The record-union., 1898-03-03
NICARAGUA CANAL
PROJECT FEASIBLE.
The Commission Has Completed lie
Investigation
On the Division Between Lake Nicaragua
and the Pacific Ocean.
Ready 80 Male Report Whenever
Requested by Congratulated
the Cost of Completing the
Waterway at About a Hundred
Million Dollars.

the Cost OF Completing the
Waterway at About a Hundred
Million Dollars.
RIVAS Nicaragua, March 2.-The
Canal Commission has finished its work
on the division of the canal project be-
tween Like Nicaragua and the Pacific
Ocean, and viii cross the lake on the
Victoria on a special trip to-day or to-
morrow. The revolutionary outbreak
delayed the commission five days, the
Victoria not being available, as the
Government was using the steamer for
transporting troops.
preliminary report on the canal
project could be secured, should it be
requested. for this session of Congress.
1t would state that the canal is wholly
feasible, although specific reports as to
the more important features could not
be made.
The cost of the canal, based on the
study and observation made up to the
present time, is reckoned at about SlC0,
D0.G00.
Arriving at San Carlos, the party viii
so down the San Juan River as far as
Ochoa. proceeding from this point into
Greytown over the line of the canal. The
line has been cleared and several we'll
provisioned camps established for the
use of Admiral Walker and his party.
The commission will make thorough OBJ
servation of the topography Of the
country generally, as well as of that
Immediately concerned in the canal
line. j. w. G. Walker and his party
have moved their camp from San Pab-
/ 10. on the Lajara, and are now several
miles further westward, the canal line
being cleared inland from the lake for
about six miles The party is working
under instructions to determine that the
canal line as laid down a present is the
only line. and the cross sections are be-
ing run LOCO feet on either side of the
line
The canal company's cross sections
We're run 400 feet. The present survey
will consequently result in topograph-
ical map showing 2,CG0 feet wild n across
the western division, save in localities
where the higher land prevails
The present is the dry season on the
western side, and it is an open question
whether work on the rainy east side or
work on the dry western side is prefer
able. Walkers party has experienced
great difficulty in cutting its way
through the very heavy underbrush
and the progress has been considerably
retarded in consequence.
The Alert, whose owners are to make
a survey at Breito, similar work to that
now being done by the officers Of the
new port of Greytown, arrived at San
Juan del Sur on the night of February
- The Alert was detained at Acapul-
co on her voyage down from San Fran
cisco for d week III consequence of the
illness of Lieutenant Young. Lieutenant
Hanus, in his survey and soundings of
the big lake, has made some interesting
and important discoveries. Surveys Of
the coast line have developed the fact
that the shore line of the lower end
runs out into the lake five miles further
than existing maps show ii. In other
words, the lake at this point is five
miles shorter than it has previously
been held to be.
Lieutenant Hanus has also found a
thirty foot channel running three miles
nearer the San Juan River entrance at
san Carlos than present plans or charts
show. This would mean a reduction OF
three miles in the amount of dredging
to be done from the river to deep water
III the lake.
While camped at Lafior the commits
sion studied the coast line at BreitO.
There is no harbor at Breito. There is
merely an indentation of the coast line,
but the construction and maintenance
of harbor are not regarded as difficult.
On this point nearly all the experts
who have studied the situation are
agreed. The details alone remain to be
worked out, and the individual opin-
ions of the commission to be welded into
one. 1t Will not require nearly the time
for the commission to come to a con
clusion in regard to the harbor al Breito
that it viii to reach a conclusion as to
(. he Lafior feature of the canal COM
pany's project. The Ludlow Commits
sion of 1885 refused to consider dam
at this point at all, in consequence of
the unsatisfactory results of the canal
companys borings. and suggested an
other route for the canal III this vicin-
ity.
1t will probably be months before the
commission finishes its discussions of
this feature. The views of the mem
bers vary considerably. An interesting
compromise for the situation has been
suggested It would construct two
DAMS one at Laflor and one at a point
just west OF the divide, some miles east
of Lanor. The eastern dam would he
on higher ground and about forty feet
high. By this compromise two basins
would he created instead OF one, and
the Lafior dam would become a much
less formidable undertaking. The tax
upon its strength and permeability
would be much decreased. This sug-
geste6 compromise, when fully worked
out, may possibly, become the commits
sion's solution Of the problem of the
western division, should it develop that
it IS feasible in ell its aspects. and
should no better solution be found.
Final conclusions OH this point, how
ever as web as on other important fea-
lures of the line, VIII not be reached
until the reports OF the various parties
whose work bears so materially upon
the whole canal project have been
made.
CONDITIONS FAVOR IT'S con
STRJCTiON
NEW YORK, March Frank 6.
Washburn has returned from Central
America where he went with a party
of thirteen to investigate the feasibility
of the Nicaraguan Canal construction.
Among the party We're E. l.. Cragin OF
Chicago and L. Z. Cooley. an authority