The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1894-06-29
COST AND VALUE OF CANALS.
The Nicaragua Cut Likely TO BE an Enor.
mously Profitable Enterprise.

mously Profitable Enterprise.
The Suez canal, with almost hum
dred miles of continuous digging, cost
about s10o, 900, 600; of this sum 3O,000,-
900 was wasted in interest, commits
sions, changes of location and bad
management. Thot canal has now a
traffic Of nearly nine million tons am
nually, and, according to the North
American Review, it must be speedily
enlarged to accommodate the com-
merce that is crowding through it to
the western coast of the Pacific ocean.
The Nicaragua canal has twenty-ninc
and half miles of canal prism, OF
axial line. OF this one-third is very
light dredging. The total length of
this transit from sea to sea is 169J<
miles; of this line 155A miles is slack
water NAVIGATION at an elevation of
10 feet above the level of the sea-
This small lift is overcome by six locks
three on either side of the lake. The
entire cost of the canal ready for use,
as estimated by Mr.. Mcnoeal, allowing
25 per cent. for contingencies, is $685.
06A170. A board of five other great
engineers went over Mr.. Menocars
measurements and estimates with
great care, and out of abundant cau-
tion, and not because of any substan-
tial change in his figures, they added
to his estimate another 90 per cent. for
contingencies, and so changed his este
mate as to make the total cost of the
canal, ready for service, SS7, ,790,570.
1t seems that this may be reasona-
bly, accepted as the outside cost of the
canal. But, if we run up the conjec-
tural cost to $100,0O0,00O, If built for
that sum, it must be the most valuable
property in the world of its magni-
tude. The tonnage, annually, can
scarcely fall below that of the Suez
canal. 1t will gradually exceed that
amount. Ii it is two-thirds as great as
that which passes through the st,
Mary's canal on the lakes it will equal
100000 tons, Who does not know
that it muet be greater than the traffic
supplied by so small an area of inland
country? A just estimate would be
fixed, confidently, by the most careful
and hesitating persons at 9,0OO,0aQ
tons per annum, to say nothing of In
come from passengers, of whom
swarms win emigrate to the Pacific
coast. OF this estimate we could
place the tolls at the rate of 81 per ton,
and realize 100000 per annum. Take
$3,000,000 of this sum for maintenance
of the canal, which will not exceed
half that sum; S3,OOO,O0a for interest
en- the bonded debt, and $3,00o,00 for
ghe stockholders, and we will hove a
result that should excite the cupidity
Of the most grasping spcculator. But
the true friend of the industrial and
commercial people will see in this re~
suit saving to industry and CONF
morco of more than one-half the
charges for tonnage that are now
4 paid to the Suez canal. If the United
States are the owners of $50 900, 900 of
the S100,0o0,000 of the stock in this
canal, and if it is to cost $1,000 ,000
to build it, the dividends on that
Ss0,000.000 of stock, employed in a
sinking fund and invested in the bonds
of the company, would pay the entire
co If construction and the interest of
the bonds in less than fifty years.