The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-09-24
NICARAGUA CANAL
AS AN ISSUE
Proof Of Its Pressing Necessity and
Why II Should Be Con-
sldercd Now.
i FACTOR IN THE CAMPAIGN
The Saving Of li.Go0,OOo per year ON
the Pacific Coast Crops ~ vital In
tervst 10 Ship owners Short
Cheap water Route.

the PaciHc Coast Crops ~ vital In
tcrvrt 10 Ship Owners-short
Cheap water Route.
Commercial News.
To the Editor OF the Commercial
Ncws-Slr' There Is announcement In
tho increasing interest Of San Fran
cisco merchants In the ocean commerce
~ the port Prior to 1870 San Fran
cisco was already great seaport. and
the mn!l distrihuling point on the Pa
cihc coast The advent u six trans
continental railways has resulted IN the
diversion Of much interior trade our
merchants n, last recognize that/it
must make It's future as seaport. for
as railroad center II II at the back
door Of the continent so at last we
face the ocean. the worlds cheapest
highway. that must make our CONNER
ciai metropolis II was the early rec
ognltion Of this fact that prompted my
urgent advocacy OF the Nicaragua ca
nal
The innovation OF steamships load
Ing cereal products for Europe via
Magellan straits at Il IS to Il SIS ster-
ling il a striking fact. and a striking
objcct.lcsson in favor Of the canal as
the solution which more than anything
else win create renewed prosperity for
cur producers, The greater part Of
their campaign propaganda might far
better be devoted 10 an lnslstance on
the prompt construction of the canal
than upon the discussion of free silver.
There are honest differences OF opin-
ion about the free coinage OF the white
metal. but no man interested In the
prosperity of our people and the ma
tlonal influence ~ our country viii
question the great necessity for the
promp, construction OF the Nicaragua
canal under the control OF the United
States government Jointly with Nicara-
qua. The main purpose of this article,
necessarily restricted by the scope OF
newspaper requirements. is to prove
the assertions above made by actual
tiles which cannot be controverted.
have carefully estimated the saving on
years cereal crop Of the Pacific
coast which can be made by the use
of such steamers as are today loading
our cereal products for Europe via
Magellan straits at abnormally low
rates, II the estimates are not present
ed In full detail II Is because space
does not permit. but they are open to
anyone desiring to investigate. Our
producers and merchants are invited to
examine carefully the showing made
herein;
Distance san Francisco to Liverpool.
via Magellan straits 1894 knots; dis
tnncc san Francisco to Liverpool, via
Nicaragua canal. 1884 knots: distance
saved 5,S67 knots Cargo steamship
25OO tons register carrying 1000 tons Of
grain, speed 29O knots, daily average,
coal consumption, % tons. average
quality, ship coallng al Coronel Chile,
and Cape St Vincent, via straits, and
az Atlantic port OF Nicaragua canal,
san Juan del Norte, one days delay
allowed NJ each port,
VIA MAGELLAN STRAITS.
Coal, 6S days, wages, provisions,
stores, Insurance on vessel, (yalue $780,
OOW. cargo insurance, interest on cost
OF ship for two months at i've per cent,
total, N7gS4SO. Interest on value Of
cargo not considered, but, II included,
would be reduced one-half by using ca
nal.
VIA NICARAGUA CANAL.
Coal SO days, wages, provisions,
stores, insurance on vessel cargo in
surance, interest on cost Of ship at i've
per cent, total $7,52S,7O Saving via ca
nal. $lO,455SO. canal toll, same as Suez,
Sl.S5 per ton register Si.625 net saving,
So, ,S3O,SO. equal 10 Sl,A5 per short ton.
The average Pacific coast export crop,
including wheat, barley, flour, beans,
mustard seed and other grains, may be
safely placed at 100000 short tons an
nually, making an average Of 100000,
The permanent use of steam carriers
avoids saclting, as In Atlantic practice,
sacks cost at this time 30 cents per ton,
again saving $72O0OO per annum, max
Ing a total saving on crop named of
ST. $50, 900 for the Pacific United states
coast. The ships freight to Europe
amounts to $27,0S0; cost Of voyage N1,-
9S4, via straits, profit $1,000, from which
must be deducted port charges, steve
doring, light and tonnage dues. With
higher freight the showing for ship
owners will improve, and the saving
via canal will also improve correspond
ingly.
This being an accurate statement OF
saving via canal on one years cerea
crop, imagine the saving to be added
thereto on canned, dried and greer
fruits. lumber, ores boraX, wines, bran
dy wool, asphaltum, salmon and th'
many other products yearly increasing
in quantity. | purposely avoid in this
inclusion of equally great freight!
westward The saving between Sal
Fransisco and eastern Atlantic ports
would be about one-third more CORE
spending with increased distance saved