The times., 1898-10-28
THE NICARAGUAN CANAL
Report Of the Commission Will
Soon Be Completed.
WORK OF THE ENGINEERS
Route Chosen by the Maritime Conn
pany May &c Recommended with
but Few ChanEes-correspon
Between President Hitchcock and
Secretary nliss-A Brief History.


The Nicaragua Canal Commission viii
present its report TO the Secretary of
State for transmission TO Congress about
December /. The report is i'll course of
preparation but 1t is impracticable to
make more than 4 rough forecast of the
conclusions reached by the commission.
The Nicaragua Canal Commission was
created By an act of Congress approved
March ,, 1885, and entitled, AN act max
ing appropriations TO continue the sur
veys and aminations into the proper
route and the feasibility and cost OF con-
struction OF the Nicaragua Canal, with
the, view OF making complete plans for
the entire work of construction of such
canal.
The commission is as follows: Rear
Admiral John c. Walker L. S. N, presi-
dent: Col. Peter c. Hams. Corps of En-
gineers, L. S A; Prof. Lewis NJ. Haupt,
civil. engineer; Edward S. CLAWS, secre-
tary.
The engineers in charge of the work
are: f. 5. Wheeler, chief engineer; II.
C. Miller. first assistant engineer; Boyd
Ehle. assistant engineer; a. Onderdonk.
assistant engineer; II. II. Trundle. as
sistant engineer; L. Hankins, assistant
engineer; ]. W. G. Walker, assistant en-
gineer; S. s. Evans, assistant engineer
in charge of parties still in Nicaragua
Stephen Harris. assistant engineer in
charge of precise levels: Francis Lee Stu
art assistant engineer in charge hydro
graphic party surveying Lake Mic: Ar
thur p. Davis, United States Geodetic
Survey in charge NEUROLOGY; C. Willard
Hayes, United States Geodetic Survey, in
charge geology.
The commission left America on The
American gunboat Newport on Decem-
ber s. 1897. Admiral Walker was the last
of the commissioners 10 return to this
country, having reached Washington on
April !, 1898. Since that date majority
of the engineers have returned. the last
to reach home being f. S. Wheeler, chief
engineer, he having reported at the head
quarters OF the commission at Washing
ton on September 2S.
The Probable Route.
1t is probable that the commission will
approve the route chosen by the Mari
time Canal Company of Nicaragua.
which was Incorporated on February %,
1889.
The axial and detailed surveys of the
proposed interoceanic canal, its harbors,
locks and other accessory works, were
completed under the authority of this
company In 1889, and the final location
OF the route from ocean to ocean was
practically determined.
Hiram Hitchcock. president of the COM
pany, In reply to letter from Cornelius
". Bliss. Secretary of the Interior trans
mitting copy of the resolutions passed
by the Senate on May Is, 1898, calling for
Information regarding the Maritime Canal
Company of Nicaragua, made the follow
ing reply concerning the progress of the
work:
This vast and most important work
was accomplished at a great expense of
time labor and money The engineers
employed were of known and tried ability.
Those in positions of chief responsibility
had had extensive practice in works of
engineering construction in the United
States and the tropics. The engineers,
administrative staff, surveyors, and
nearly all the skilled mechanics Were
hired in the United States and sent out
under contract for at least a years ser
vice, and several were continuously en-
ployed in Nicaragua for upward of three
years A detailed description of the pro-
posed canal and the work to be accom-
the maps showing the route thereof, as
the same was finally located, was an
nexed to the annual report of the COM
pany for the year 1880. No great public
work has ever been so thoroughly and
conscientiously surveyed, and the COM
pany has entire confidence in the sur
veys and in the estimates of cost.
Few Changes Suggested.
In the location of the canal line by the
Maritime Canal Company, the route
chosen from among the many tentative
lines run was that which presented the
fevest difficulties. 1t was expected by the
engineers of the company that possible
changes might suggest themselves as the
work progressed, but no change from the
location first decided on has since been
made except as further examinations and
studies have demonstrated the certainty
of betterments either by shortening the
length or decreasing the difficulties and
cost of construction. Parties Of engineers
were engaged in critical examinations of
the topography at certain localities where
previous surveys had suggested that bet
terments In the location or design might
be practicable In some cases their hopes
were not realized, but in one instance in
strumental examinations demonstrated
not only the practicabilIty. but the econ
omy to result from a rectifcation of the
, line.
A party of engineers was engaged for
many weeks in further surveys for the
minor canal required under the concession
from Nicaragua TO be built between Lake
Nicaragua and Lake Nanagua, for steam
boat navigation, known as the Tipitapa
Canal This work, with the additions de-
sired by Nicaragua, was studied and plans
prepared for Its completion. At the
Machuca Rapids. in the San Juan River
a considerable mass of rock has been re-
moved. improving the navigation of the
river at that point
After the completion of the surveys, the
plans and drawings were approved by the
government of Nicaragua, and the formal
commencement of construction was au-
rhorized.
The necessity for securing a safe en-
trance from the Atlantic TO the harbor OF
San JUAN which until 1850 had been acces-
sible TO ships drawing twenty feet OF
water, was realized, and the first work OF
actual construction was done in restoring
the harbor.
Progress of the Work.
One OF the menas to accomplish this
tect the entrance. This work. it is cal
culated, will ultimately absorb much OF
the rock excavated from the divide cut
The break-water has been pushed out one
thousand feet, and has been filled in with
brush mattresses, rock and hydraulic ce-
ment concrete This work has created q
channel from the ocean TO the old harbo:
so that light draught sea-going vessel: