The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-12
SEATTLE. TUESDAY. JAN. Is.
ADVANTAGES OF THE CANAL.


canal the distance between the naval
stations of the United States, on the Gulf
OF Mexico, and San Francisco, on the Ps-
cific coast, viii be reduced TO 4, $50 miles,
as against 1880, the length Of the voyage
at present by the Straits of Magellan, q
saving OF 500 miles. Assuming that In
case of necessity, a vessel would steam no.
less than $50 miles a day, the saving Of
time between Great Britain and Calcutta
by scez IS about ten and one-half days;
between the eastern ports Of the United
States and San Francisco by Nicaragua
IL will be twenty-six and three-fourths
daTs, and the time required for transi.
from any gulf station TO the Pacific ocean
will not exceed Eve days. The time re-
CURED for transit between Great Britain
and India, Oh the same basis, is twenty
and one-helf days.
The canal will be completed by 1897;
viii have an annual traffic estimated at
annual revenue OF sl6, 10000. The voyage
from San Francisco around Cape Horn TO
Liverpool is about Il. 600 miles. The voy-
age from San Francisco 10 Liverpool, usu-
ally made in sailing vessels and around
Cape Horn, will on an average occupy 10
days, and the vessel will be in port dis
charging and receiving cargo from 30 to 50
days Allowing 40 days for passage and
only 20 days in port, the whole voyage is
estimated az 100 days, which is within the
average. A vessel of 1900 tons register
will carry about 1900 net tons Of cargo,
which at $3.50 per ton will earn for the
voyage s27.o 600: the expenses Of the voy-
age, $50 days at 800 per day, as above.
$1,000; port charges, say. $4,000; total
expenses. $4,000; leaving net profit for
leo days service Of 5000.
Assuming the cargo to be entirely of
wheat at IS cents per bushel and forty
bushels TO the ton. its value would be $780,
COO. We have thus. a. the data with which
to make comparison, the voyage of leo
days at an expense Of 500 per day. yield
ing profit to the ship-owner in freight of
5000 carrying cargo worth about $780,
CO.,
At I2o days passage, the 15,eo0 miles be-
tween ports would be traversed at the rate
of 15o miles per day, which is better than
the average of sailing voyages. BY use Of
the canal projected at Nicaragua, the dis
tance between ports would be shortened
1888 miles, or sixty-one days time, which,
&. 800 per day. IS above, would amount
TO saving in expense alone of &c.
In addition to this the voyage would be
made in fifty-nine days instead of 10,
which would enable the shipowner to
make three and one-half voyages in the
year instead of two and one-quarter, as at
present, thus increasing the earning ca
pacity of the vessel over IS per cent. The
annual earning capacity of such vessel
would thus be increased by the shorten
ing of the voyages at least Sill 900, to which
add diminution of expenses on three and
one-haf voyages, at So, 100 per voyage, ST.
$50: there would thus accrue a fund OF
So. $50 over and above the previous an
nual earning capacity of the vessel against
which to charge canal tolls at such rates
as might be found practicable.
The toll on the canal Is estimated at
$3.50 ton. The tolls on the Suez canal
are slo6 per ton for vessels going to Aus
tralia