The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-06


statistics and details to follow in sup
plements. The commission has gone
about it's work feeling that it was likely
to furnish the basis for the final action
Of this government ON the building of
the canal.
WHAT REPORT WILL CONTAIN.
The conclusions reached by the com
mission will not be announced until the
report is submitted. 1t is known, how
ever, that on the two salient features
-practicability and coSt-the commits
sion will report first that the project
of a canal joining the Atlantic and Pa
cific by what is commonly known as
the Nicaragua route is entirely feasible
and practicable, presenting no eng1-
neering problems which cannot be met,
and, second, that the cost can be pre-
scented with a fair degree of mathe-
NAUTICAL exactness, allowing for exca-
walton, construction and other items
The report will give this cost in hg-
ures, but the amount is not yet known
even to the commissioners, as it will
depend upon the careful computations
now being made. The purpose is to
make it as near fundamentally exact
as possible, and not to give a mere
opinion of the various commissioners.
Admiral Walker has already expressed
mittee that the cost would be within
$1,000, 900 and this is understood to
be his opinion still. But the report will
state a figure not based on opinions
but on the careful calculations of the
many, experts who are now at work on
every branch of the project The only
element of doubt will be in establishing
the unit of cost for certain estimates,
as there may be differences as to this
:, Of h1
soil, climate, etc. For instance while
the commissioners may fix with exact
ness the total number of cubic feet of
excavation required in such a vast un
dertaking, it is not easy to fix on so
cents or any other sum as the unit for
reckoning the whole or any consider
able part of the work. This will be
done as close as possible under the cir
cumstances and the indications are
that the figures as to cost will be ex-
caDtionally conclusive in showing the
utmost limit to which it is to be put
if the building of the canal is begun.
The report it is understood, will be
unanimous, as the commissioners are
agreed on all the essential features of
the practicability, the only difference
being those immaterial shades of Opin-
ion as to the unit of cost on some of
the branches of the work.
NO REFERENCE TO POLITICS.
The reoprt will not refer to the po-
litical questions involved, but will con-
fine itself to the scientific and engineer
ing problems The political questions,
it is recognized, are for the state de-
partment and for congress and these
will be working out about the time the
report is presented. They involve the
question of concessions and rights
granted by Nicaragua to the old Mica
raguan Canal company and quite re-
Gently to a company of American, capt.
talists; also the question of the right
of the United States to build the canal
as a distinctive government enterprise
without reference to private conces-
sions and finally the complications
growing out of the disappearance Of
Nicaragua, on Nov. l. as sovereign
nation and it's absorption by the
United States of Central America AS
stated, however, the commissions will
not deal with these political questions,
but will confine itself strictly to the
project as an engineering enterprise.
1t is known to be the private opinion
of some of the members of the COM
mission that the government and not
private enterprise is the only means by
which the canal can be constructed.
One of the most serious obstacles urged
against the canal as a government en-
terprise has been the Clayton-B ulwer
treaty and the right of joint. occupancy
and control under it claimed by Great
Britain, but there is a growing feeling
that the sentiments developed between
the two countries during the progress
of the recent war, will go far to remove
this obstacle, and will probably pave
he way for a complete understanding
between the countries.