The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-08-09

| The Panama Canal company has made
many overtures to the Maritime Canal
company to consolidate the two inter
ests. This in my judgment grows out
Of the realization that the Panama
route is and forever will be a failure;
that no canal can or will be constructed
on that line and by consolidating the
two interests and building a canal on
the Nicaragua route the French COM
pany could in that way satisfy its mil
Mons OIL stockholders These OVertureS
have been rejected partly because they
were faulty as q business proposition
and partly, I am happy to say. because
of the patriotic desire of the gentlemen
owning the work to see the work done
IN preference by the government of the
United states. There is also organized
a powerful English company in Near
aqua, called the Atlas company which
has secured the exclusive right to naVi-
gate the San Juan river, and which is
negotiating for the entire railroad in
tereStS OF Nicaragua This exclusive
right to navigate the San Juan river is
of course at the present time subordi-
nate to the rights of the Maritime Ca
nal company to utilize that river in the
construction of the canal.
The moment, however, the rights of
the Maritime company lapse the con-
cesSiOnS of the Atlas company will then
have the right of way that stream
and it will be absolutely impossible for
any canal to be constructed without
first settling with them. In fact in my
Judgment, the rights of that company
are to be utilized by an English COM
pany stepping forward and agreeing to
construct the canal.
THE bill which the committee finally
reported, and which will be pressed for
consideration at the first opportunity,
retains the form and name of the Mari
time Canal company. The government
company, but will hold $40, 0OU 900 of
stock so issued. The president, by and
with the consent and advice Of the
senate, will name nine directors on the
board. NlC9T3 and Costa Tipa each
having one. There will be no stock is
sued or held outside Of the ownership
of the three republics. The board of
directors will at all times be represent
tatiVeS of the government and it is
provided that six Of said directors shall
constitute quorum, and four of the
six shall always be American directors.
The engineers Of the army, or such
other engineering skill as may be de-
sirable, will be employed by this direc-
tory. The stock which the governments
of Costa Rica and Nicaragua will have
will consist of Sc 600 900 assigned to
Costa Rica and $500, 900 to Nicaragua.
This is according to the provisions of
the existing concessions. It is desira bic
that they should have this interest in
the company because it Will at all times
keep the company free from political
complications which may arise, and
should these governments desire to part
with their stock at any time, the gov
eminent of the United States will of
course, be the purchaser.
In accomplishing this result COM
pensatiOn is made to the private stock
holders for their expenditures and liza
bilities incurred in exploring, surveying
Charting the line of the canal, and of
the contiguous country, and in costly
work they have done on the canal and
in building the necessary plan for a
considerable part Of the work to be
done. They were entitled under the
concessions to per cent of the stock
of the canal, but which they are now re-
CURED to surrender under the PROPOSE
ton for diSpOsing of their entire in
terests in the canal as it is modified in
the bill now reported. The amount of
this consideration has been fixed by the
committee at $1,000 coo. It may be safe
~ stated that no public work has ever
been so thoroughly examined by the aid
of scientific engineers and by CONNER
cial and military men in it's various
stages. And with equal certainty it
can be stated that no recognized au-
thOrity has pronounced against the prac-
ticability of the construction of a Mica |
raguan canal, its permanence, or its
usefulness to all the nations OF the earth |
without harm to any.
THE only questions that have divided |
opinion among those who are COM
petent for their discussion have been
as to the preferable line of location and |
the extent of making available the ad- |
vantages of the great lakes of Nicara- |
qua and Managua which rest in the |
lowest depression of the COrdillas 10 !
feet above the sea level of both oceans. |
that selected and surveyed by the Mari |
time Canal company. This line begins |
at Grey town or San Juan Del Norte on !
the Atlantic side. where an artificial /.
harbOr will have to be constructed by |
building one breakwater about 5000 |
feet and another one about one-third |
of that length, when the area, can be /
easily dredged out and entirely removed |
by natural action. The line of the /
work will then consist of the canaliza- |
ton of about twenty or twenty five |
miles. where the river San Juan will |
be intersected-
From this point up to the lake the river |
will be converted into slack water naViga- /
tion bv the construction Of one or more /
dams, and it now seems 20 be the opinion |
of the commission which has Just return |
ed from making the examination author
dam at OchOa it will be better 10 reduce {
the height of that dam and build another !
be through what is called the eastern d. |
tide where f9e summit Of fbe biIis
reaches an elevation of only 200 feet. This /
will have to be cut down to the summit /
level of the canal, fixed at 10 feet. or
possibly some lower. owing to the change
in the plans just mentioned. and thence /
by slack water to the lake itself.
THE navigation of the lake presents no
features of difficulty, requiring only at the
in order to obtain depth of 30 feef FToT5
the western shore of the lake to Frfto the
elevation of land which viii have to be
cut through is only 145 feet above sea
level. The cutting at that point to reach |
the summit level of 10 feet is absolutely
insignificant.
Three locks on each side will be suf-
fcient to overcome the elevation The
posed to be 45 feet. The three locks of |
the Pacific side will in the short distance |
at that point. At Brito the last commits
sion has ascertained by excavatfve Dor
of excavation for the harbor at that point |
which will be entirely inland. About 100