The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-08
Estimates That Far Exceed
Those Made by the Mari.
time Company.
OBSTACLES TO BE OVERCOME
Information Submitted by the Presi-
dent in a Message to the
House.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. I'm the
Judgment of the Board of Engineers which
thoroughly investigated the subject last
summer it will cost $133, 1913 to con-
struct the Nicaragua canal. These fig
ures are $4,000, 600 in excess of the esti-
mates of the company which now holds a
charter from Nicaragua to build the water
way The board which made the investi-
CATION consisted of Lieutenant Colonel
William Ludlow of the United States
navy, Mordena Endicott, civil engineer in
the United States navy, and Alfred Noble,
also a civil engineer. The boards report,
which is included in 200 pages of type
written manuscript, was sent to-day by
President Cleveland to the House.
The board sailed from Mobile, Ala, in
the United States steamer Montgomery on
the 7th of May last, arriving at Greytown,
Nicaragua, six days later. They returned
in the Mont .omery to New York on the
21st of the following July.
On the day after their arrival at Mana
qua special audience was accorded them
by President Zelaya and Cabinet, and
they were granted the free use of the state
telegraph and of the Government vessel
OiA 1-ohC %NASdldS 1ACJ H6ic dCCOI-
panied by the chief engineer and an assist
ant of the Maritime Company, through
whose courtesy the work of investigation
was greatly facilitated.
The most serious problems affecting the
design and construction of the canal sys-
tenn 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 a.
period of three years shows mean of 267
inches.
A record at Envas on the west side for
fourteen years gives mean of % inches.
In addition to these there is reliable in
formation of precipitation of deg. an
hour, of 8 deg. in nine hours, and 80 deg.
in eight days.
A record of nearly twenty-five feet of
water in year on the Caribbean coast to
i've and half feet between the lake and
the Pacific needs no comment to indicate
the important results that must ensue
with reference to matters of local drainage
and engineering construction. The report
shows that the climate of Nicaragua is
AAASohOOAobOONs IL 10 ulOQ-
crate heat in conjunction with the high
humidity that so seriously reduces the
value of physical labor in the tropics.
There has never been any yellow fever at
Greytown except when imported. The
heavy rainfall will increase largely the
cost of excayating the deep mud at several
embankments, in excavations, building
embankments, etc.
The natives are not likely to prove use
full in the severe and steady work of canal
construction. jamaican negroes, who
have been employed on the Panama Rail-
way, are docile and, from tropical stand
point, industrious and fairly effective.
They will undoubtedly form the labor
supply for the canal
Wages are only about half as much as in
the United States, but the efficiency of the
laborers is proportionately much less.
Machinery will 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
usual There are now no ships or facilities
of any kind on or near the canal line and
they will have to be supplied as adiuncts
of the work. Skilled labor will have to be
imported
Fuel will cost more than double.
Freight on materials and supplies will in
crease their cost greatly, particularly il
sent to interior points. A large part OF
the report Is devoted to description Of
the character of the soil, the work neces-
sary to be performed at points along the
proposed route and the expense attached
to this work.
Detailed recommendations with regard
to the locks, dams and basins follow. The
board deems it proper to make note of the
facility with which breach might be es.
fected at any point of the long series Of
embankments employed in connection
with the canal project.
Greytown harbor, the entrance to the
canal, as proposed by the company, the
report says, is too near the angle of the
coast line and the entrance to the cana
should be moved eastward about mile
and half
he harbor throughout should be
dredged 10 thirty feet below low water
and its depth increased to six fathoms. In
regard to the Ochoa dam, as proposed by
the company reports, this dam is to be 8
rock across powerful river on a sand
foundation. A dam so constructed the
commission says, has no precedent, and its
erection in conflict with the unknown
volume of the floods present grave Difficult
ties.
In regard to the western division from
the lake to Brito, the report says:
"The information. with reference to th.
site proposed for the La Flor dam. indi
Gates that its construction is impracticable
and the commission suggests an alterna
tive low level route which offers no specia
difficulties in construction
As to the terminus at Brito the com
mission suggests the desirability of NOV
ing it southwark. from the location pro
posed by the company.
The report closes with the following gen
eral conclusion:
"'rhe official statement by the company
of $50, 466, $50 is insufficient for the work
In several important cases the qnantitie
must be greatly increased and in numerou
cases the unit prices do not make prope
allowance for the difference in cost OF worl