The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-23
PREFERS PANAMA ROUTE
ENGINEER WARD OPPOSED TO CON-
STRUGGLING NICARAGUA CANAL.
He Says There Are Many Natural Adj
vantages in Favor of Digging the
Waterway Across the Isthmus.

NEW YORK, Sept PR. G.. Ward, who
was for a long time engineer ana roadmas-
ter of the Panama Railroad, and who is
greatly interested in the success of the
Panama canal. arrived in this city on the
steamer Finance, from Colon, yesterday.
He discussed the interoceanic canal scheme
at length at his home here. Mr. Wards in
terest in the canal is, he says, only the re-
suit of his having studied the different
routes by living on the isthmus. He is con-
nected with no company. All his sympathies
are with the Panama Company, however,
and that route he thinks must eventually
be accepted. Mr.. Wards idea is that a canal
can be built in ten years time. giving a
rough guess, at a cost of 800, 900. Such
a cost would allow the shareholders a good
profit and the canal he says, must surely
be success. The engineer prefers the
Panama route as against the Nicaragua
route because of the natural advantages of
the former.
1.-THE Panama canal" said Mr.. Ward, sis
but forty-five miles long and has natural
and accessible deep water ports at both
ends. If built on the lock system it will
have rock foundation on which the locks
may be constructed, while the maximum
level of the canal will be cut down to less
than one hundred feet. Should funds be OBJ
tainabe to warrant the outlay the canal, in
fact, may be cut to the sea level On the
other hand, the Nicaragua route, which is
$50 miles long, has neither natural nor ac-
cessible ports at either end and must neces-
sarilv be built on the lock system, with a
maximum level exceeding hundred feet. 1t
is without rock foundation for most of it's
locks and for some of its enornous daynS
upon the stability of which the feasibility
OF construction is largely conditioned.
My familiarity with the topography of
the Isthmus of Panama.. said Mr. Ward,
Leads me to call attention to the POSSIBLE
ity and in my judgment the entire practi-
cabllity of cutting a sea level canal across
the iSthmuS of Panama. having only one
lock and that lock for the purpose of regu-
lating the difference in the rise and fall of
the tides between the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans. In my judgment the practical ility
of cutting such canal across the Isthmus
OF Panama is one of its chief advantages
1t will. of course, cost more but ii will be
worth UNNECESSARILY more than a lock sys-
tenn canal and will be subject to fewer liza
bilities.
'In any event I believe it is to the inter-
est of the American people and the duty
of the American government to investigate
In most thorough, careful and intelligent
manner the advantages and disadvantages
of the Panama and Nicaragua routes and /
am entirely willing to stand the conse-
quenceS OF any criticisms which NAV result
from my having thus expressed myself as
convinced of the superior advantages pos
Sessed by the ISthmuS of Panama over the
lsthmus of Nicaragua as a route for an in
teroceanic canal. The question is not so
much which canal can best be built as
which canal, when built. will best subserve
the purposes for which it will have been
constructed. And ! believe that the Ameri-
can government should as the America
people investigate carefully before deciding
definitely between the two routes"