Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-01

of an inter-oceanic water way which
not only promises to yield immense
profit, but which it seems TO be almost
uniformly conceded ought to be under
! the control of the United States gov
ernment as a political necessity and
from a stragetic standpoint The con-
venton promises to be abundantly
fruitful in results and be-
ing Of q non-political character
and entirely disasscciated from
the private corporation at present en-
gagged in carrying forward the project
which it is intended to further, 1t ought
to be from its personel and its represen-
rative nature body Of great public
weight and wide influence. The pres
| ent convention Is the sequel OF formal
similar gathering at st. Louis, held In
June last, aud which had its origin
with the merchants Of the Pacific. At
their instance convention had been
held in California in March, as result
of which Gov. Markham requested the
governors of the various States to
appoint delegates to assemble In
| the Mound City in convention to
memorialize Congress TO contract
with the canal company to Sc
| cure control in the construction and
management Of canal so as to reduce
| the cost of construction to minimum
and to limit the capitalization to actual
cost of construction. The convention
at St. Louis was we'll attended and was
presided over by Hon. Geo. Converse. 1t
had the effect of adding force to grow
ing public sentiment in favor of federal
supervision and assistance In the build
ing Of the canal and 1t adjourned 70 re-
| convene at time and place to be deter
mined upon by the chairman and the
Executive Committee. 1t was In pur-
suance of the authority conferred a. st.
| Louis that Chairman Converse and
the Executive Committee selected
New Orleans, and to-day as the place
and date of the convention. Invita-
| tions were extended by Governor Fos-
ter, of Louisiana, and the Executive
| COMMITTEES of the st. Louis Convention
to the Governors of the various States,
and to all the leading commercial or
ganizations and municipalities of the
country to appoint delegates to repre-
sent their respective States or bodies,
and the responses received have exceed
ed the antici pations OF promoters OF the
| convention, and the indications point
to large and distinguished convention.
1t is proper here to refer to the present
relations between Government and canal
enterprise.
In April, 1890, resolution was
adopted by the Senate directing the
Committee on Foreign Relations to in
! uuire into the conditions and prospects
of the Maritime Canal Company Of
Nicaragua and to consider and report
what, in the opinion Of the committee,
the interests OF the United States might
REQUIRE in respect Of interoceanic COM
munication. The committee, compris-
ing some of the ablest men in the SEN
ate of both political parties, entered
into thorough investigation of the
subject matter presented for their con-
sderation, and finally submitted re-
port with bill whose passage the COM
mittea recommended. The Senators
who signed this report were Sherman
and Payne, of Ohio; Edmunds, OF YER
mont; Frye, of Maine; Evarts, Of New
York; Doph, of Oregon; Morgan, of
Alabama; D. M. Brown, OF Georgia;
and Eustis, OF Louisiana. The
plan proposed in the bill
was dictated by the committee and
agreed to by the company, subject TO
the approval of Congress. The Senate
had undertaken an investigation Of the
subject because OF its great public i'm
portance and independent Of Congress.
| The bill was not passed, but IL Is urged
that Congress ought to speedily take II
up and pass 1t or an amendment bill in
order that the company may not be de-
| layed In the completion Of the work by
any groundless hope of governmental as
slstance. The committee took occasion
! to say that the terms were suggested
| by them and agreed to after many con-
| ferences although the companies were
| not desirous Of surreDdPring what they
| considered q favorable business and
which they had no doubt of theiI abll-
| ity to successfully execute. The canal
enterprise had no lobby or agency at
Washington and the proposals Of the
| committee were not regarded as spe-
cially advantageous to the promoters of
the enterprise. The committee in their
report submitted the documents, epgi-
CbS-f hpOu Which, uuu-
| ing the report was based, and expressed
the opinion that the engineering and
other plans were satisfactory, the route
selected fpractical, the estimate reas-
enable aud the probabilities of traffic
such as to render the undertaking
| financially safe. The entire length of
| the canal from ocean To Ucean is pre-
cisely 100 miles, Of which distance it is
only necessary to eXeavate and con-
struet twenty-six miles Of canal. Lake
Nicaragua fills a cavity IN the midst
of a broken chain Of mountains
furnishes q safe harbor, sufficient In
capacity for all the naVies and shipping
Of the world. and ineXhaustible supplies
Of water for lockage. It is 11O miles
long, 80 miles wide, and has q maximum
depth of $50 feet. On one side is the
Sau Juan river, ranging In depth from
10 to 100 feet, and emptying into the
Atlantic at Greytown. On the other
side OF the lake is the Toya river. The
] channels and basins OF these streams
1 and Of Lake NIcaragna will be utilized
for a distance Of 143 miles. The lift
Hrom the level OF the ocean to the sun
4 NIT level Of Lake Nicaragns Is 10 Zee
aud will be accomplished with the -
4 OF series OF these locks situated ~
4 the respective oceans at each end.
y Including payment Of interest dos 2
/ the progress Of the work Il is celcuf ID