The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-01-30
The Panama Scandal and the Mica
ragua Canal.


quently been asked recently what eff
feet the Panama exposure would
have on the Nicaragua Canal, and
our people being largely interested,
it is proper that such an inquiry
should receive reply. The Panama
scandal is nothing new to the ini-
tiated, but it proves worse, both as
to the amounts squandered and
stolen and the persons implicated,
than anticipated, even by parties
we'll informed on the canal question.
AS early as 1880 committee of a
commercial organization in San
Francisco expressed the opinion that
sea-level canal at Panama was a
practical impossibility. 1t now turns
out that when De Lesseps' engi-
neers became aware of the fact, and
changed their plans to lock canal,
in every way inferior to the Nicara-
qua Canal, and questionable in re-
spect to lockage water supply, the
company commenced "kite-hying"
and bribery. Dingler, one of their
best engineers, and personally en-
ployed on the works, now states
under oath that they never expected
to complete the canal for less than
2,OO0OOO,OO0f, or S4OOOOO,OOO, while
they were asserting it would be
built for $160,00O,OOO! The fact is,
they never had an accurate survey
of the work until failure of the sea
level plan forced examination. A
Board of the most competent engi-
neers in the United States had years
prior reported against ship canal
at Panama and in favor of the prac-
teal and economical work at Mica
ragua, this report having been made
by Government officers under the
Administrator of General Grant.
There is, in fact, no comparison
between the two projects. The
Nicaragua Canal Company has at
it's command, aside from its own sur
veys, which are exhaustive, such a
fund of information as has never be-
fore preceded any public work of the
kind. Not only has the United
States surveyed the route on three
occasions, but surveys as far back as
1880 for Vanderbilt and later for
Felix Belly and associates, are avail
able for study and examination. In
locating the canal to be excavated,
which is only 26a miles, the present
company has itself run over 1000
miles of levels to ascertain the best
locations, and, at the New York Of
flee, are borings taken out every 1000
feet, to the bottom of the canal,
showing material to be excavated
In fact, I have map at my office to
show this in limited way.
The present expenditures, reach
ing nearly $,OOO,OOO, have produced
results below the estimates. In fact,
the units of cost made in 1872 by the
United States Government Survey,
are still maintained. Thus, ordinary
dredging is estimated at 80 to 40
cents per cubic yard-it is being
done here for 10 to II cents. Sub
aqueous rock is estimated at S. GU
bic yard-it is being done, under
Government contract at st. Mary's
Canal, for SIZE, etc. The improve
ments in excavating machinery and
in the use of explosives during the
last decade have not been consider
ed in the estimates. Responsible
Chicago contractors, Messrs. Treat
& Harris, offer to build the Western
division, giving ample bonds, for
$21 ,9O6,771, which is Menocals esti-
mate, including rs percent contin-
gency, and to complete this section
in three years. And this will leave
them a fair profit.
The Nicaragua Canal is a practi-
cable, carefully surveyed, economical
project without any unsolved pro-
blems for the civil engineer. 1t is
situated in healthy climate and in
productive country. 1t is an in
ternal waterway, which will enjoy a
large local traffic as the interior OF
Nicaragua develops, as we'll as an in.
teroceanic canal. There has been nc
misrepresentation about it and to.
day it is being scrutinized by it's few
enemies and its many friends in Con
gress and throughout the country
The very few interested or purchased
parties opposing it have hard work
to invent fictions against it and, fast
% ohCJ "o lhNcHec't, luoy nave D6el
proven false by the light of officia
examination. A report of the work
annually is required by law to be
made under oath to the United
States Government, which chartered
the canal company. This report il
printed and accessible to all that ash
for it at Washington. The expendi
lures have been economical and
thus far, below estimates. There il
in fact no basis of comparison be
tween the two works, either from
engineering, financial or economic
stendpoints.
. That dishonesty in France anG
Panama should affect the Nicaragu;
Canal in the United States is al
absurdity, except that it should affec
the practicable enterprise favorably
| have no doubt that were the Mica
ragua Canal to-day presented to the
people of the United States for con
struction under proper Government
al control, it would be supported b,
nine-tenths of the voters. That TIN
work will never be stopped until i
is completed is a certainty, and it i
; equally certainty that if our Gov
eminent does not act with prompt
nacc nr if n,,r o,,., 4