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

At the fourteenth mile post near a
[ place called Ia Flor, the Grande passes
through a narrow gap. ranked by high
bills, into the more extensive plain OF
Brito, bordering on the Pacific. IL was
/ the original plan TO cut canal through
this valley OF lola, and four locks were
contemplated but another scheme has
since been adopted. By which tho valley
I'm question Is flooded and converted INTO
an extensive nayigabie reservoir. This
VIII be accomplished by closing the gap
~ La Flor by q dam so feet long ana
40 feet high. 20 forming basin' whose
surface level viii be tho same as mat
OF the lake-in fact. form part or H. As
regards the engineering question, there
are three works. involving problems de-
handing careful considerauon-theV GENOA
dam. the Great Divide cut. and the
harbOr at GreytOwn. The dam and the
divide" cut are colossal works. The
former Is 10 be Of q novel construction,
novel, at any rate. 20 the engineering
practice Of Europe, termed in the States
"rOcHhll' -rubDle Of massive dlmensiohs-
taken from the Great Divide cut, and
dumped" from an overhead suspension
railway into the river, where the rocks
are 20 be allowed 10 find a natural resting
place. u IS claimed that, once made.
II viii be permanent II viii, IN fact,
form natural barrier.
Under the conditions obtaining. / am Of
opinion that IL IS the best plan which
could be adopted. The stupendOus char
acter Of the Divide" cut is made clear
by the fact that from n trench less than
three miles long. with an average height
Of l4J feet and 3maximum height Of 90
feet, more than 100000 cubic yards OK
rock have to be extracted. Mr.. Menocal.
the chief engineer OF the late canal con-
struction company. claims that borings
carefully made have established fully the
character Of the rock 10 be dealt with.
but Major Dutt0n, who reported on the
canal a few years ago, is OF opinion that
more complete system Of bOrings should
be carried out, and IN this Wow / am
bound 10 concur. The haI'bOr al Grey
town win be a difficult undertaking, ow-
ing TO the shifting character OF the sands,
and II has been pronounced to be inn
possible-that Is. practically-by some en-
gineers OF repute. and not least by Eeds,
Of the Mississippi jetty system fame.
That great engineer. however, IL must
be borne in mint, was the originator and
promoter Of 80 rival scheme-the Tehuan-
tepec ship railway. In my opinion the
plans proposed are quite adequate, view
held not only by meet American but By
tho leading English engineers who have
looked into the question.
At Brito Che Pacific terminus). whore
there is not even, be 1t noted. It roai-
stead at present, the work Of constructing
a harhor presents no peculiar difficulty.
The canal company's buildings aud the
dredging plant a. Greytown. as wei as
the service railway" for facilitating
operations about ele zen miles lons) are
in existence and in fairly good condition.
This railway. 1T must be remarked. was
expected to prove q very difficult busi-
q wa at q an
through the swamp at the back Of Grey
town 10 prevent It's sinking. But the
material I'm the swamp, really volcanic
detritus. was found 10 Doe so solid that
the anticipated difficulty was not realized.
The locks are ESQ feet long by so feet
WIDE with varying lifts from 80 feet 10
A. feet There seems to Doe no doubt as
20 the practlcability OF these locks OF
great lift. The time of transit through
the canal is estimated az twcnty-eight
hours. the passage through locks, narrow
channel. broad channel, river BASIN river,
and lake being an computed at varying
speeds This allowance of tWcnty-eight
hours seems 60 me sui. ielt aotUlthsl anl-
ing the views of a. Mango and other
French engineers. mostly connected wilh
or interested u some way in the Panama
that IN would take considerably
longer The Sault Ste Maize LOCK- IS work
Mr.. Menocal has allowed as much as |
forty-nve minutes i'm his calculation.
a factor OF the first importance as re- |
yards The construction and also the main- !
.enauce of the canal Is that OF the Gle /
maze and rainfall. The difficulties % be /
lpprehended I'm this respect seem 10 me 1
rot to have been sufficiently appreciated. /
and II is here That ] find myself most at /
variance with the plans so admirably pre- /
y views on this subject has been express
81. but while the climate of Nicaragua in
he lake region and on the Pacific slope
S undoubtedly immensely super ior TO that
If the Panama route. and indeed may De
pronounced a healthy one. the low-lying /
egion from Greytown 10 the foothills
must be considered as by mo- means heal
hy. and indeed likely TO give a. consider
bile amount or trouble. ] went 10 Mica
aqua incredulous. I must confess. as
o the reported heaithiness of the central
nl Pacific sections OF the country but
.cturned convinced that they have "a
callv good climate. The reason is 10 Doe
Ound i'm the health-givirg trade Winds
which sweep across the country through |
sort Of funnel the lowest depression in
De whole COrlillcra. 10 IS this feature
hat makes even Groytown a not un-
calthy place. There is no Disgusting the
ndcr 300 inches in the ycar-in "a tropical
ountry is most serious question. 1
ave had an extended experience of trO-
ical countries and ann forced To- tine
pinion that insufficient allowance has
cen made on this account as regards
9th construction and maintenance Of the
forks later.
The cost is estimated I'm round figures.
Z 20.NIov pounds. 70 slim Boz my opinion
fIf. fa.. fTaf i'm
lc estimate see % To- Dee Fiiiiricnt. but in
1ch "a country and especially in such
limafic conditions. 10 is necessary To- give
very wide margin for contingencies. I'm
n such cases the unforeseen must be
0unted on. However. / would wish it
D bee understood that This factor. which /
.ayed such terrible havoc at Panama
innot have so much Importance here
hore the studies and preparation OF the
reject have been carried out on scale
ithorto almost unknown in the conduct
f such enterprise. Without committing
yself 10 amy dogmafic opinion J am
lnyincod that tine canal whom completed
500 cost a sum nearer 100000 pounds (
IAN the present estimate. The excess
cost OF similar works results generally
om extra work eventually found neces-
ry, rather than from miscalculation Of
De- original rates.
The time f0r completing the work is
morally estimated al seven years, which
ems ample under the circumstances
be time for carrying ont the Great
wide cat and the Ochoa dam IS natural
the factor determining the period re-
tired for construction, and both these
N be completed within that time. The .
nal is "A work on which the employment ,
machinery in every possible form will
as much as possible resoricd 10. ami :
ost wisely. for il Isl eminontly a case