Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-01-04

Beyond the lola basin comes the divide
between the lake aud the basin, an ir-
regular coniiguratiou mostly of solid
rock, where a cut must be made with a
maximum depth of y feet, necessitating
the excavation of 100000 cubic yards.
This is the largest and most expensive
piece of work on the Pacific division of
the canal and will cost in the neighbor-
hood Of 81 100000, The total excava-
ton on this division is 10 miles out of II
miles of distance.
This brings us out into Lake Near
aqua, where there are 5G4 miles of clear
sailing to the port of San Carlos, on the
eastern side. The lake is shallow for so
large body of water, and on its eastern
side presents a slope so gradual that If
miles of dredging will be necessary to
prepare the way for the exit of ocean
vessels through San Carlos. This will
be simple in character, and, together
with wharves aud all improvements in
and about the lake, is estimated at
cost of a little over S2,0OO,000.
The eastern section of the canal pre-
sents the greatest difficulties of the un-
dertaking, and calls for the principal
outlay of money. For the first Gl4
miles from the lake The canal runs along
the bed of the san Juan river, aud but
little work is required to put it in order.
The construction of dam at Ochao.
which is located about - miles east of
the lake, will lift the waters of this
river 100 feet above their present level,
Transforming it from shallow stream
full of rapids and sharp turns to a broad,
deep river. \ small amount of dredging
will be necessary, the estimated cost Of
which, together with all improvements
along the San Juan river, is 81 500 900.
The two greatest undertakings of the
canal are the cut through the eastern
divide and the dam at Ochoa. Forum
ately, the two are located near together,
aid the one in Il way supplements the
other. The divide lies about 20 miles
west of the Atlantic ocean, great mass
of rock nearly three miles across and on
an average III feet high. In some
places it is nearly 300 feet high. As
the canal viii be so feet wide. some con-
ceptiun can be formed OF the enormous
magnitude of the work at this point
Indeed 2l per cent of all The excavation
to be done on the canal will be found
right here in these three miles of dis
lance. The total estimated excavation
for this cut is about l0.0O0.0OO cubic
yards, of which about 3.0O0.O0 yards
are surface soil and the remainder solid
rock. Tn" estimated expense for this
work is about Sl2.000.000.
\ part of the rock which is taken ont
at the divide excavation will be carried
eleven miles to the east. where it will
be used il the construction Of the Ochoa
dam. As the diversion of the San Juan,
which carries always 1900 cubic feet of
water per second, and Is Liable at times
to carry 5000. Is not feasible. the dam
will be constructed by the method
known as the crock fill" million
and half cubic yards of stone taken
from the divide cut will be dumped into
the river and allowed to settle in place
until they strike the bed rock below the
sandy bottom. The length between
abUtments will be 1850 feet and the
height l0l feet. The dam is the most
Important feature of the whole eastern
4 pf nj nd a., i },
ed rs the key to the whole system. The
estimated cost is about one million dol
lars. If the material for its cOnstruc-
ton were not close at hand IN the great
g eater.
Three locks must be built east of the
divide cut, having lifts respectively of
10, 30 and 81 feet. A little over mile
intervenes between them. Their esti-
mated cost is about Sl,000.0OO. The
last lock lets the canal down to the
level of the Atlantic and after a cut of a
little over nine miles through level
country it curves out into The harbOr OF
Greytown or san Juan del Norte. \
long pier will be extended out into the
ocean and channel will be opened
through the sand bar thar now closes in
the harbor. The improvements at
Greytown aIe estimated to cost some.
where in the neighborhood of million
and a half dollars.
The total cost of the canal is varously
estimated at from $50, 0O0,0O to $780,
100000. The most conservative and
careful estimates, including "A large per
centage for contingents, do not go be-
You'd the latter figure. The total am
cunt to be eXcavated is 100000 cubic
yards, and 100000 cubic yards of EN-,
bankment must be constructed
The total length of the canal is lG0.4l
+ miles, of which l2l miles are natural
q waterways, leaving lS4 of canal to con
= LEI nf tI,is u q orn