Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-07
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.
President Bartlett Inspects the
Canal mt Manchester. England


LONDON. January Sin an interview
with Mr.. J. X. Bartlett. president OF the
Nicaraguan Canal Company, in London
Yesterday, a United Press reporter was
informed by that gentleman that he had
Just returned from a visit to the Man.
chester ship canal. my thanks are due,
said Mr. Bartlett Ito Sir John Jackson
and the executive staff OF the canal Tor
the facilities they offered me IN my ex-
animation. I was entertained in Manches-
ter. and steam yacht was placed at my
DISPOSAL. I was much gratitied at what !
saw. and surprised at the magnitude OF
the work The amount OF excavation III
constructing the canal was IN excess VI
49, 10000 cubic yards in rock ana earth-
nearly as much as will be required In
the entire construction OF the Nicaraguah
canal.
.The cost OF the Manchester canal
about f1200o. ov0-was largely enhanced oy
reason of the land damages. and the build
ING of viaducts and bridges. Sewers. gas
pipes. water-pipes, rivers, and canals all
had TO be taken under or over the canal,
a work Of great expense and magnitude
which does not belong properly TO the
EXPENSE Of construction OF the canal per
e.
None of this extra work VIII be re-
o,,,red in the construction of the Nicara-
qua canal. as it runs through a couh-
try not populated. and where no railway
bridges have to be constructed 10 secure
right Of way, at the expense or the canal
TO accommodate existing lines. L am,
therefore. satisfied. upon examination OF
the physical facts and the items OF COST,
that the entire excavation In rock anu
earth. and the building OF locks upon the
Nicaragua canal will not exceed that VI
the Manchester canal"
In reply to a question as TO what Eng
fish capitalists thought OF the report vi
the Nicaragua commission, Mr.. Bartiet.
said he found that the Engn-n Simply
smiled at the army engineers report
and that Il was looked upon here az tne
report OF British army engineers Woulu
be looked upon. No attention "ouiu pe
paid to II, for the reason that they "eie
the last men to be conversant Win suon
a great work. and that their estimates
are always too high, and usually guessed
n, I, n,ss known all over the world that
construction under army engineers would
cost double what II would under the
best civil engineers.
WENT TO CONDEMN.
Mr. Rar,lstt further said it had also
missioners evidently went TO Nicaragua
N criticlse and condemn the work OF
others and Il was considered signihcaht
that they only spent fourteen days eh-
aiming the line of the canal from the
| Atlantic to the Pacific. ana tnen were
| loud in criticism of the Work Oh eNpe-
rienced men, who spent years III survey
Inc the route and mailing plans with
care. and at cost of several hundred uoi-
lars. 49, ,.,,,-
Then II was thought that the comHiis-
| sinners did not hesitate TO guess at tie
result doubling the figures gwen py the
experienced engineers. The repor. was
generally considered unfair and absurd,
and its findings unworthy OF coniiu.nc nv.
Mr. Bartletts personal opinion, from
what he saw by the papers, was that
| the commissions report dealt nnIairiy
| With the experienced engineers employer
| nv the company and by the Generai
| C:overnment. and that the statements
made OF costs and many particulars were
utterly unwarranted, and not based
| on even the pretence or any SURVEY,
as the commission ran no levers anu
made no measurements or bearings,
,nb,cb any conscientious and experienced
engineer would certainly make pe,oie
guessing at cost over the heads or older
ard more experienced men, who mad
made surveys and bearings. and nad ae-
monstrated what the quantities were by
actual measurement. That. to say the
least. was unprofessional, and indicated
some special animus or reason for making
such a ridiculous report.
II would fail. however, TO accom-
plish the purpose evidently aimed at
because It would be answered as soon
as the President sent 1t TO Congress. NO
| fair-minded man could read what was
published in the report without oelng con,
rinced of the unfairness and folly OF
making such statements on such INSULT
Giant data