The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-17
THE NICARAGUA CUT.
Full Text of the Speech in The
Senate by Allen.
ARGUMENTS FOR FEDERAL AID.
Importance TO Puget sound of the New
Waterway, Giving Our Products Ac-
cess to the Great Eastern Markets.

WASHINGTON CRY. Jan. H.-[SpeciaL +
Senator Allen has received good deal OF
praise from his senatorial colleagues and
from many other public men over his
speech IN favor Of the Niearaguan canal
His presentation Of the case was an excel
lent one. and, in full. was as follows:
AT meeting OF the Puget Sound Lumber
Manufacturing Association OF Washington. held
81 Seattle. Novemberl7. 1891, after the recitation
OF premises that logically led up tois, tie fol-
lowing resolution was adopted:
Be Z resoived by this convention Of delegates, rep
rssestiao al the bEsfsss intsrssss Of TIC state Of
EasAiactoa. That orr representatives st Wash
ingt0u City be invited and Crgei 20 tAze such
action IS viii hasten the completion OF the Nj
carsgua canal. and if il their Judgment such &C.
ton becomes necessary, 10 use all honorable e.
forts 20 hasten the action OF congress toward
loaning such credit OF the government OF the
United states viii insure the speedy compile
ton OF this grandest OF all WORKS ever cortsEn-
plated By the civilized world
In obedience 10 these expressed wishes and in
strucEions OF many Of my constituents I avail
myself of the earliest opportunity 10 give utter
snoe 20 their profound interes. in this measure
and their solicitude for its speedy success
Ishould cheerfuiiy perform the duty because
IL Is their Will / do so with alscrity and pleas
ure. because I entertain the same opinions,
which have reached through the experience
and observations that have taught them
While the results flowing from this enterprise
are beneficial 10 the commerce of sill nations.
they viii IN special manner stimulate and
promote thai OF our own country, and 10 part
OF our country more vitally than the Pacific
slope. and no part Of the Coast more directly
and happily than the state OF Washington
Prom the days OF Christopher Columbus until
the Western eontinsnt had been thoroughly ex-
plored il was the dream OF navigators, As well a.
their belief, that some pssSzgewsy would be
found directly connecting the Atlantic and Pa
cihc ocesna Even Is late IS 1892. the voysger
san Juan De Fuca, when first sailing Up he
magnificent passagsway bearing MS name thar
leads from the Pacific ocean into Puget sound,
thought ne had found this much-sought
channel
Where the navigator abandoned the search
the surveyor took il mp Modem engineering
has demonstrated the prscticability OF such
3 waterway.
Between the ports OF Brito, on the Pacific
coast, and Greytown, on the Atlantic, the dis
tance Is but l69 miles, the highest wstsr level
l1e feet OF this transit Lake Nicaragua, with
its generous breadth and depth. furnishes So
Eiles- The San Jusn river, discha-ging from 1t
into the Atlantic ocean, s. miles more; while OF
the remaining distance, valleys with high rims
are 30 converted into basins Ihas OF the entire
length OF this connecting channel there viii be
but eight 10 ten miles so contracted Is
10 seriously impede the speed OF vessels OF any
draft, or embsrrass their freedom CT Passing
while sailing in opposite directions. Disinter-
esrsd and competent engineering, frequently re-
ylsed and tested by experiment, has placed tha
cost OF this enterprise, when fully completed,
and upon q scale broad enough 10 accommodate
the present and near future requirements OF
commerce, AZ 500, ooo, 600.
