The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-17

4
lions and the provisions OF the bill are
well advised for the purpose OF preventing
| interpolation or waste OF money. The
| secretary ~ tho Treasury rs 10 have gem
| cral supervision Of the project, and a
board Of fifteen directors is to have i'm
mediate charge OF the work. ten OF whom
VII be elected by The President, and not
I more than two from any one State An
amendment OF great Significance. and one
/ 10 which 1 should like 10 draw tine atten-
| lion Of this country, Is that all material
and supplies are 10 be purchased IN the
| United states, except such as may be
grown or produced in Nicaragua or Costa
Iaca.
a commission consisting Of three ongi-
neers. whose duty 10 SIS 90 ascertain the
feasibility. pcrmanoncc. and cost OF the
construction and completion Of me Mica
ragua Canal" has been appointed by the
United States Government and has been
until lately employed in carrying QUE its
mission So Nicaragua. The commission.
which ! met lu Nicaragua. Us 90 visit and
personally inspect the route Of the canal.
cNfrIucarH consider fhn uIdrs ana pr1fios
prisms. and specifications for its various
parts and report thereon 10 the President
on or bof0's Nov Jet. next The members
are Col ". Ludlow. United States Army;
civil Engineer Mordecal r.. Endicott,
United States Navy, and Civil Engineer
John Noble of Chicago. The commission
is accompanied by Mr. MenOcal. unofficial
ly. IL is important to note, however that
81 the terms OF the bin be considered UNI
favorable the construction company does
not seem absolutely bound 20 accept IT,
AS regards its political aspect connden-
tial communications on the subject are
said 90 have passed between our own and
the United States Government, and no
objections have been raised. in any case
80 would seem that under the Clayton
Bulwcr treaty of 1850 any connection be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans boy
ship canal through the state of Mica
raeua viii have TO be Eeutralized IN the
same way as was the Suez Canal ia l66s
In the course of Che last debates in the
United States Senate and House Of Rep
rcsenlatiycs The questions wee raised as
20 whether a guarantee such as prOpOs-
"a is constitutional and polite. and
whether the canal was physically pos
siblc il was the failure Of the Frelng-
huyseu-/avala treaty Of 1884 (under the
terms OF which the canal was TO be built
by the United States GOvernmcpD and
the insuperable objections on account Of
the eniauglne alliances e.tailed by IT
which Jed to the acquisition Of concos-
sions from Nicaragua and Costa Rica and
the incorporation by the United States
Government of the Maritime Canal Com
pany.
it. was found that a further step was
necessary. or at any rate, advisable
namely. the sanction Of BILL such as
has recently been passed boy the Senate.
by which the United States Government
would become possessed of as complete
n cOmmand. Though not legally abb
rolute." as II she actually owned the
canal and the country traversed by it.
The bin U.s. certainly the nearest approXi-
nation that the United States Govern
ment can make 10 that position, as was
repeatedly pointed out boy AIR Morgan
in the last debates in the Senate, while
avoiding a violation OF the sovereignty Of
Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and an infrac-
ton OF or departure from the Clayton
Bulwcr treaty. The object of the bill,
it is perfectly clear is 90 acquire con-
troll OF The canal; and this Is matter
which concerns not only the United
States. bat the world at large and more
especially Great Britain
In view of The difficulties surrounding |
this rrprise-ilfie ultcs vast and far |
reaching. mainly of a political nature-it |
les certain Chat the project must Doe under |
The auspices OF some strong Government. !
and without doubt That Government must |
oe the United States. Had IL not been |
for the Obstacles Inieung the United |
States Government itself from undertake |
ing the construction of the canal, itwould !
have been completed long ago. The |
.clssitudcs through which the canal has |
llready passed have made it abundantly !
'lcar that the project cannot Do carried
through as q private undertaking. Inc
work Us so great, the benefits % VIII COM
'er are so trauscendcnt; but. above all.
he interests involved are so vast and
complex. that it should be removed from
s.f.fs.. f..fs
"a as they would he by the stringency
,r fluctuations of the money market. the
attitude of the Goycrumc hts of Mica
aqua and Costa hica, and in various
,thaT ways which need not now be spcci-
iel. Under existing circumstances no
private company or corporation could
omplcte This cnterpnse-ono which, nOt-
outstanding its great promise. could.
mike railroads. yield no income during
ts progress. for the investment could not
ring returns until it was proved that
'essels could pass right through from
Cean TO ocean with reasonable facility
nd without delay or danger.
The proposed route ls from GreytOwn
San Juan del Nortel, ON the Atlantic, To
irto, on the Pacific, The total distance
rom port TO port being under 40 miles,
( which only % miles viii Doe cXcavatcd
anal. Lake Nicaragua. necessarily the
I
ectel with the Pacific by two sections
f canal boo excavation. and by the lola
Basin. and with the Atlantic 10y slack
Htcr navigation through the valley Of |
Ie river san Juan. and series OF basins |
tne valleys of the san Francisco and |
lsscato, connected hy short sections
Z canal Tho sea level on each side SIS
.achcd by three locks. which have been
,catod a. near as possible To- the exc
Cos 90 Q Ia I %
'om Brito and ID 80 miles from Grey
'wn- thereby giving clear summit level
l14 miles in extent, OUt OF the total |
myth. The lake. over iO5 miles i'm leurth
ith an average of some an miles I'm width.
the controlling feature Of the whole
rohlem IL drains 20 watershed Of 500
iuare miles OF which its water area as
EARLY onc-half, and ON account o. its
rye space. restricted eat .hment basin
nd ample outlet is not subject TO other
ilon OF great ductuauon in level
Both the lake and ODE san Juan river
20 therefore. free fro floods. a mCst
apogtanr faurc, DISTINGUISHING this
ufe from an others. Tnc average year
rise and fan. due TO wet and Try sea-
ms. is about feet, jas highest water
ark being no feet above tho sea. the I
ovation assumed for The nighos. level. S
liking its source az n" southeastern eN- I
entity or the lake, the San Juan river
Tvs some ll9 miles through a broad val 3
y. almost due east to its mouth south ;
Groytown. Its minimum flow is 1900 z
pic feet per second. the width varying J
pm 800 feet 30 2el0 feet. and tho average !
y being IL inches per mile q
from tine lake eastward The san Juan G.
D he made nayisahle for a distance OF C.
3 miles by the erection Of n dam at q
hoa and b. dredging for the first TWEEN b
-oigl, miles below the lake. rock-blast- II