The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-28
BELOW S1OO.OOO.OOO.
Latest Estimate of Cost of Nicaragu
Canal

Canal
New York, Sept 2S-Eight govern
ment engineers who have been engaged
upon the preliminary survey of the Mic
aragua canal have arrived in this city
on the steamship Altaie of the Atlas
line. They remained in Nicaragua to
complete the work which was in pro-
gress when Admiral Walker and 9TH
er members of the commission were re-
called to take part in the war with
Spain
Eben S. Wheeler was the chief engi-
neer of the party. It's other members
were Andrew OnderdOnk, Harvey c.
Miller Louis Hawkins, William d.
Thomas, Richard B. Post, P. ]. Burns
and HOratiO II. Trundle.
The preliminary work was finished
before the party left the field, and a
vast amount of data, the results of sur
veyings, bOringS and sOundings, has
been brought back, and will be includ-
ed in the official reports, which will be
placed before congress at its coming
session
The surveys show that the proposed
canal is entirely feasible and that the
cost will be considerably less than the
estimates made by the Ludlow COM
mission or the sum named by Admiral
Walker a year ago as likely to be need
ed.
The reduction in cost is due to a
change in the location of the OchOa
dam and to other notifications of the
old route.
The Ludlow commission estimated
the cost of the canal at $133, 600, 900. Ad-
FniraI Walker named 1925, 000, 900 as the
aggregate cost. The report of the en-
gineers will place the estimate at less
than 500, 0OO0 600.
BY changing the location of the dam
from Ochoa to a point IA miles lower
down the building OF the San Juan
basin and it's costly embankment can
be avoided and a saving of $1O,OOO,OOO
made.
While Mr.. Wheeler and other men,
bers of the returning party declined to
be quoted at any length in reference to
the canal work, they say their reports
will show that the canal is a subject
containing no serious difficulty and that
It can be quickly and cheaply built.
They said the war between the United
States and Spain had demonstrated its
necessity Aside from its value as
war measure its value commercially
viii be enhanced by the raising of the
American flag over Hawaii and the
Philippines.
tt is two years now since any actual
work has been done on the canal by the
company of which Warner Miller is the
head. The concession obtained by the
company from the Nicaraguan govern
ment is said to still hold good. The
attempt to build the canal by private
means has been abandoned by Mr.. Mil
Ter and his associates and all rights in
the premises have been offered to the
government.
A syndicate of Chicago capitalists,
headed by +. F. Cragin, has looked over
the ground, and is now said to be en-
deavOring to obtain a concession from
the Nicaraguan government. Mr.. Cra-
gin and party of civil engineers and
contractors from Chicago have recent
" returned from the Isthmus, and are
said to be interesting members of con-
gress in their plans
The statisticians have placed the vol
ume of commerce that is likely to pass
through the canal much higher than the
estimates of the government, and their
opinion is that the revenues to be de-
rived will warrant them in spending
more than 1OO,0O0,0OO in building the
canal.