Ample concessions have been made by the
Nicaragusn government and Costa Rics 70 the
Maritime Canal Company OF Nicaragua cor
poration created by an act OF our own congress,
for period OF ninety nine years after the CON-
plesion OF the work The proposed guaranty OF
the bonds of the company by the United states
should make II certain that no oaerous tolls
can Be- exacted OF commerce in order 70 pay
dividends on fictitious stocks. while the owner
ship IN trust of more than two-shfrds OF the
stock OF the company by the government should
render its financial liability but nominal one,
and its control ard supervisory authority per-
manent and unQuestioned
Not only the responsibility assumed, but
more especially the national character of the
work and the worldwide attention il mus.
command, make it matter of nrst imporsaucs
that every detail OF construction and expendi-
ture OF money should be honest and proper so
lar as legislation can make il so. There should
IN such work De not only no faint OF jobbsry
or fraud, but not even the opportunity or plaus-
lble sennlance o; any such thing. doubt not
the distinguished and experienced gentlemen
who have framed the measure and given ex-
hausuFe attention 20 eli its details have sought
10 guard il carefully in these respects. And
yet, Nj President, in the light OF eonfessedlv
superficial examination of these features
OF the bill, the impression Is made
upon my mind there is not the direct, specific
inspection and control over the construction
ana expenditure there should be. trust before
q vote is reached it viii be shown these impress
slons are justified, or tbs bill viii be so amended
ss 10 cure the defects
About tweuty-elghr hours Is the estimated
time OF The passage OF ship from ocesn 70
ocean, including Iockage. Lake Nicsragne .ns
these basins afford abundant and secure Trash
water haroorsge 20 any number OF vessels with
OUT interference in the operation OF the canal
over the low elevation of the mountain range
the northeast trade winds are drawn. furnish
Ing constant and cooling brsezes tenpe-ing the
tropical ar and rendering il healthful
The superahundanee OF water ST all seasons
oiseharging through Lake Nicaragua will admit
OF enlarged canal facilities 70 meet sny possible
development OF commerce. Frequent rsnid
streams along the route viii enable rne eoo.iEup
OF me LAKE and canal with electric light. so
thst the movements OF ships will not be him
ce-ed ST night
Thus Ighted, and animated with che move
nen' OF every Character Of water crsf., the
cnaotlng landscape. the most noble and iuspir-
Ing spectacle that eye can gaze uv.on and mind
contemplate 4 land Of r1i3lisa. sar-the
handlwo-k OF man. This short waterway bisscrs
. heInls phere, converts the continent Of South
America into 81 island, piercss stretch OF over
$40 miles OF SEES wall at the center, and cuts OF
tie GesoG- tie commerce Of the north half OF
the world and the adjacent southern Iatitudas
Ia now compelled 70 make around Cane Horn
II IS the miracle OF engineering science stretch
Ing out is hand over the mountains, and their
ocsdieHt walls opening permanent highway 20
TIE char3ots Of the sea
The saving IS much more than one o. time
and distance Il IS the escape OF Commerce
from stormy and hazardous Sass, snd OF perish.
able esrgoes from exposure 70 torrit zones. The
construction OF tais work means the shortening
o. TIE voyage between our Atlantic and Pacific
ports about 1900 miles. near tvo-thirsss OF ,ae
present sailing distance, and largely the substi-
tuition OF steamers to- sailing vessels L VIII
prove the grand complement OF our coassvSisa
navigation, doing for the commerce of the na
ton VIVA, the 81. Mays canal Is eHec.irr for
the interior Northwest
The practical result viii De 70 unite our A..
la1tic and Psel6c seabo2r5s. The paauis ~ tba
Pacific slope, having experienced more diraotIv
and sorely the disadvantages OF senaration
than thos= OF the East VIII. IS resu.e NOS
keeoly appreciate the benefits 70 resuls fr.r,
this enterprise This is more especially t-1sa az
the people Of the sisse l have the honor in n.-t
70 represent Il Ills chamber than any other Of
TIE Coast, because Ehey s-e conscious OF TIE
surprising resources o! their state, OF forest ~
fisheries, OF soil-5lessed with climate asss-tiv-
II 20 the widest range OF prod Ectlon-of COS 81
iro1, OF sto2e. 0. gold and silver. which thev
realize rnGss remain comparatively dormant
until the ehssp an1 necessary srsasuo-tario, ~
this canal IS Afforded
trznsco1tInents1 railroads have done rnueh
tor tes development. OF TIE PacsSe eossr 50