The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-22

each passing year the safety and ad-
vantage of the canal, and they patron
lied 1t. At first the vessels were of
light burden-not more than an average
OF 1900 tons. In 1894 the average ton
mage was 2.400. Not shin afioat is too
large to be safely taken through that
canal. They know 1t now: and the
men who built it are benefactors of
the race, as the men who invested their
money in 1t are abundantly rewarded
in good financial returns.
But the construction Of the Suez
canal Is insignificant in comparison of
the results with what would follow the
completion Of a canal across the 18TH
mus. The actual circumference o. tn.
earth. In nautical measurement, is CO.
900 miles. The Suez canal shortened
that distance 1000 miles But the CON-
pletion of the Nicaragua canal will
shorten the distance by 5000 miles. No
more stupendous result could be I'M
agined. BY the building of a canal az
teen miles in length a saving of 5000
miles will be made. That alone Is sur
ficient testimonial to the utility OF the
enterprise.
And even In shorter distances the
effect will be equally marked. Between
New York and San Francisco 10000
miles will be saved ocean vessels. Be-
tween New Orleans and San Francisco
5000 are saved. From New Orleans to
Valparaiso 1000 miles will be saved. And
that means the better development OF
trade relations between the United
States and the Pacific countries OF South
America. 1t means n bringing Of the
islands Of the sea closer to our fields
and our factories. 1t means an increase
<>Pt do i,, t,,,r, nf md In.
crease Of strength in time Of war.
THE FINANCIAL SIDE.
"At the Suez canal q toll Of $190 a ton
is charged all vessels passing through
The toll at the Nicaragua canal could
be placed at the very reasonable figure
of So. 1t Is estimated that the annual
traffic passing through the canal would
be SO,0OO,0OO tons. The total annual
cost of operating the six locks which
would have to be constructed, maintain
ing the entire length of the canal, ad-
ministration and other expenses, would
not exceed $500, 900 annually.
"One ground of objection by the ex-
perts who have recently made their re-
port to the government Is that the cost
would reach, in their judgment, the
tremendous figure of $134,000,000. Yet
the income of the canal, at the estimate
given here-and it Is conservative
would be 4,500,000 above all expenses
This would be five per cent. on an in
vestment Of $3.50, 100000. or more than
twice as much as the experts feared the
canal would cost. So that IL the gov
ject-and that is $17,O0O,000 more than
the latest critics have fixed as their
maximum estimate-it would, as a pure
commercial investment, have something
rather better than gold mine.
Some canal across the isthmus-that
Is, some canal connecting the Atlantic
and the Pacific oceans-seems mani
fest destiny. Why, in this later age Of
the world, when distances are shorten
ed, when time Is annihilated, when ev-
cry effort Is made to secure the most
expeditions routes and means Of travel,
and a general condensation of life
why In this age narrow neck of land.
more than half traversed already by
natural waterways, should be per-
mitted to divide the worlds, is one OF
the problems philosophers may not
solve. .
Something about the plans Of the Mar
atime Canal company may be Of inter-
est. It ia intended to begin the work at
the eastern or Atlantic end of the canal.
That part between the ocean and a
junction with the San Juan river Is
called the eastern division. In 1t will
be three locks. The first has lift Of
thirty-one feet. The second lift Of
thirty. This is a mile beyond the first.
And the third, situated three miles
| farther Oh, has lift Of forty-flve feet
These will bring the canal to level Of
LOG feet, where it will be maintained by
dams. The soil through which 1t will
be constructed is infinitely more favor
| able for inexpensive maintenance than
Is that of the Suez canal, where the
everlasting winds drift the sand per-
petually into the channel, and where
nothing but a new creation would be
capable Of improving the condition.
From the point of entrance into the
river level, the course is perfectly clear
And the de2th of water in the canal Is
far greater than would be required by
the deepest ships anoat. Arrived at the
western shore of the lake, another canal
makes connection with the Pacific by
means of three more locks. The first
and second are close together. The third
is near Brito, the Pacific coast port.
The two first of these locks have lift
of forty-two and one-half feet each, and
the third variable lift of from twelve
to twenty-nine feet, depending on the
| QemandS OF tne ocean tlQeS.
Each lock Is to be $50 feet long, eighty
feet wide and thirty feet deep. They
will be constructed Of ma asonry and iron
Lake Nicaragua Is 10 miles long, and
forty miles wide. 1t drains a water
shed of 5000 square miles, and is as per-
manent an assurance of water supply
for the canal as the mountains about 1t
are permanent features of the land
scape. At its lowest stage the river,
mainly supplied by this lake, possesses
a volume seven times greater than
would be necessary for the transporta-
ton of 2OOO0,000 tons year. And the
estimate of 100000 tons year seems
flatterlng enough.
"Slow old Europe has built two canals
which were less needed than this. One
of them saved 1000 miles from the cir
cumference of the EARTH The other is
called the Kiel canal, and saved but a
few paltry hundreds. This would save
10000 miles between two ports in our
own country alone. And it halts short
of completion. EnterprIsing America
may well take lesson from conserva-
tive Europe"