New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-22
PUSHING CANAL PROJECTS.
afENRE.Rs Oh PANAMA CANAL COMPANY
URGE PROMPT ACTION
= C. WAND OUTLINES THE PLAN OF ITS 'oN'
eTRrcr1oN AND COMPARES IT TO THE
NICARAGUA WATERWAY.

= C. WARD OUTLINES THE PLAN OF 'IH WV
err,-cr1oy AND COMPARES IT TO THE
NICARAGUA WATERWAY.
p r Ward. civil engineer and railway expert.
,c,o,,napiod by Messrs. Thornton and Ferret OF
tho Panama Canal Company. arrived mere 3eS..i
day from Colon on the steamer finance wv.
Thornton and Mr.. Pcrrct arc on theI' way ~
France TO urge the stockholders IN 'he / ien'N w
noration TO take prompt measures TO push ior"aiu
the work the canal. IN oruer ~ o''" 49,
posed Nicaragua canal.
Mr. Ward was for long time engineer Va ~
Panama Railroad. and IS row greatly i'eies,eu -
the success Of the canal When seen al ms hoiie'
at No. 125 West Nineteth-st.. yesteioaS -
cuesed the interoceanic canal schcme AZ iehetH'
Mr. Wards interest In the canal Is he says ohy
result OF his having studied the dinerent routes -
living on the isthmus. He Is connected win io
company. All his sympathies arc Win inc '' .
company however and its route. ne THINKS mus.
eventually be accepted. Mr.. Wards ldea 10 ma
INV canal might be built in ten years time AT
cv,nr 4 rough guess. cost Of sioOCooo Such
COS, would allow the shareholders n good pIo"'
and the canal he says. must surely DO Il suV0''7'
The engineer prefers the Panama route as against
,hc Nicaragua route because Of what lie ciai''' ~
be the natural advantages OF the FORMER.
..The Panama canal" said Mr.. Ward. % ou'
,ortv-Hvc miles long and has natural ana hccess'
hle deep-water ports at both ends Al DUN U" NV
lock system It viii have rock foundations on
which the locks may be constructed WINE
maximum level OF the canal VIII be CUT oo""
less than one hundred feet. Should fuhds DC o.
taInable to warrant the outlay, the cana'' !" 'h''
,,ov be Ont TO the sea level. On the other hahd'
tina Nicaragua route, which Is $50 niles IONS ''"'
neither natura; nor accessible ports at either emu
and must necessarily be built on the lock -
With n maximum level exceeding huiuieu
7, "a without rock foundation Tor most OF us iocN'
and for some OF its enormous dams upon 'iio s'
huftv NJ which the feasibility OF construction Is
largely conditioned -. 60
high lakes as Z natural and essential reservoir
nv, tho other hand artificial reservoirs resulting
from the construction Of dams wouId ha'o W %
built ut Panama and the recent surveys OF inc
canal company have been made with view Oh
demonstrating the practicab!hty OF buldins sue"
dams 10 servo the twofold purpose OF coHserVihs
tho water necessary for operating the canal ana a.
the eame tlmo regulating the FOOD OF the Nnds'e'
River.
"Mv familiarity with the topography OF tho 18TH
,,,s ~ Panama leads me TO believe that It Is en-
,lrev feasible to build a canal on what are SUD
stantialy the plans contemplated ~ mo "''a"
I'm any event. 1 believe II is 20 tho 'nterest OF
the American people and the duty OF the Ainerichh
Government 10 Investigate in i most .nOlouS
careful and intelligent manner the ad!anasS , go
Disadvantages % the Panama ana m
Of any criticism which may result ron M
thus expressed myseI as Us ~ Panama
&c tbe Isthmus OF Nicaragua as a route for an
interoceanic canal II has been OBJECTED 70 ~.
Panama route that the greyalllns wnGs ,9 ca s,de
Atlantic side and the doldrums on the Paclic $40.
ere serious obstacles 20 the succcsstul ofeI'uIl
the Panama canal. IL residence 81 ihrse !earrs
on the isthmus have mover seen Z tiIio when sit,
Ing vessels could not enter and leave the harhor o
| Colon and. although ] know OF tho .eNlslcnCe "
tho d0drurns / have never heard OF Ioedcd Vcsoe
or one In reasonable ballast that experience qii
Guilty IN entering or clearing from Panama, ~ !.
orlte sure that these difficulties ara not 10 pc com
I rared TO those resulting from tho heavy gaI's MA
prevail during many months mt Greg Gown, an.
more especially at Brito. known Locally AZ =
| Nentoscs and ii Papalsai -. A.. .o,,,,e,o,.'
I'm my judgment apart rom the cOItiA.t "a "a
consideration attending the CONSTRUCTION @f n' -. ~
toroceanic canal, e%!Gences fesutuhs i1 IN
/ canal political and military necessity. ihe JuTH
| zion Is not 50 much which camel can best % out
| as which canal. when built. VIII best tuoServs ~
,ournosea for which II will have been Constructed
| And / believe that tho American Goyernmen
| should ~ tho American people VII. H'.S .l.a
carefully before deciding definitely between tho '"'
.The old Panama Canal Company was fsilur'
and is a thing OF the past. Tho icw Panama ,ans
Company has not yet been a success. II - entleu
however 20 n fair trial IN its endeayor 70 preRsr''
| 10 carry tho canal TO completion, olt y may o.
/ ,>~t French pride md American preJndlce vi.
! hamper the efforts go TINT n VIII ~ dlincut -
submit proposition that VIII DC o'nslaei"u o' IL
Sour transcontinental railroads nre generally
eunrosed TO he opposed 20 any ana all interoccanl
| canals It ia my JUDGMENT. however. may taes 1
| propositions are based on erroneous sFount. nnl
/ r. any event the political Cyigencies q ths YIN
! must necessarily eventually override them. ~
! canal must and believe, VIII be ouilt. hno a
! that any intcroceanc canal must DC feRntueu y
| mart OF rs coast limo cannot see how mere Wou
| he any radical diversion Of public funds II poT
| ton were devoted 20 canal CONSTRUCTION