Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1895-01-04
TIE N1cARAG UA CANAL.

u6 Ulll PlONiN1hS AZ
construction Of the Nicaragua canal
will probably pass congress at this
session. To those who have not
informed themselves upon the sub
iect. it seems like a hopeless un-
dertaking to construct canal for
the distance this one apparently
requires, yet nature has done SO
much that the work is reduced to
a comparatively small amount.
The exploration Of the route was
made by Commodore Lull, and is
said to show practicable route,
with lake Nicaragua as its summit
level. l07 feet above the sea. This
route requires canal sixteen miles
long. beginning at the mouth Of
the Rio del Medic and terminating
at Brito. The first seven aud a
hait miles will require an excava-
ton averaging fifty-four feet in
depth, and will be the most expen-
sive part of the whole work. Ten
lacks and one tide lock will be re-
auired between the lake and the
Pacific There will then be fifty
six miles oflake navigation. From
the lake the Atlantic will be reach
ed through the San Juan river, a
sluggish stream 400 yards broad
and from ten to twenty feet deep,
which will be improved by four
dams. A short section of canal,
with one lock, will be required to
get around each of the upper three
dams. From the fourth to the
Caribbean sea a canal forty-two
miles long will be cut, requiring
seven locks.
One of the principal difficulties
will be in maintaining a sufficient
depth of water at Greytown, the
Atlantic terminus of the canal
Some question is raised as to there
being sufficient water to maintain
the canal. This seems to be set al
rest by an examination Of the lake
the watershed and the rainfall
Lake Nicaragua has an area O.
2,7O0 square miles, drainage ares
of 5000 square miles, and an aver
age rainfall Of 102 inches, and viii
supply, according to actual'meas
urments of the discharge of the
San Juan river, thirty-eight times
as much water as would be requir
ed. David Stevenson, the emf
nent English engineer, arrives a
the conclusion, from documents
submitted to him by an authorized
official of the United States, anc
prepared by it's authority, that th'
principal engineering difficulty il
to maintain deep water through ar
extensive shallow foreshore, com
posed of soft materials and expos
ed to heavy seas. The estimated
cost of the canal is $100,000,000.
The probable value of the Nicar
aqua canal to commerce may b.
best Judged from the facts anc
statistics. tits generally said tina
the Pacific coast will be especially
benefited. But what benefits tn
Pacific coast by shortening tn
water route to the East and in
creasing competition with the rail
roads, thereby reducing freigh
charges both on land and water
benefits all the country.
New York is 14.840 miles distan
from San Francisco by way Of Gap
Horn. The canal would shorter
the distance to 1916, a gaining G
1874 miles. The distance iron
New York to Hongkong by Cap
Horn is 1880 miles; by the Cap
of Good Hope, 15,201 miles. B
way Of the canal it would be IL
O38 niles, saving over the short
er cape route of 4, 1853 miles.
New Orleans is now 1902 mile
from San Francisco by way of tn
cape. The canal route between th
two cities would be 4,047 miles,
saving of ii ,O05 miles.
San Francinco is now $50 mile
nearer to Liverpool than to Ne,
York by the Cape Horn route
The canal would save Californi
traffic 1896 miles on voyage t
Liverpool, and New York would b
nearer than Liverpool to the Pacifi
metropolis by 2,749 miles. Th
benefit of this change would not /
wholly with the Pacific coast. Liz
erpool also would gain importar
advantages through the canal.
would lose its advantage ov'
New York, but it would be brougl
nearer to Melbourne by 392 mile
to Yokohama by 1929 miles, an
to Hongkong by 1,265 miles.
1t is estimated that the Pacif
coast ships about 100000 tons
wheat and -four a year to the A
lantic ports and to Europe 1t
asserted that the freight charg
on this by reason Of the can
.no,,lJ 10 10 n fo,o lacc thor ~,