New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-07
THE NICARAGUA CANAL.
WORK OF THE COMMISSION NEARLY
COMPLETED.
IT WILL REPORT THAT THE PROJECT IS FEAST
PIE AND ESTIMATE THE COST.


BILE AND ESTIMATE THE COST
Washington. Nov. 6.-The Nicaragua Canal
Commission appointed by the President unoer
an act Of Congress directing complete INQUIRY
into the project. with particular reference 10 IT'S
nracticability and cost has about competed us
work. and the present prospect is that the re-
-. u.,u be presented TO Secretary Hay in about
a month. The Commission has taken buiioins
a. Fif.eanth-st.. formerly used as the German
Legation. and under the direction OF Auiilii" d
Walker chairman. a force OF thirty-sM COM
ru,ers draughtsmen. engineers, etc. Is a'
work on the report and the mass or technicai
matter which will accompany 1t. making III an
,bo most elaborate presentation OF the suo1ec'
over attempted The Commission IS ehoea'or-
IN, however TO avoid proiXity ana 10 Ceh'ie
attention on the salient features OF the proJeo''
leaving the statistics and details 10 ioiio" III
sunplenents This course promises 70 give
rsuort which Will be ineligible from i's coH-
ciseness and yet sufficiently comprehensive u
meet the requirements of such large pfooie"
The Commission has gone about its work feeling
that it was likely TO furnish the basis Tot 'ne
&C., action Of this Government on the building
Of the canal
The conclusions reached by the Commission
vii
mi,ted. It is known. however that on the TWO
salient features-practicability and cos'-'ne
Commission Will report. first that the project
y. canal Joining the Atlantic and Pacific by
what is commonly known Is the Nicaragua
ron,a Is entirely feasible and practical. present
ing no engineering problems which cannot De
met. and second that the cost can he presented
with a fair degree Of mathematic eXactness'
allowing for excavation. construction and all
other items The report Will give this cost IN
figures but The amount Is not yet known even
20 the Commissioners, as il Will depend on the
careful computations now being made. The
purpose is to make It as near mathematicaHy
exact as possible. and not merely TO give the
opinions Of the Commissioners
THE QUESTION OF COST
Admiral Walker has already expressed the
opinion before a Congressional committee 'ha'
the cost would be within S125 100000. and this
IS understood TO he his opinion still. But the
renort will name figure not based on OPINION
but IN the careful calculations Of the many ex
merits who are now at work on every branch OF
The project. The only element of doubt will be
I'm establishing the unit Of cost for certain estl-
males as there may be differences as to this
,,oi, deDending on conditions Of soil. climate,
.tc For instance. while the Commissioners may
fix with exactness the total number OF cubic
faer Of excavation required in such a vast un-
dertoking. # is not easy 10 fix on any sum as
,be INIT for reckoning the whole or any con-
adorable part oc the work This will be done
as closely as possible under the circumstances
and the indications are that the figures as 10
cost VIII be exceptionally conclusive in showing
tho utmost limit 20 which the Government could
be nut II the building u the canal IS begun
tn report 1t is understood. will b unanimous.
as the Commissioners are agreed on all the es-
sential features Of cost. probability. route
dams. etc. the only difference being those nat
ural shades of opinion "a to the unit Of cost on
some Of the branch,s Of the work
POLITICAL ASPECTS NOT DEALT WITH.
The report Will not refer to the political ques-
tjons involved but will confne itself to the sci
entifc and engineering problems. The political
questions II is recognized. are for the State
Department and Congress. and these will be
working out about the time the report is pre-
scented They involve the question Of cOnces-
sons and rights granted by Nicaragua 10 the old
Nicaragua Canal Company. and quite recently
10 a company OF American capitalists also the
question of the right Of the United States TO
build the canal a distinctly Government en-
terprise without reference 10 private conces-
sons as contemplated by what IS known as the
Freinghuysen Treaty, and later advocated by
Secretary Sherman; and finally the complica-
tions growing out Of the disappearance Of Mica
ragua on November ! a sovereign nation.
and its absorption by the United States Of Cen
trail America.
AS stated. however the Commission will not
deal with these political questions, and will not
make recommend atoms or dsorss conflicting
private interests. bu: Will coniine itself strictly
70 the project as an engineering enterprise. IL
Is known TO be the private opinion Of some OF
the members Of the Commission that the Gov
eminent 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 project has been the
Clayton Buwer treaty. and the right of joint
occupation and control under II claimed by
Great Britain But there is growing feeling
that the sentiment developed between the two
countries in the progress Of the war Will go far
70 remove this obstacle. and probably pave the
way for complete understanding
President Hitchcock Of the Maritime Canal
TO discuss with Secretary Hay the recent action
OF the Nicaraguan Government in granting the
Cragin and Eyre concession. Secretary Hay has
not yet received the report on the details Of the
transaction, which he has called upon Minister
Merry 10 furnish, SO that nothing can be done
at present, although IL is the intention OF the
Department 10 protect fully any interest this
Government may possess in the existing canal
concession. foundation is laid for a
further prosecution Of the case. Mr.. Hitchcock
was accompanied by Mr. Mason New York
attorney. ard paid A visit TO the White House
before leaving town.