The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-11
mind that an artificial waterway could be made

j these explorers had bean seeking. Finally our
| governments began investigating, and every ad
Eirist-ssion from that OF Jackson to the preseu.
| time, except that OF Lincoln during the war
| gave more or less attention 10 the artificial
| waterway across the .sfhmus. Our leading
| statesmen, Clay, Webster ard others, gave much
consideration 70 this question, bat IN that time
the ability OF engineers was not equal to the
work.
Alter the close of the late war, General Gran.
was persuaded that the government. should
take this question mp aud frst ascertain whether
en- artificial waterway was possbie. a. what
point and how il should be constructed. A
message was sent to congress which resulted In
the appropriation of money 70 explore the
Isthmus OF Panama from the main land 70 the
south American coast. The government ex-
peaded several hundred thousand dollars on
these expeditions, sent out some three, four. or
five of them, composed OF officers OF the United
States navy and of civil engineers As result
the 1stamus OF Tehauntepec was thoroughly ex-
piofed, and the lands IN Panama were surveyed
Finally all the reports were lsid before board
OF engineers, which decided that the feasible
route was By way OF Nicaragua
Then the problem OF the Is.hmus Of Darlen
was taken up and q congress called in Paris, to
which representatives. were sent from this coun-
try. Unfortunately this body decided thai the
canal should be built By the Panama route.
and 1t was a failure, but the result proved that
the American opinion was correct, and that the
canal, IL ever successfully carried through,
would be By the way of Nicaragua.
Then our association was formed and favor
able terms procured from the government OF
Nicaragua Accordingly the company OF which
am president was organized aud the work be-
gun.
In Nicaragua nature has done the greater part
10 ifsel
steamer was built In Delaware, upon the Atlantic
coast, and sailed down the san Juan river and
across Lake Nicaragua to its western shore, at
which point il was only twelve AMI oacaalf
miles from the Pacific ocean, SO you viii not won
der that this route is considered the natural
route and the most feasible one. A view OF the
mspo Nicaragua dise.oses the fact that in the In
terror of the country there is great lake or in
land sea, Lake Nicaragua, which has summit
level above the Atlantic anG Pacific oceans OF
only il0 feet, and thst lake is more than ID
miles long and 60 miles wide, and takes up
the larger part OF the drainage OF all that part OF
the country. The outlet OF this great lake runs
10 the east and empties in the Atlantic ocean
through the river called san Juan, which is
navIgabe for steamers OF light draft today, and
when tel, you that the western shore OF Lake
Nicaragua 10 within twelve and hal. miles OF
the Pacific ocean, you will mere thoroughly uE-
derstand the reasons We have for calling this
the only route through which We can connect
the two oceans.
The natural conditions OF the country are
these: The high mountains from the north and
south come down TO the lowest point at Nieara-
qua, which is only ITO feet above the level OF the
sea- Go TO the north soatn and you go to
higher mountains, which are impossible This
is another aud grea. reason for the belief IN
the Nicaragua canal as a success OF the near
future. A. Nicaragua we have all the natural
advantages tia, nature could provide. The
climate of this country is perfectly healthy. We
always have the cool sea breezes from either
way, for tie lake being situated so low is in
fair way TO get all the breeze. and the trade
winds are always blowing, &c that the health OF
the place Is as good can be found anywhere.
OF the hundreds of men that have gone there
not one of them has died from disease con-
tracted there.
Alter the favorable conference with the Mica.
ragGa government. we began thorough survey
In addition to the two surveys made by our gov
eminent and the survey made By the govern
ment Of Nicaragua. Naturally, the canal passes
over Lake Nicaragua and down the San Juan
river. The lower portion of the river was very
crooked and shallow. aud spread out into ulany
mouths as il entered the ocean, thus forming a
delta similar TO that of the Mississippi The
place OF Greytown, the principal mouth of the
river. was selected as The spot for beginning. A
bar had formed across the mouth OF the hsrbor,
and this We found il necessary to remove.
Engineers began by attempting to open this
river, or to remove the bar by the construction
of a break watcr, and when this had been sue
cessfuliy carried out the bar itself broke, and
the engineers went on widening the channel 70
from ten TO fourteen feet and deepening it to
about thirty feet. But when the breakws;er
shall have been extended 5000 feet and when it
reaches thirty feet of water IT il is believed
there will be no difficulty whatever in maintain
ing depth of thirty feet
When the hasbor had been open, or while it
was being opened, the company established its
headquarters at Greysown. From Greytown 10
the lake Is al nnbroken .rop!c wilderness,
through which il is i'm possible to move except
as the way is cut by natives. Through this our
engineers have worked Tor three years, thor
oughly examining the interior country so as to
be sure OF our position. The surveyors followed
the river down 10 the sea, and ii was decided TO
be the better plan to abandon the lower side of
the san Juan Another line was formed which
has been surveyed twenty-five miles, and on
which great deal OF money has been expended.
We have three locks, and after having passed
them We come into small stream, with the
mountains on the north and the foothills on the
south. 1t Is necessary TO pass through these
foothills by rock cut two and three-auarter
miles long. Work is now being done there
ana most Of the rock taken out is used on the
canal itself. Beyond this rock cut we come into
another natural basin which is a stream empty
ing into the san Juan river. By little work on
this natural basin We form G. great basin, which
is thirty 10 fifty feet in depth and from one aud
a half To two and half miles in width. Then
come out into another small cut which is
only about a quar,eT of a mile long. Some small
emoan kmsnts have 10 be bull. here on the south
side. and then we come TO point where we
built dam across the San Juan river, which
Ia to ssa Law II ~ iaEa
dam is formed OF tie rock taken from the grea,
rock cut. which is dumped into the river. There
il this river three rapids that will have to be
removed. which Will be but little work COM
pared with some OF the rest.
The locks Of the canal are to be ESQ feet long
and seventy five feet in width, with minimum
depth of thirty feet. There is nothing new in
these locks. for there axe similar ones used in
other canals.
Passing up the San Juan river we come out at
this great lake OF Nicaragua. where some
dredging will have 10 be done. hut tie excavat-
ing viii be only OF sand and mud. and will be
OF little consequence comparatively
The distance across the lake is some fftv.six
and one-halt miles. and then you come to the
western shore. Fortunately at this point the
mountains come down, SO that We have the low
est point of land here that is 70 be found be-
tween Alaska and south America The lake is
only 10 feet above thu Sea, and the land rises
above the lake q: this point not more than
forty feet The average depth OF this cutting
VIII be about twenty feet. After this cut the
caESl comes INTO an immense natural basin, or
river some four or I'VE miles in length. and
covering $500 or COCO acres OF land
That is enclosed by dam At
the western crd. This is only three anu half
miles from the Pacific ocean. Then hero st the
ocean : another hsEbor that IS 10 be mentioned.
II Is q ser; Of rJyer, with depth OF about six
feet 81 wafer over the bar. This channel Will he
opened 10 depth II thirty feet. and thus have
access - the ocean. This will give YOU q sort of