended over years and its result
was laid before q committee at Wash
ington, OF which General Humphreys
was, chairman, which reported the feasi-
bility of canal across Nicaragua.
"DeLesseps, on the other hand, called
a congress of scientists to Paris, at
which this country was represented.
Our representatives gave it as their
opinion that canal by way of Panama
could not be successfully constructed,
but that it should be built through
Nicaragua.
s'The disastrous results of the Panama
undertaking are known. They are to be
regretted for the pluck and the efforts
made by DeLesseps, and there cannot
have existed any jealousy on the part of
the American people at the endeavors
of the great French engineer. General
Grant said to me some years ago {:
1T matters not how much money he
may expend, he will not be successful,
as the canal is an impossibility. And
among the last things the great general
did was to subscribe money for the
Nicaragua canal.
"The Nicaragua Canal Construction
company has concession on the most
favorable terms for Il0 years. The
present movement eprang from that
operation. The company had complete
surveys made by fifty or sixty engineers,
who kept the field between two and
three years, and on this undertaking
alone over half a million dollars was
expended. It's results are shown in a
rough way on this rough map. On the
work of the canal itself 30 far SIS, 600, 900
has Ibeen expended. The harbor and
bar at Greytown have been dredged go
that now thirty feet of water are OBJ
tainable. For this the largest dredging
plant in the world was procured, which
is now at work on the canal. Twelve
miles of railroad have been built, be-
cause in that country in order to build q
canal you must first build a railroad for
the transportation Of material andlabor.
AT Greytown houses, stores, shops and
hospital have been built.
"Good and effective work has been
done up to date, and the company ia
ready to push ahead rapidly as funds
are being obtained,
"The reason why engineers concluded
that the Nicaragua canal is the only
feasible one is found in the natural con-
ditions of the surroundings. The eleva-
tion is much lower than that OF apv
other proposed route, either Tehuante-
pee or Panama.
"Nature herself has nearly madee
canal on the proposed Nicaragua route.
A steel steamship, built at Delaware,
went up the San JOAQUIN river until she
was within twelve miles of the Pacific
ocean, and is now doing service there.
TT eimnlv remains for man To comnlote