Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-01-02
NICARAGUA CANAL CAN BE BUILT
FOR $65,OOO.OOO.
A CHICAGO MANS OPINION.
COST NOT MORE THAN TWICE THAT
OF CHICAGO'S DRAINAGE DITCH.
Wonderful Revolution in Canal Dig
Sing During the Past Few Years
-COmparisOn of the Two
Great Cannls-TheW Work
Already Done.


letter from New York to the Record says:
Lyman T.. Cooley the well known engin-
eer who has been connected with the Chi
caGo drainage canal from the start, told
me the day before he sailed for Nicaragua
that in his opinion the Nicaragua canal
can be constructed now for at least 30
per cent less money than when the esti-
mates OF the Menocal survey were sub
mitted to congress ten years ago. Material
and machinery are cheaper and the cS-
perience gained by contractors on great
works like the drainage canal and the
canals at Manchester, Iliel. Cronstadt and
Corinth have suggested many important
economies. The difficulties that have been
encountered in those enterprises have
sharpened the wits and developed the in
genuity of both engineers and contractors.
Necessity has been the mother of inven-
ton, and on these works machinery has
been invented and processes have been de-
vised which We're not dreamed of a few
years ago. Down the Sabine pass, he
said, Christie & Low. the contractors. are
doing work to-day with twelve men that
would have required 600 men a dozen years
ago. The drainage canal has revolutioniZed
canal building and excavations of all kinds.
Formerly all work of that sort was done
by hand. Now 80 per cnt of it is done by
machinery, SO that a single skilled work.
man can accomplish as much in day d
trainload of ordinary laborers. Therefore
estimates made in 1856 and 1887 are practic-
ally worthless. For example, the rock
work on the drainage canal, which was
originally estimated by the engineers TO
cost sl.6o per cubic yard. actually cost IS
cents cubic yard. and the contractors
took out 100000 cubic yards-a mass as
big as mountain-and carried it away at
that price with u good profit.
The length of the two canals Mr.. Cooley
sad. not including the navigable channels
that may be utilized in the San Juan river
and Lake Nicaragua. is about the same,
and 1t will cost just about as much. ali
things considered. 10 do the excavatins for
the Nicaragua canal as for the drainage
canal. although in the former case the
dams, weirs, reservoirs and embankments
Will have to be more substantial and ex-
enormous rainfall at some seasons Of the
year makes it necessary to provide storage
reservoirs. which will regulate the flow Of
water. but in other particulars the work
will be similar, and offers simple mathe-
matical problem, which any experienced
contractor can easily solve. He can cal
cuiate the cost very accurately, near enough
risk.
j., The he total @ cost of the drainage canal will
and it is Mr.. Cooley's opinion, without hav-
ing made personal inspection, but upon
the information contained in the various
canal can be built for twice that sum of
money mo tiy. The The Ite ditch alone in Illinois. from
until 1t is completed for use, will cost some
thing like o,ooo. and Mr.. Cooley thinks
the actual excavations and mason work
upon the Nicaragua canal will cost from
1000 to $50. 900. In Chicago the right
of-way cost s5ooo.000, an item which is not
to be taken into consideration at Nicaragua,
and the expenses of administration were
probably greater than they need be in
Nj; N;EabagGa ba !, ao by BY The the Ludlow report there
ton in Nicaragua: In the drainage canal
there were 1900 900 cubic yards. which cost
q cents th per yard ~ mA%ssSrdjng sc ere to the LUDLOW
excavation. In the drainage canal there
were 100 600 yards which cost 80 cents a
yard. In Nicaragua there will be 1.250,000
there were, 100000 yards: which cost ss2S a
In the two harbors at the ocean ends of
this cana! in Nicaragua It Is estimated that
there will be 5G.0oO;oc cubic yards of exca-
waiting to furnish thirty feet of water. In
Chicago there We're only 100000 yards of
I I1red!ging. That is an ENORMOUS difference.
It can be estimated to penny But there
are in Nicaragua from 100000 to 5000, 900
yards Of submarine rock work. which can
hard or soft. thick or thin, wide or narrow
be bet taken out by dredging and it is possible
Therefore It is impossible to say what it
will cost. It may be 50 cents. 1t may be s.
In Nicaragua also there is a great deal
Of what may be called collateral work
wharves, docks. outside filing and grading
the clearing Of forests. lighthouses to be
erected. way stations and various other
things that called for in the plans
and are required in Nicaragua, but are
not needed in Illinois. The cost Of admin
istration will probably be about 121s per
cent of the total.
The present Nicaragua Company has al
ready expended about 5000 600 in actual
cash. Of which about 5000 900 is represented
by the concession and the remainder for
surveys and in the improvement of the
harbor. the erection of docks and PIERS
miles long, twelve miles of railway for the
transportation of material. a machine shop
and about fifty buildings for barracks, hos
pitfalls. storage. etc.
The route selected by the Menocal sur
vey is along the lowest level of land be-
tween Alaska and the Straits Of Magellan
Lake Nicaragua is on the summit 100 feet
above the sea level, 100 miles long. 60 miles
wide. and more than 100 feet deep. per-
manent natural feeder for the canal as
well as a good rendezvous for the fleets
that pass through It.
At Greytown there is a good harbor three
or four miles in length. which is closed by
a bar. so that ships are compelled to an
Choir two miles out. The canal company
has built 1000 feet OF breakwater and has
got fourteen feet of water over the bar
Its money was all expended. however. The
funds were raised by the issue of S12. 900 0O0
in stock. out of an authorized capital Of
$1,000 600, and s60oo.oo0 of bonds. out of an
authorized issue of $lJN.no.ooO On the
Panama canal thus far $500 ONo. 900 has been
expended.
SHE HORSEWHIPS AN EDITOR.