Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-24
WILL COST S135.000.O90.
Preliminary Report Of Nicaragua Canal Com
mission Received by Senate Committee.

New York. Dec. 22.-The preliminary
report of the Nicaragua canal com
mission, consisting of General Haines
Admiral Walker and Prof. Haupt. has
been completed. and will be read before
the Christmas recess of Congress OF
Immediately afterward. This report
VIII give many details of construction
in regard to the route proposed an6
Will give pretty close figure on tn
entire cost of the undertaking as fai
as human ingenuity can foresee. =
summary of these costs has been made
out in sections, and without going int
details of curves and levels, they art
as follows:
The eastern haIbor and jetties will
require about 100000 cubic yards OF
soft excavation. The jetties them
selves require about AGO. 900 cubic yards
of rip rap stone.
The Greytown section of the canal.
that is, the section beginning at the
harbor and reaching 10 the east divide.
will require 100000 cubic yards OF
earth and clay excavation. The snree
locks in this section will cost in the
neighhorhood OF $4,000. 600. complete
with 100000 yards excavation. This
section is about 1872 miles in length
and runs through the jungle country
near the coast. There will be 700 acres
of clearing and grubbing also in this
section.
The Divide section reaches from here
through the high rocky range of hills
"a miles further. There are 100000
cu5ic yards of rock in this cut and
about 5000, 600 yards of earth and clay
The depth of this cut Will be mitigated
by The height of the canal, which Is
hare 1l2 feet above the sea. The actual
cutting will be about 200 feet deep in
the deepest part.
From here begins the Ochoa section,
which runs through the San Francisco
basin and Florida lagoon. This is low
country and the cutting which will reach
to- the Ochoa dam, SAG miles from the
Caribbean sea will add only 10000 ON
yards 10 the figures. man4ns trifle over
40.09oD10 cubic yards TO the dam. From
here a summary of the cut through the
San Juan river will aggregate 3l,oo0. 0ou
cubic yards. with about 100000 more for
curve widening and ZOO acres clearing
and grabbing.
This will not include any of the dams
Or embankments, but simply the channel
cutting in the bed of the San Juan river.
This makes 100000 cubic yards of ali
grades of cutting to Lake Nicaragua.
The cost of the Ccehoa dam, upon
which rests the entire feasibility Of the
route. has not been accurately computed.
as the undertaking is of so colossal a na-
ture as TO be Beyond figuring within Il
unit, or even more. The dam will be over
l1Go feet in length. its foundation 10 feet
below the bed of silt in the river bottom,
and its rise over 100 feet. AS the river
will have TO be turned from its course
during this construction. it will be seen
that many details will have to be taken
into consideration for an estimate of Its
cost.
The. San Carlos embankment VIII cost
several million dollars and the estimates
are being made. The cuts in the shallow
part OF. the lake will aggregate 10000, 0ot
Yards. making total of $1,000, coo to tha
western division of the canal.
The estimates for the western division
have not been made yet. Ii will be seen
that $l35. 600 900 will be q conservative es-
innate of the entire cost of the canal. and
this almost agrees with that of Major
General William Ludlow's report of 1876