The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-04
NICARAeUES BIG WATERWAY.
THE UNITED STATES COMMISSION
AT SAN JUAN DEL NORTE.

The Members Buckle Down tn Work
Immediately After Landing on
May 1.-THE DreaISwater the First
Object of Attention-The Piles and
Timber Found to he Much Eaten
by the Teredo, But no other Evil
dcnce of Deterioration Found ON
Any Part of the work.
from stan correspondent Of the United
Press.
San Juan del Nortc, Nicaragua, May 1S
The committee Of engineers appointed
by President Cleveland 20 examine the
plans and route of the Nicaragua canal.
Is now comfortably settled down here in
the quarters which had been prepared for
its members At noon, May 13, after
journey of six Gays from Mobile the
steamer arrived off this harbor, and the
commissioners, all Of whom were well,
landed the same afternoon. They buckl-
ed down to work Immediately, and have
been nuch pleased with what they have
heard and seen of the condition Of the
canal work.
The canal line has been cleared be-
tween the lake and Brito. the western
terminus, and the work of clearing the
route from Greytown (San Juan Del
Norte) to Ochoa, was nearly completed.
The commission found every one actively
Interested in the work and also that
everything had been done to insure an
adequate inspection of the route
The commission first inspected the break
water Here, as was to be expected, the
piles and timber were found to be much
eaten by the pest of southern waters, the
teredo. The commissioners are making
very careful examination of this locality.
some surveys have already been started to
determine to what extent changes may
nave occurred in the beach since work was
begun by the company in 1883.
This damage by the teredO is about the
only evidence of deterioration which the
commission has seen. The dredged sec
tion OF the canal is in excellent condition.
The high embankments on the sides have
stood the action of the weather perfectly,
leading to many expressions of approval
from the members of the inspecting party.
The condition Of the companys build
lngs IS also gratifying All of them, from
La ke to the hospital have been visited
and found TO be in an excellent state of
preservation.
The commissioners went over the whole
line of the railroad on May Is. This trip
from Greytown to the terminus, at Camp
No. z, was made on a hand car, at an aver
age speed of about eight miles an hour.
The condition of the road after so long
suspension of work. was the subject of
favorable and general comment. The en-
senting uniform grade, as originally laid
down. The track is in excellent condition
-one Of the commissioners remarking that
a locomotive and train of cars might even
now run over it in perfect safety. The
only imperfections were where native tim
Der had been used for ties. With the re-
placement of these. which are few In num-
Der, the road will be in perfect condition.
The inspection thus far made shows
there has been no wash or perceptible set
Ting of the embankments and the side cuts
in the sections of the road in excavations,
which, in some cases, were almost verti-
cal, are practically as ordinarily made.
The stability of the work is shown by the
fact that writings and caricatures made
by the workmen on the face of the clay
slope retain even their sharp outlines.
The crumbling of earth from the face of
the slope has not In any case been suffi-
cient to obstruct the small side drains
This demonstrates that there need be no
fear of injury by rains, to similar works
in this, the rainy section of the canal.
The party will finish its preliminary work
here in two or three days more. Then on
May p, the commissioners expect to start
for the lake region.