The times., 1898-05-24
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
Advantages of Nicarngua Canal.
Had One Been Handy.

Chicago, ILL.,. May 23.-Lyman e. Cooley.
well-known engineer who spent two
months of last year on the route of the
proposed Nicaragua Canal, in an inter-
view says:
las a bluff, If nothing more, the Mica
ragua Canal in operation today would be
worth $10O, 900 to this Government
Completed it could perpetually say to all
nations that our fleets in moment of
necessity could command the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans as no other fleets iii
the world would be able to do. In race
for Manila, we starting at New York and
Spain at Cadiz. we with the Nicaragua
Canal could reach the Philippines before
any fleet passing through the Suez Canal
could do So
Mr. Cooley has studied the journey of
the battleship Oregon around South
America with extraordinary interest,
since, If the Nicaragua Canal had been
completed, the Oregon might have been
with Sampson weeks ago, or, in an emer-
gency. any part of our Navy could be
dispatched to the Pacific coast with the
saving of thousands Of miles of journey.
Suppose at the least" said Mr.. Cooley,
st cost $54, 900 600 to construct this canal,
or at the most, SlS3, 900, 900. what would
that amount to in view of the fact that at
the present moment every city on the
Pacific coast could be destroyed by a
hostile fleet before any battleship of ours
could even round Cape Horn? When we
could reach the ruins of San Francesca
the enemy would be at Hawaii and when
We were there they would be at Mania
or safely at home.
Leaving aside all questions of the value
to us of the canal as powerful agency
for developing our commerce, look at It's
construction from a war point of view.
The Atlantic coast will always be the
concentration point for the cream OF our
Navy.
New York city Is 1900 miles from San
francisco, without the Nicaragua Canal,
that is. via the Straits of Magellan. steam
vessels leaving New York are over 1890
miles from San Francisco, and sailing
vessels via Cape Horn 1850 miles away.
The canal would shorten one route S,26I
miles and the other route 1913 miles.
"a man-of-war sailing ten knots per
hour or 240 miles per day. would save In
the one instance forty-four days. and in
the other thirty-four days time. In other
words, if the Oregon is at Barbados sixty
two days were occupied by her in reach
| ing that point from San Francisco via
Cape Horn With the Nicaragua Canal
! complete forty-four days time would
have been saved over one existing route
| and thtrty-fOur days over the othef-
The journey from San Francisco tc
! New York could be made in eighteen
( days by a slow vessel or ten or twelve
| by a swift one. Would not this be OF
/ value to the Government when so much
| depends on the rapidity with which our
vessels must be moved from point to
/ point? Possessing the Nicaragua Canal
we could prevent any navy in the world
/ from trayersing the Horn for the purpose
| OF attacking US east or west"
| Mr. Cooley said the charges through tha
( canal would be less than the wages paid
| the men on the vessels and the coal con-
/ suned in a trip around Cape Horn.
1--WE could create a naval station at
] Lake Nicaragua second to none in the
/ world" Mr. Cooley said. 'and from
| which our vessels could pass for the pro-
/ lection Of either of our coasts with
rapidity unequaled The Spanish war and
| the journey Of the Oregon will awaken the
! general public to the necessity of having
| the canal az nothing else could have done.
! Once built, the canal. from a strategic or
a commercial point of view, means that
| our flag with our shipping viii enter
/ every port in the world. and we will be
the maritime power Of the twentieth CEN
| tury."