The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-30
NICARAGUA CANAL.
st II the Preliminary Report Made
BY the Committee.
Iull ROUTE HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED
4 ~ pecr,ed tho More Feasible ana
& 81, cost Less Than the Others.
mig Canal IL Necessary.

II ,t.,hinrton, December c9.--The fun tex,
/. 4. preliminary report OF the Nicaragua
.'s.i commission was today made public
III Is follows
~ honorable Secretary of State, wash'-
uron:
n,nsrt ment of state. Nicaragua Canal
o..,rission, Washington. December 2S.-
sr,s We have the honor to acknowledge
Z. ,,sceipt of your letter of the 18th In
I'M enclosing copy Of resolution of
=. seuate on The 10th Of December re-
..,,;us a report OF the progress made by
| 4. corn1nissioii in investigating the quc5-
| Il. " the proper route, the feasibility and
t n constructing the Nicaragua canal.
| I. commission has understood the law by
.ssi, /. was constituted, approved july i,
~ 10 require that all routes heretofore
rpsed having any merit are to be con-
.s,rd as new routes appearing to have
~ arc to be developed and the entire
-Sl,s Of the canal possibilities to be ex-
.ssued with sufficient thoroughness TO en-
~ i,ist and comprehensive comparison
/ y ~ various routes to be made and the
n, desirable one selected. In short, "
.,shla this commission to make a complete
"a exhaustive report.
u,Eh this in view, the commission visit
a Nicaragua, personally examined the en-
flrs canal region from ocean to ocean and
mployed some seventy engineers with
An laborers and helpers for ten munths
IN making careful surveys and examina-
Anna AZ the canal region. Some meteo.p-
I,x.dr Mi iTll
EE,.5l continued in Nicaragua with view to
sbaining a full year of observations of
MI nature. The required field work has
Men obtained.
/ The REDUCTION of this field work, together
|xbh The compilation and comparison of
ssHncr surveys going back nearly fifty
wars, has been In progress for more than
tso months. Tho commission believes thay
Itte construction of canal across Mica
lskua Is entirely feasible.
\ The estimates for two of the lest known
Characteristic routes have been nearly
itonple,etl. The routes are known as tho
Maritime Canal company route and the
Ipll route Their estimates are approxi-
nssey sl24,000,000 and S123,00O, 900 re-. |
pectively.
The assumed dimensions are considera-
Ny greater than ever before proposed, both |
fadus OF curvature of canal. These In
syeassd dimensions have been made neces- /,
nfy BY the demands OF modern commerce. |
sss and draft OF modern ships etc. This |
his necessarily made corresponding in |
trass in the cost and is in no way con-
AHent with the estimates made from for |
mar surveys, which contemplated much i
mailer and cheaper canal canal Of |
91atler dimensions. Just sufficient for !
ttsent needs. is being estimated for. Such |
canal would cost considerably less than
n estimate for the canal suitable for
neasrn ships, which is referred to above.
~ y the opinion Of this committee that
lta9e Two routes herewith estimated for.
= one called the Lull route is the more
!NifAble, because 1T is easier of constrlc-
NJ presents no problems not we'll within
~ engineering presidents, and will be-
vi anu more reliable when completed. II
- believes that the dimensions and form
construction preferred by the commits
81 are better than the cheaper form with
slier dimensions, which would undoubt-
Y call for expensive improvements with
Z snort time after its completion.
& Doln OF tne routes referred to above adj
l Eol variance Which may reduce the cost.
we are now being considered BY the
3. .,ia y The work necess .ry for an
, ". discussion OF and report on the
ane canal problem is being pushed AS
" as Its great magnitude permits,
4, 's,,, Maen completed the report will be
. " without delay. We are, sir,
y Great respect, your obedient servants.
Il. j. E. Walker,
~ ~, a s., U. S. NJ. President of the
Louis NJ. Haupt.
Civil Engineer. Member
..soncur with the other members of the
s4, maS,l IN respect to the progress of
M Z, ana the feasibility of the canal,
NJ. LIN LIN IN view of the increa~i size
! ~ X sa ~, estimated for and the difficult
i. y the work. the estimate Ia 20 per
rs,oo low. Peter c. Haines.
vVlU0ol, CQrnS Of Enninna,.ss nG....is. | !.