The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-05-26

mand the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
as Mp other fleets in the world would
be able to do.
''In a race for Manila, we starting at
New York and Spain at Cadiz, we
with the Nicarauga canal could reach
the Philippines before any fleet passing
the canal could do so.''
The Journey of the Oregon.
Mr.. Cooley has studied the journey
of the battleship Oregon around South
America with extraordinary interest,
since, if the Nicaraguan canal had been
completed, the Oregon might have
been with Sampson weeks ago, or in an
emergency 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, 'sit,costs $54. 0O0,Oo0 to con-
struct this canal, or at the most
$133, 100000, what would that amount
to in view OF the fact that at the pres
tent moment every city on the Plcific
coast could be destroyed by a hostile
feet before any battleship of ours could
run around Cape Horn. When we
could reach the ruins OF San francisco
the enemy would be at New York, and
when we We're there he would be at
Manila or safely at home.
just From War Point of View.
ssLeaving aside all questions of the
value to US Of the canal as a powerful
agency for developing our COM
merce, look at its construction from
war point of view.
"The Atlantic coast will always be
the concentration point for the cream
of our navy. New York City is $4,000
miles from San Francisco, without the
Nicaraguan canal; that is, via the
straits of Magellan. steam vessels leav-
ing New York are over $4,000 miles
from San Francisco and sailing vessels
via Cape Horn To- 500 miles away. The
canal would shorten our route 3, 267
miles and the other route 10, 753
miles. A man.of-war sailing 10
knots per hour, or $40 miles
per day would save in the one
instance "A days and in the other "a
days time. In other words. it the Oregon
is at BArbadoes, 81 days were occupied
in reaching that point from San Franz
cisco via Cape Horn With the Mic
aragua canal completed Al days time
would have been saved over one exist
ing route and "a days over the her.
The journey from San Francisco to New
York could be made in Is days by q
slow vessel, and in 8 or 10 days by a
swift one.
s.Would not.this be of value to the
government in time of war when SO
much depends on the rapidity with
which our vessels must be moved from
point to point? Possessing the Mica
ragua canal, we could prevent any navy
In the world from traversing the Horn
for the purpose Of attacking Us east or
west
Mr.. Cooley also said that the charges
through the canal would be less than
the wages paid the men on the vessel
and the coal consumed in q trip around
Cape Horn.
In conclusion, Mr.. Cooley said:
"We could create naval station at
Lake Nicaragua second to none in the
world, and from which our vessels
could pass for the projection Of either
OF our coasts with a rapidity unequaled.
J the Spanish war and the journey Of
the Oregon will awaken the general
puDhc TO the necessity Of having the
canal as nothing else conld have DONE.
Once built, the canal. from q strategic
point Of view, means that oar flag and
orr shipping win enter every port IN
the world, and we will be the maritime
power Of the twentieth century.