The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-02-22
coar or rnn NIcAnAouA cANAL


AffN NNHWNtNfiff
prhe estimated cost o. tho Nicaragua
canal la Increased by the noyc nmcnt
commission whose report has Just ap.
psarcd The cost hewevcu IN spite ei
this Increase remains Within the bounds
of the capital which can be raised and
and the All which can he lesltlma'elt
extended ~ the United s,a,es."
The original estimate Of ne Nicaragua
canal Company ten years mao was 'oe i.
icaka Tho present estimate ny the Eov.
eminent commission " ilaaiiaNa This
u iial double, IN the lnlefyal. however,
the estimates made by comrany have
been increasing es the alfhcultles were
better known. Mt A. q. Moncoal's early
estimate was teaeeLi1a when hla ne.
ufes were revised by Mr John bcWcr,
and hia associates the total cost was
raised a little later 10 ssi,i@aio ut late
the estimates usually made have placed
,he cos, ut from ncooaco 10 siio,enco
The report of the Koyefnmen, commits.
sion. instead of doubling this latter tnli.
mate. Aa was freely predicted advances
Il only 10 round tianN,eo A. this
commission was selected ~ no friendly
spirit and their instructions we're evi.
dsntly Intended 10 render Il certain that
,hef estimates Included ovcFy possible
item Of cost. lhe figures which they hate
nov published may be accepted ~ hnai.
The total outlay needed 10 connect the
occAna may he unhealthllngly placed at
helween iln.w0op and lisoepco The
cost h not likely 10 be- less than the nrsl
Of these nnurce and Il is no, likely TO be
greater than the second sum
AZ canals 80 this n not an rSlfava.
IAN, sum. The Sues canal h % miles
iong, dua IN sand without rock and with
no difficulties. and cost noii0Uo III
has paid dividends from the start The
Manchester canal has ecs, In all tiaeoeo
and Il built by one city rhe Erie canal.
m miles, cout isa,co,op, -aiscd by one
state. These are the only canals com.
pafable IN cost Tho Caled0nan canal.
% miles, cost seoeo IN isi1l the North
Holland u miles ionr, n,oooooo IN isii.
tho Amsterdam canal isN miles ionH,
lls,0o,uo IN 1885, the H. reicrsbufg canal,
IA miles Ions. snVo,ooo IN issdi The wellaud
eanal, n miles lohH, tio,oooo tho ~
Mag'a canal mile. about u, i,ao9oo aud
the conn,h canal miles. about
na@0oo
The Nicaragua canal viii be no mites
ara II win bo wider ani deeper than any
Of these canals Under these circnm.
slancea oosi of llarapo can be con
sldefed neither exeesaiye nor unexpected
II single cities and local corporations can
bulid The canals noted above, the United
states. with tho resources Of q continent
IL certainly justified IN rushing 10 com'
pellon At this estimated cost canal
which VIII ioln the trade Of two ooeans
IN considering this estimate Of cott Il
must not be fornot,en that u IL based
on minimum width Of 70 feet The
Hues canal had one Of l feet corlnih
canal of fs feet, tho Panama canal lnI
tho cuiehra cut ~ feei, and the ~
Mary lock ID ~ feet In addition the
Nicaragua plaw call for BORN Of y
feet on each side, ana II can thus be
extended 70 % feet wide In The only parts
which viii be limited 10 W feet or 10
miles out Of 1906 mites
The estimates now made show IN other
words, that the longest deepest nnd
broadsai ahin canal yet proposed can boil
bullt Tor a sum commensurate with that
expended on paying canals ~ IL aim
eultiea there u no doubt Instead Of be-
ina a cut from sea 10 sea- the Nicaragua
canal uses fresh water lake and In eaf'
Ing Tor ita outlet tropical rain floods Of
some twenty-five feet annually must bel
neoufed by dams Heyenlysnye foot hiFh.
The reaion IL volcanic. ana almost every
conceivable engineering dlnoulty h 70 bel
encountered, ~, however, the cost inI
ilae,0oOOo, there can be no question ~ loI
paying fair return on the Investment
The known iraIlio ready 10 USE the canal
h aW0,Oo0 tons, ana judging from othel
canals ten Or iifieon years would sec this
double A charge Of ta0 a ton would
be linhi, ana hair this would he ample 20
return per cent