Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-01-08
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.

lN his last message to Congress Pres
idon, Harrison said: 81 deem II 10 be
amsttor VI the highest concern to the
United States that this canal Near
aqua, connecting the Atlantic aud
Paol1c oceans, aud giving 10 "a short
water communication between our
ports upon those two grea, seas. should
bc speedily constructed, and and Mt the
smallest practicable limit Of cost"
Three hundred years ago Spanish
engineer named Antonio Galvas pro-
posed scheme for uniting the two
oceans, but tho Bishop Of Msdtld
entered his veto. In those days the
good bishop was even more potent
than the King, aud when the Gilyas
project was uuioldod, his Grace In
holy horror, rhrunk at the Idea Of IN
frlnging on the works OF the Creator.
OF course the King Immediately sue.
cumbed TO the counsel OF his prclntC,
aud the Atlantic aud Pacific have
been LETT since 10 lie apart.
During the present century several
prominent engineers have given this
matter considerable study. Captain
l,ads conceived the schenn OF q ship
railway, which ut the slime was con.
sidered practicable. The fnsncial
support ossary, however, did not
matcrlallsc, and the Eads project
dropped Into forgetiulness.
The idea Of DeLesseps was n mag
nilcent one. Ills sea.lovel canal ut
the lsthmus Of Panama attracted
worldwide attention. His genius aud
fame as an engineer was such that he
easily obtained hundreds Of millions
ofdollars to carry out the work. But
the whole scheme collapsed, aud moth
Ing now remains Of the De l.esseps
project but neglected graves, irregular
excavation, wrecks Of machinery aud
the memory OF wrecked fortunes.
The Nicaragua Hcheme, which Presl-
dent Harrison 80 emphatically com.
mends In hi message, aud for the con-
structlon Of which ho iavOrs United
States support, is now tho prevailing
plan for wedding the oceans. This
idea first originated Ia 1928, wheR the
governments OF Nicaragua aud the
United Stated entered into negotiation
for thc purpose OF constructing the
canal. The matter dropped for some
cause or other. In 1926 It was taken
up again, but funds could not he raised
TO undertake the work. In 1885 the
Nicaraguan government made some
contracts with Belgians to hlild "A
canal, but they, too, failed. In 1850,
the lato Cornelius Vanderbilt oh.
tanned soma c1ncessl ons, but nothing
came Of them. Genora al Grant revived
the idea again In 1859. Surve ys were
made in ls14.73. In 1854 PLEASURES
were taken to onter into treaty with
Nicaragua. The treaty was not rati.
fled 10y the United states Senate, and
IL was ilnaliy withirawn.
Tue Nicaragua Canal Company was
next organized under the lava OF Colo.
RADIO. ltobmined some cone esslousiTom
Nicaragua aui work was commenced.
IL di,claimUl any purpose VI asking
aid from the United Sites govern
ment. But Organization under a State
law did not give u prestige enough
ani Ia the Fioie,h Consros, a bin was
introduced and passed incorporating
the Mamtima Canal Company, Owlnr
To the eNrrti0us o. Ms Holman Of
indiana tho bill was 10 ammended
thnt the uui;oi states government
could not Doc held for any debts directly
~ Indirectly contracted by the com,