The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-06-06
THE NICARAGUA CANAL
IT'S VALUE TO AMERICA AT THE
PRESENT TIME.
Civil Engineer Lyman +. Cooley Dis
cusses Its Cost and Strategic I'm
portance-T 1t Would Save


Cooley, the well known engineer
who spent two months of last win
ter on the route of the proposed
Nicaragua canal, in an interview
says:
THE Nicaraguan Canal in oper-
alton to-day would be worth $780,
ooo. 900 to this Government. We
could say to all nations that Our
fleets in moment of necessity
could command the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans as no other fleets in
the world would be able to do. In
race for Manila, we starting at
New York and Spain at Cadiz, we
could reach the Philippines before
any fleet passing through the Suez
Canal could do So.
Mr.. Cooley says that if the Mic
aragua canal had been completed
the Oregon might have been with
Sampson weeks ago, or in All energ-
eucy any part of Our navy could be
dispatched to the Pacific Coast with
the saving Of thousands of miles of
Journey Mr.. Cooley continued:
Suppose, at the least, that it
costs $54 900, 900 to construct this
canal, or al the most, SI33, 1000, 900
what would that amount TO in view
of the fact that at the present mo-
ment every city on the Pacific Coast
could be destroyed by hostile fleet
before a battleship of ours could
round Cape Horn. When we could
reach the ruins Of San Francisco the
enemy would be at Hawaii, and
when we were there they would be
at Manila, or anchored safely at
home.
Leaving aside all question Of
the value to us of the canal as a
powerful agency for developing our
commerce, look at its construction
from a war point of view. The At
lantic Coast will always be the con
centration point tor the cream OF
our navy. New York City is A.,
o,o miles from San Francisco with
out the Nicaragua Canal, that is
via the Straits of Magellan
steamers leaving New York are
over 900 miles from San Fran.
cisco, aud sailing vessels via Caps
Horn, IS, 600 miles away. TIE
, canal would shorten one route 8, 26I
miles, and the other route 1875.
miles. A man-of-war sailing ter
knots all hour, or 24o miles per day
: would save i'll one instance forty
: four days, and in the other thirty
four days time. In other words, i
the Oregon is at Barbados, sixty
two days were occupied by her il
reaching that point from San Fran
cisco, via Cape Horn. With th'
Nicaragua Canal completed, forty
four days time would have beer
saved over one existing route ant
thirty-four days over the other
The journey from San Francisco t(
new York could be made in eighteen
days by a slow vessel and in nine o
ten days by swift one
In conclusion Mr.. Cooley said:
Eve could create naval station
, at Lake Nicaragua second to non,
in the world, and from which ou
vessels could pass for the protection
of either of our coasts with a rapid
ity unequaled. The Spanish wa
and the journey of the Oregon will
: awaken the general public to TIL
necessity of having the canal a
. nothing else could have done. Ono
built, the canal from a stragetic o
a commercial point of view, mean
e that our flag and our shipping will
enter every port in the world AM
: we will be the maritime power O
the twentieth century.