Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1898-12-31
NICARAGUA CANAL REPORT.
The Cost Is Estimated to BE One Hun
dred and Thirty-FiVe Millions.

/
New York, Dec. 24.-The preliminary
report of the Nicaraguan canal commits
} sion consisting of General Haines, Admir-
al Walker and Professor Haupt has been
j completed and will be read before the
Christmas recess of congress or imnedi-
ately afterward. This report will give
many details of construction in regard to
the proposed route and will give close
! figure on the entire cost of the undertake
ing as far as human ingenuity can fore
! see
A summary of these costs have been
made out in sections and without going
into the details of curves and levels they
are as follows: Eastern harbor and jet
ties will require about 100000 cubic
yards of soft excavation. The jetties
themselves require about 100000 cubic
yards of riprap stone.
The Greytown section of the canal, that
is, the section beginning at the harbor
and reaching to the east divide, will re-
quire 100000 cubic yards of earth and
clay excavation.
The three locks in this section will cost
in the neighborhood of $l000OOO0 COM
plete, with three million yards of eXca-
walton. This section is about l34 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 incidental expenses
will amount to little beside those above
enumerated, therefore they are omitted.
The Actual Cost.
The divide section reaches from here
through the higher range of hills to "A
miles further. There are 100000 cubic
yards of rock in this cut and about 5000
900 yards of earth and clay. The depth
of this cut will be regulated by the height
of the canal, which is here liz feet above
the sea. The actual cutung VIII be about
200 feet in the deepest part.
From here begins the Ochoa section
which runs through the San Francisco ba-
sin and Florida lagoon. This is low cOun-
try and the cutting which will reach to
the Ochoa dam, 343 miles from the Car
ibbean sea, will only add 100000 yards
to the figures, making a tritle over 49,
100000 cubic yards to the dam. From
here a summary of the cut through the
San Juan river will aggregate 34,0O0,000
cubic yards with about 100000 more
curve widening and 1000 acres clearing
and grubbing. This will not include any
of the dams or embankments but simply
the channel cutting the bed OF the San
Juan river. This makes 100000 cubic
yards of all grades OF cutting to Lake
Nicaragua.
The Cost of the Dam.
The cost of the Ochoa dam upon which
rests the entire feasibility of the route,
has not been accurately computed as the
undertaking is of so colossal a nature as
to be beyond figuring within a unit Or
even more. The dam will be over 1900
feet in length, its foundation Is feet be-
low the bed of salt in the river bottom
and its rise over 100 feet. As the river
will have to be turned from its course
during its 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 will
cost several million dollars and the esti-
mates are being made. The cuts in the
shallow part of the lake will aggregate
100000 cubic yards, making a total
of 100000 cubic yards to the western
division of the canal.
The estimates of the western division
have not been made. They are under the
direction of Admiral Walkers son, V.
w. G. Walker, and they will amount to
not less than 100000 cubic yards more,
making total of ll5,000,000 cubic yards
of all kinds on excavation to the harbor
at Brito and allowing 100000 cubic
yards for dredging here, the total esti-
mates will come to enarly l25,OO0,000 Gu
bic yards, exclusive of all dams and EN-
bankments. 1t will be seen that $l35, 000,-
900 will be a conservative estimate of the
entire cost of the canal and this almost
agrees with those of General w. Lud-
lows report of 1896.
I1IYNTTyAT or CrEY hnnn 1K0nDYYY