, 1898-01-10

0NnRl comfortably = Oh tue "6CA Va
the "Adirohdack" lying i'll Kingston har-
bour.
The Nioaraguan Canal Commissioner as
we in part knew before, and as we were con.
frmed in ou' knowledge by the information
elected in TIE interview has been deputed by
the United States Government to make sur.
voys and plans sufficiently in detail TO report
10 Congress on tlC praCtlcalillty OF the
scheme and its PROBABLE cost.
The scheme, as everybody in this part OF
the world knows. or ut least, ought to know,
is to cut a waterway from the Atlantic TO the
Pacific through Nicaragua. AS Mr.. Davis,
who was the Chief Engineer Of the sometime
N~icaraguan Canal Company and who Is low
one of the Engineers zap Dyed by lie Com
missiOners, informed US, the idea of making
a canal 10y utilizing San juan hiver and The
island lakes in the district, is a. I'D one, the
United States GovernmenF having lad the
scheme under consideration for The last %
years. In 1872 the United States Government
mado its first survey, but with no p%ractica!
result. In 1887 a company taking up the
project, obtained Government concession,
made surveys, did some work. and in 1898
we've forced to abandon tile undertaking by
stress Of financial ibcapaCity. AS a matter OF
fact. the Company failed. The Clevelands
administration since that year hive more OF
Ipss favoured the idea Of Governments TAX
ing the matter in hand; and although it has
been left TO the Mckinley administrAri on to
bring the long deferred considerations to q
head by appointing a Ccmmi5 sion to investi'
gate and report, still the Nicaragua Canal
Scheme cannot be said to be q party msa.
sure.
In fact there are men Of divided opinions
rs to the success Of the venture to be found
J--A " o~roI O-n,1O.t:,n. IN hOfh mar
ties although au Mr.. DAVIS summed up,
.The Mckinley administration on the Whole
seems 10 he more favourable to the scheme
than the Cleveland administration"
in answer to an intsrroGatory as to whe-
ther in the event of the Commissioners re-
ports's being favourable the Government
would itself prosecute the undertaking or
not. MIR. Davis said lie was inclined to think
it would DO So. the matter heirg Of national
and even worldwide Importance.
MI. Davis opinions upon tho ques'on are
Of isdisputable vnlue, in 50 far as they bear
The hall mark Of ten years engineering expe-
Iience on the spot, as an empl0ye OF both me
Company above alluded to and ms Govern
ment.
His stated opinion Of the possibilities and
impossibillties incident gene ally tobIg canal
WORKINGS, Will blI0LOAOAc 10 ~
the greater respect. He said All these big
canals involve work too large and wide
reaching in its rami6cations to be carried on
without Government aid. The carrying out
of this work' he continued ''has been ash-
mated at from 1865, OO0, 900 TO $l33,OOO,OOo,
and you would be safe to take the latter men
toned fgure-the estimate of the Ludlow
Board of 1896-as being the more correct.
'When do you expect that the report .wlIl
be presented o.
THAT is impossible for me 10 say. Our work
is purely preliminary; we don't know how
long we may take, and there is no limit as
signed within which our report must be pre-
sented.'
10 Mr.. CrowininshieId, who is in charge
Of the Comrhissariat Of the surveying party,
We are indebted for further details. lie ex-
planned that the party was AZ charge OF pro
visions, utensils and outfit and was going IN
advance simply to make necessary prePara-
tions 80 that time might be saved on the ar
arrival of the Commission, which he Under
stood was leaving New York for Grey Town
in one Of the smaller cruisers of the. United
States Navy, a week after the advance psrty's
departure. The Commission he said consist
ed Of Rear Admiral John G.. Walker, repre-
senting the Navy. Col. Peter Haines for the
Amy and Professor Lewis NJ. HamPt. In nd
49, l. Ys~.L -