Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-09-04
-NICARAGUAN CANAL
An Important Measure in the
Next Congress.
THE PROPOSITION is FEASIBLE.
conaress Asked to Loan Its Guaranty OF
the Payment Of Interest on
800, 100000.

an important measure III the heAV JUL
gress, and as the only question seems
to be whether the government shall
build it independent or loan its credit
TO her citizens, who now have IRAN
chise personal observation IS import
ant. The canal people say their fran
chise holds for four years yet, though
the present government may seek TO
annul it, SO for the present the former
considerations is excluded. If action is
not taken by congress this winter it is
said the capital will be sought in
Europe, even though it be at an ad-
yanced rate of interest, to the extent
of So. 900. 900 year during the life
time of the bonds Issued. Uncle Sam
has been talking about it SO long this
seems last chance.
Seventy years ago Henry Clay, then
secretary of state, in public COM
munication said The idea has been
conceived of uniting the two oceans
by canal in Nicaragua. 1t is practi-
cable and will form a great epoch in
the commercial affairs of the whole
world" In 1849. when Commodore
Vanderbilt was using the river and lake
route to hurry the gold hunters to Cal
ifornia, the Americans had great
spell Of canal fever, and again in
1856, when the American filibuster.
William Walker, came down here and
captured the country. Our civil war
diverted attention until 1879, when
President Grant appointed five engi-
neers. who, after examining with great
care eight different routes across the
Isthmus, reported unanimously in
favor of Nicaragua. Matters drifted
along until 1881, when a fine conces-
sion was granted, and in congress a bill
was introduced to give aid to the en-
terprise, but De Lesseps, who was
building at Panama. and Fades, who
had ship railway in Mexico, COM
bined and fought the proposition to
death. In 1884 President Arthur
made a treaty with Nicaragua, by
which the United States was bound to
construct the canal, but on the coming
of Cleveland, the treaty not having
been ratified by the senate, he with
drew it. Then in 1887 the govern.
ments of Costa RIGA and Nicarauga
granted a concession TO private citizens
of the United States, and later congress
granted them corporate powers. From
chat time W JnIs Iney nave Deen digging
either sand in Nicaragua or gold
dust in New York.
Congress is now asked to loan its
guaranty of the payment of interest
at per cent. ON 500, 900. 900. and in
the closing hours of the last congress,
after the bill, which had passed the
senate, was tangled in the meshes of
red.tape laziness in the house, Senator
Call introduced resolution in the
civil sundry bill calling for commits
sion to investigate the route. This
commission has been over the line and
will make report ON or before Nov. /.
So far there have been made ten sur
veys through Nicaragua, and it is
hair-splitting argument as to which is
the best. but all agree that the PROPOSE
ton is feasible.
The canal organization began opera
tions here in 1889, it established head
quarters, built short railroad and
dredged about a mile of the canal on
the route as proposed by Mr.. Menocal,
which courses west and reaches the
basin of the San Francisco river about
twenty miles from starting point.
This basin, or reservoir. is formed by
damming the San Juan river at place
known as Ochoa, and causing large
part of this water to divert to the
north into this basin, and also back up
the main river SO that it would form
part of the canal system into Lake
Nicaragua. This Ochoa dam is to be
1900 feet long. 70 feet high, and is to
raise the water in the river Sc feet to
the lake level, which is 10 feet above
the sea. Three locks on either end
are to raise and lower boats into this
basin. This river has about the same
current and width as the Ohio. and
great floods are frequency, which
under this plan. must back up into
Costa RIGA, creating great swamps and
probably another waterway to the sea.
Everything depends upon the safety of
this dam, for it must be built last, and
if it is then found impracticable, then
some canal building has been done just
for fun. A rock-cut of two and one
half miles will be necessary to get INTO
the San Francisco river basin.
The other route, much admired by
many, begins in the Costa RIGA country
and follows up the grand Colorado
river, down which channel rushes
nearly all the waters of the San Juan
and other rivers. then reaching the
San Juan pushes on to Lake Nicar-
aqua This latter proposition would
cut Greytown off. and the former
would leave practically useless for
navigation the San Juan river below
the dam-this is the difference. What
to do with it is the question; some say
dam it. On the Pacific side no serious
complications exist. The Costa Ricans
are talking war with Nicaragua about
the boundary question which Mr.. Cleve-
land very much unsettled in 1888 by
arbitration. They claim the south
bank of the river to its mouth, and
oo-1eor-on<1u mill ba ~, tho <..no1