Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-12
NICARAGUA CANAL.
Chief Engineer HsnocaI, Oiths Maritime
Company. Testifss.
REPORT OF ENGINEER noARr
Criticism Upon Plans Of the Com
pany Taken Up ard Answered-Ad-
Tehuantepec ship Railroad.

WASHINGTON, d. c., April H.
Chief Engineer A. G. Menocal. OF the
Nicaragua Maritime Canal Company, re-
viewed before the House Commerce Com
mittee this morning the report Of the
Board of Engineers who Investigated last
summer the Nicaragua canal project. MI
Menocal said that the only point upon
which there is agreement between the
Maritime Company and the board was
the entire feasibility Of the project. AS
to this, the claims Of the company were
conceded. and any difference that exists
as to the method Of work was measur-
able by increased cost of construction.
He contended that the numerous changes
proposed by the Engineer Board re-
suited from their insufficient observa-
lions, made on hasty trip through the
territory traversed by the canal, which
touched the canal route here and there
only, and their consequent Imperfect
knowledge OF the physical conditions ana
of the amount and character OF the WORK
previously performed.
Mr.. Nenocal quoted figures to show
for all practical purposes, and SO eco
nomical as to pay reasonable dividends
on the capital invested. There was a
marked distinction, he said, between
high waterway and an ideal canal Of
IDEAL proportions, built regardless OF cost
lie thought 1t remarkable that In the
numerous changes proposed by the board
there is not one on the line OF economy,
or In the interest of a better canal.
Referring to the criticism Of the board,
that the hydraulic and geological data
collected by the company was insufficient
Mr.. Menocal stated that the importance
IF such data was fully recognized. but
that the securing of such information
must be the result Of many years OF
careful investigation, and that in coun-
Try like Central America, where the range
Of rainfall varies as much as 100 inches
from one year TO another. theories based
upon such observations were practically
useless.
Mr.. Menocal took up and answered spe-
officially a number of the criticisms upon
The plans OF the canal company. made by
he government commission, defending
and affirming the advantages of the COM
pany's plans.
TRIP OF COMMISSION.
Mr.. Menocal stated that he had &C.
companied the government commission
on It's trip over the canal route, and at
he request of Representative Patterson,
gave n brief description OF the trip. The
commission was in Nicaragua about forty
lays, and of this time about two weeks
were devoted to the examination OF parts
Of the route. When the lake was reached.
the commission had taken a steamer and
gone out some six or eight miles, making
a few soundngs and taking few obser-
yations. They made no borings along
the line of the canal. although instru-
ments and assistants were furnished.
They made no surveys, except near Grey
town. The commission could have taken
the surveys, borlngs, and other data fur
nlshed by the company, examined them
in an office, and expressed their opinion
az easily as could be done by the sxaml
nation made. The commission admitted
the practicablity of the canal; but TO
make an examination as thorough as he
had made would require years. The COM
mission passed the site OF the Ochoa
dam without making any examination OF
the site of the dam Itself. This was an
important work, and he had a camp pre-
pared near the dam and provisions for
six days placed there. The commission
made a two-days examination Of the
country near Ochoa. but the site of the
dam was not inspected. The construction
Of the Ochoa dam he did not consider
very great engineering feat. for larger
rock-filled dams than that had been
built.
Since his estimates OF the cost OF the
canal had been made, improved ma
chinery and appliances for such work
had been invented, and consequently the
cost would be much less. He firmly be-
lieved the canal could be constructed
and put in operation for S50O0.OoO. This
would give the widest and deepest canal
in the world.
Colonel James Andrews. OF Allegheny
City, followed Mr. Menocal He con-
demned the canal project entirely. and
made an argument In favor OF the Te-
huantepec ship railroad as the proper
thing to build.