The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-13
COST OF NlCARAGUA'S CANAL.
HOUSE COMMITTEE on RULES
OPENS IT'S HEARINGS.

A Number of Senators and Represen-
tntives Who Are Interested i'm the
BiII Now Before Congress Appear
Before the COmmittee-The Cost of
Construction Declared the Only
One About Which the Maritime
Canal Company and the Governs
ment Engineers DiRer-The Great
Advantage of the Proposed Water
way Pointed out.
Washington, Jan. 12.-The House COM
mittee on rules to-day gave an audience
to a number of representatives and sem
tors, principally from the Pacific slopes
who are interested in the Nicaragua ca
nal bill. Among those present were Rep
resentatives Hermann and Ellis of Ore
gon, Doollttle of Washington, Loud. Bow
ers. Barham and Hilborn of California,
JOY Of Missouri, Mahon of Pennsylvania.
and Senators Mcbride and Perkins of
Oregon and California respectively.
Mr.. Doolittle. who is a member of the
House commerce committee, which franz
ed the measure, read it at length and ex-
planned it's various sections. He was in
NtiIupAth ihpil AAAlc " tiliiG Wy NiiS AAeAA
bers of the rules committee, who ques-
toned him closely respecting the prae-
ticabllty of the scheme, the engineering
difficulties to be encountered, the cost of
the waterway and the effect of the gov
ernments guarantee of the bonds. Some
doubt was expressed as to the feasibility
of the canal.
MIR. Doolittle thereupon explained to
10 4bnronohiv anQi-
neer officers of the Maritime Canal COM
pany had surveyed the route and how
fully their work was supplemented by
that of the special engineer commission
which went to Nicaragua for the same
purpose in July, 1895. He showed that
! the United States engineer commission
was satisfied that the canal could be
built, but that the only difference of opin-.
ion between them and the Maritime Com
pany was as to the sum necessary to
| complete it,
Speaker Reed explained at one point in
! the proceedings that he had always been
satisfied of the practicabllity of the enter
prise; that he was partial to any legisla-
! tion that would benefit the Pacific slope,
| In which he was always interested, ana
| that he did not doubt its great benefit to
| the people residing on both the Atlanuc
and Pacific slopes. But he desired more
| specific information representing the at
| mospheric and physical conditions to be
| encountered, and he inquired particularly
| as TO the possibility Of cloud bursts ana
earthquakes. To these queries, Mr.. Doo-
| little replied, quoting from the report
made by the engineer officers as well as
from the reports of the maritime company.
Mr.. Hermann, speaking as citizen or
the Pacific slope, pointed out the canal 8
| advantages In developing that region ana
claimed that It's beneficial results would
be apparent Immediately upon It's COM
| pletion.
He explained how greatly commerce had
| been benefited by the opening OF the Suez
canal and he spoke at length OF the ad-
vantages that resulted from the Sault
Ste Marie canal, which had opened up a
| sparsely settled country, given an enor-
| NOUS impetus to the iron ore Industry ana
resulted in the upbuiding of commerce
twice that of the Suez canal. The eoun-
| try developed by this canal was an en-
| pire in extent, which could not have
| reached its present state of perfection
without the cheap rates afforded by the
canal.
The advisabi.ity Of a government guar
! antee of the bonds was raised by Mr.. Nc
Millln of Tennessee, not in any hostile
| spirit. but for the purpose Of securing in
/ formation upon that point.
It was suggested by the members OF the
rules committee that the bill should be SO
| amended as to require a further survey
| to determine the feasibility of the canal
and its cost before the government should
be committed TO the enterprise.
| If the rules committee permits the meas
ure to come up for discussion it will. it is
claimed pass by large majority, as II is
understood to have the support OF ali the
| republican members except score or so,
| and about sixty of the democrats in ad-
/ dition.