The herald., 1898-11-17
SURVEYING ALL DONE
ON WEST ENTRANCE TO THE BIG
CANAL
CHICAGO'S C0NCESSIONAIRES
Claim to Have Cinch on Construction
Under the New Agreement
With Nicaragua
Associated Press Special Wire

NEW YORK, Nov. l6.-The survey OF
the west entrance OF the proposed Nlcara-
guam canal has been finished and the map
with soundings plotted and the contours
put in. This survey was made with great
care and shows a peculiar formation OF the
bottom of the Pacific in the vicinity. The
rocky position near Brlto head shelves sud
denly INTO deep water, making harbor to
the eastward feasible. As the canal line
will come out within a mile or two OF the
head, Il breakwater to the eastward will
form an enclosure into which vessels can
round to before entering the harbor proper.
The harbor will be dredged on the side OF
the wide mangrove swamps east of the Rio
Grande, and will run back from the shore
line about 5000 feet. A breakwater on the
eastern edge of the 600-foot channel will
protect the entrance from the trade swell
that sets heavily from the southeast in even
the calmest weather.
There has been some discussion as to the
advisability Of sailing vessel coming in
upon this rocky coast without Longitude
nal or parallel breakwater running across
the entrance for some distance to enable
her to round to without danger of getting
into the surf This breakwater will prob
ably be built. 4.
The breakwater now under discussion is
the one to the eastward of the channel. OF
course the harbors at either entrance of
the canal will be the scene of the first oper-
ations when the cut is commenced. The
dredging will begin at the five fathom con-
tour at the west side and the cut will be
run straight 6000 feet wide until it turns to
the eastward and opens out to 5000. This
will run straight in the required distance
out to a depth OF thirty feet at mean low
water. The borngs show little rock in this
area above this grade; therefore, as the
surface is but ten feet on an average above
sea level, an accurate idea can be formed of
this work. 1t will be 5000 feet long by about
2000 feet wide and the entrance to the canal
will be near the eastern inshore end. This
survey completes the necessary work Of the
commission for this vicinity.
The survey of the eastern entrance at
Greytown has been plotted and the map
finished. The soundings run out for a
half mile to one and half miles in low
water and show the eight fathom contour.
This is sufficient for eastern entrance, and
estimates can readily and quickly be made
for any of the proposed projects for deep
ening and improving the harbor at this
spot. The bottom shows an alluvial for
nation composed of sand and mud This
material is easily handled with the modern
steam hydraulic dredge, and in New York
harbor the price paid by the United States
is in the neighborhood of 10 cents per cubic
yard.
The harbor lines at Greytown will be
greatly changed. This is owing. not only to
a slightly changed line but to the shifting
of the sand deposits about the entrance In
some places where there was good water
at the date of the last survey the sand APP
pears above the sea now at low water. The
harbor head lagoon will probably not be
cut into to any extent as the line will run
to the northward. Only sufficient cutting
will be done to insure safe and roomy har-
Dor for the vessels awaiting their entrance
into the canal proper.