San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-11-25

to the Herald from Washington
says: A serious blow has been
dealt the Nicaraguan Canal COM
pany's project for the construction
of a waterway across the isthmus
by the report OF the Nicaraguan
Canal commission.
Inevitable delay and further
and more thorough investigation
of the entire subject are declared
to be necessary before even the en-
cheering feasibility Of the canal
across Nicaragua can be decided
upon.
Your correspondent is able to
make public review of the con-
tents and the text of the conclu.
sions or the report OF the Mica
rauguan canal commission. This
report is now lying on the presi-
dents desk and is being considered
by him in connection with his an
nual message to Congress. The re-
port is at such variance with the
numerous rumors and predictions
which have from time to time been
published concerning it, that it
will cause great surprise and dis.
appointment among those who
have hoped for q generally favor
able report and who have therefore
placed credence in these rumors,
which usually stated son the high.
est authority" that the commission
favored the route proposed by the
company and placed the cost OF
the canal at about $ll0,0O0,O00
Tie report points out that it is
neither practicable nor advisable
to attempt the construction OF the
Nicaragua canal upon the data at
present available, and that the un-
dertaking would be fraught with
hazards too obvious to disregard.
That fair knowledge may be had
of the physical and geographical
conditions surrounding the con-
struction and maintenance OF ca
nal across Nicaragua, upon which
to form a final judgment as to the
feasibility, permance and cost, the
commission recommends an appro-
priation by Congress of S350,000
for extensive examinations cover
ing a period OF five months.
The commission makes a pro-
visional stimation Of a cost of
Sl33, 472 1893, or nearly double that
Of the maratime canal company's
conditional estimate of $6S,933 ,O60.
The commission makes its esti-
mate provisional" for the commits
sion says the existing data are in
adequate as a basis for estimating
the cost OF any structures. Some
portions of the work may cost
more; others less.
The report says the official esti-
mate by. the company Of $69, 1888,
060 is insufficient for the work ;
that Gin several important cases
the quantities of material must be
greatly increased, and in numerous
cases the United States prices do
not make proper allowance for the
difference in cost of work between
the United States and Nicaragua"
The general trend of the report is
certainly unfavorable to the canal
company. The commission re-
trains from any direct criticism Of
the company's prospectus, but it's
report shows that certain features
which the company has per-
sisted in assuring the pub
lie, through congress, were
known to be absolutely false
and unfeasible and If put in
execution might jeopardize the
practicibility of the whole system
and possibly destroy forever the
hope of a canal by means OF the
San Juan river and Lake Nicars-
qua. For instance, the maratime
canal company has proposed to
construct in Ochoa on the San
Juan river, 80 miles from Grey
town, on the Caribbean, what is
known as "Rockfill" dam, to hold
the lake and river level at a navi-
gable elevation and divert the line
thence from the river to the sea by
a canal in excavating. This has in
fact been one of the foregone con-
illusions OF the project, and the
company has told congress that
this enormous structure could be
erected for 1917, 273.
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