The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-08
COST OF MICARAGUA'S CANAL.
THE GOVERNMENT BOARD EsTI-
MATES 1T AT s133, 472, 1913.

MATES 1T AT sI33, az, 1913.
The Canal COmpany's Estimate That
1t Can De Constructed for 500, &c.,
$50 Declared Too LOw-The Heavy
ItainfalIs an Important Factor
That Must BE Taken Into Consider
atiOn-The Climates Influence on
Labor.
Washington, Feb. THE President to-
day transmitted TO the House the report
of the special commission to inspect and
report on the route of the Nicaraguan
canal.
The report of the canal board includes
an estimate of the cost of the construction
of the canal, which they place on the low
level line, at Sl3S.472,S S93. The company's
estimates are shown to be on the low level
line S66. .466. $50 The board think the ex-
pense of constructing the canal will be
about twice the amount that would be re-
quired to build a similar waterway in the
United States, owing to the adverse eli
matte conditions, the ineffective manual
labor ana to the further fact that the ma
chtnery cannot be used again after the
canal has been finished.
The most serious problems affecting the
design and construction of the canal sys-
TEN at the present time the report finds,
are those involved in the heavy rainfall
and consequent discharges from the lake
and streams whose variations of surface
and volume must be taken into account.
The rainfall record at Greytown for
period of three years shows a mean or
267 inches. A record at Rivas, on the
west side, for fourteen years gives mean
of 60 inches. In addition to these there
Is reliable information of precipitatiOns of
3 degrees in a hour, or degrees in nine
hours, and 30 degrees in eight days. \
record of nearly twenty-five feet of water
in a year on the Caribbean coast, dimin-
ished to five and one-half feet between
the lake and the Pacific, needs no COM
ment to indicate the important results
that must ensue with reference to mat
ters of local drainage and engineering
construction.
The report shows that the climate of
Nicaragua is misunderstood. II is the con-
tinued moderate summer heat in cOnjunc-
tion with the high humidity that so serf-
Ously reduces the value of physical labor
in the tropics. There has never been any
yellow fever at Greytown, except when
imported.
The heavy rainfall viii increase largely
the cost of excavating the deep mud at
several embankment sites, in excavations,
building embankments, etc.
The natives are not likely to prove use
ful in the severe and steady work of ca
nal construction. Jamaican negroes who
have been employed on the Panama rail,
road are dOcile, and from the tropical
standpoint, Industrious and fairly effec-
tive. They will undoubtedly form the
only about one-half as much as in the
United States, but the efficiency of the
laborers is proportionately much less.
Machinery viii be used largely, but will
be of little value after the completion Of
the canal and little if any will be worth
removal. Its entire cost would therefore
| be charged to the canal construction,
making the plant charge higher than us
ual. There are now no shops or facli-
ties Of any Xxi king on or Or near ne the ca canal line
| juncts of the work Skilled labor will
have to be imported Fuel will cost more
than double. Freight on materials and
supplies will increase their cost greatly,
| particularly if sent to interior points.
A large part of the report is devoted to
a description of the character of the soil,
the work necessary to be performed at
points along the proposed route and the
expense attached to this work;
The entrance to Greytown harbor, as
proposed by the company, the report says,
is too near the angle of the coast line,
and the entrance to the canal should be
The harbOr throughout should be dredged
to thirty feet below the low water line,
and its depth increased to six fathoms.
Detailed recommendations with regard
to the locks, dams and basins follow:
The board deems it proper to make note
of the facility with which a breach might
be effected at any point of the long series
or embankmentS employed in connection
with the canal project.
In regard to the Ochoa dam, as proposed
by the company, the report says this dam
is to be a rock-fhl across a powerful river,
on a sand foundation. A dam so con
structed, the commission says, has no
precedent, and its erection in conflict with
the unknown volume of the floods pre-
sents grave difficulties.
In regard to the western division. from
the lake to Brito, the report says: "The
information that the reference to the
site proposed for the La Flor dam indi-
Gates that its construction is impracti-
cable and the commission suggests an
alternative low level route, which offers
no special difficulties in construction"
AS to the terminus at Brito the com
mission suggests the desrability of moving
it southwark from the location proposed
by the company.
The report closes with the following
general conclusions" THE official esti-
mate by the company of $685. 466, $50 is in
sufficient for the work In several i'm
portant cases the quantities must be
greatly increased, and in numerous cases
the united prices do not make proper
of work between the United States and
Nicaragua"
'The provisional estimate by the board
is Sl33, ~, S93. Existing data are made
quate as a basis for estimating the cost
of many of the structures; some portions
of the work may cost more others less
but. in the judgment of the board the
entire project can be executed for about
the total amount Of it's estimate. For
obtaining the necessary data for the for
nation of a canal project, eighteen
months time covering two dry seasons,
and an expenditure of SS5000O will be re-
CURED