St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-05
UNITING the OCEANS.
Gustav A. HARNESSES New
Route Across the
ISthmuS.
The De Lesseps Route Pro-
nodnced Almost I'M
possible.
The New Course Would Cost
but $66,O00,-
900.
Advantages Between SaSardl
and San Miguel
Bays.

For nearly three centuries the prac-
ticablity of free navigation between
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans has
been under discussion. says the Chicago
Herald. A canal across the iSthmuS
was first proposed i'll the sixteen til cent
ury, and many attempts were made to
realze the project. OF late years three
plans have been more or less popularlZed
the Darien route, the Panama route and
the Nicaraguan canal. The Darien
route was carefully surveyed and its
cost estimated at 100000 to S90,0O0,-
600. After sinking s300,000,0JO the
Panama canal is noted failure. The
Nicaraguan scheme is still prosecuted,
congress having under consideration
measure to guarantee 800, 00O,000 to
help it to completion. Gustave A. Kar
wese a civil engineer now i'll Chicago.
claims that the Nicaraguan canal
cannot he bull. and successfully ope-
rated for double that amount. Mr..
Karwtise has studied the subject for
thirty years and speaks from practical
knowledge OF the locality. He has
mapped out a route for canal which
he AYERS is superior to any yet proposed
The EsOute Inspected.
In conversation with the Herald writer
yesterday Mr.. Karweise said his atten
ton was first directed to this great ell
giheering problem in 1859, when Thomas
G. Reynolds, then secretary of the
United States legation at Madrid, told
him an independent fortune awaited the
man who should discover the easiest
Of ri Inv
canal. In 1869 he went to the United
States of Columbia to investigate. He
was first impressed with the Darien
| route, but SuOn abandoned that on ac
| count of It's numerous difficulties and
| vast expense. He wanted an
ocean level canal. with harbors
at either end provided by
nature and not by dams, which are very
expensive. In the Bay of Sasardi he
found what he wanted on the Atlantic
side. Ascending Peak Patrlgandi and
facing south he had the Caribbean sea
and Atlantic ocean on his left and
the Savanna river and San MIGUEL
bay on the right. Here, he de-
cided, was the spot for a canal.
Below the peak is nothing but tropical
shrubbery of all kinds. The climate is
hot and the SEASONS divided into wet
and dry, six months of each. at struck
me at once" said Mr.. karweiSe, that
here was the most favorable location for
canal. l made number of surveys.
In the westerly direction the Savanna
river is navigable up to the point where
the cutting would end. All the fleets
of the world could fina shelter in
San Miguel bay, into which the
river flows. On the eastern side the
conditions are equally favorable. Sasar
di is magnificent bay, into which TWO
small rivers, ASuati and Antics cirque,
flow. My idea was 10 utilize the forces
of nature. BY dredging one of those
rivers could be made the beginning of
the canal. We could use it for mile
or more at small outlay. Then L pro-
posed a canal direct to the Savanna river,
Il distance of about tWenty-eight
miles, which is by far the shortest
yet proposed and undoubtedly the most
feasible. We would have TO cut through
the backbone of the Cordilleras, which
would neceSSitate three tunnels, the
first 5000 feet long, Tie second 1850
feet, and the third 1880 feet. From the
first TO the second tunnel there would
be an open cut of $1,000 feet, and be-
tween the second and third a cut of
twelve miles. From the last tun-
mel to navigation in the Savanna river
would be five miles, and the distance
to San Miguel bay is eight miles. There
are no great difficulties to be encoun-
tered in the work. The open cutting
would be mainly through gravel and
hard clay. The tunneling would be the
largest item OF expense. ] would have
castlron structures TO hold the roofs and
sides, as too many lives might be Sacri-
feed by laying brick work.
The Cost of the Work
GAS to the cost of the canal. think
s66.0C0,000 would see it through -$4S,-
00J0, 900 for the canal proper and $4,000
600 for dredging the rivers and bays.
The project could be completed in four
years. The advantages OF my route are
its natural facilities, its shortnesS and
comparatively small expense. De Les
seps' great mistake was constructing
his canal 10 run with the rivers. The
rivers don't bother ME because run up
at right auglcs to them after the cutting
begins. l have TO turn one from its
course by a small tunnel to carry it into
the Savanna river. The Panama canal
is abandoned, and | don't think there is
money enough in this country to finish /
the Nicaraguan canal. Including the |
miles in length. There is al |
ways a risk of the water giving
out in the lake in the dry season. Now |
my canal would only be little over |
twenty-eIght miles from tide to tide. !
Instead of four locks on each side of the |
lake and the two tide locks the Nicara-
guam plan requires, only need two |
tide locks. Besides. my position is bet
ter geographically. 1t would be easier |
and better for ocean vessels to go to
Sasardi bay than to Greytown. San |
Miguel is beautiful landlocked bay, /