The record-union., 1899-01-11
Brigadier General Abbott's Report
on the Panama Canal.
Says That II Is Far Superior to the Route
Through Nicaragua.
The New Company In Position to
Dispose Of It's Interests to the
United States Without Opposi-
ton From Any Source, Provided
the Terms offered Were Salts
factory.

the Terms offered Were Salts
factory.
NEW YORK, Jan. 10. - Brigadier
General Henry L. Abbott, U. ). A.
retired has arrived here from France
on tho steamer Ia Champagne He
was accompanied by M. Choron, who
is said to be connected with the new
Panama Canal Company. General Ao-
bolt, who was a member OF the Inter
national Technical Commission, COM
posed of engineers of the United states.
France, Russia, England, Germany and
Colombia, which recently made an IN
spection of the plans and works and
suggested changes in the route OF Tue
Panama Canal, is on his way to WASH
ington to lay before the United States
Government all the information he pos
sesses regarding the interoceanlc
waterway at the isthmus of Panama.
He said that the French Government
has no longer anything to do with the
proposed canal, and that the new conf
pany could dispose of it's interests in
the work to the United States without
opposition from any source, provided
He further said that the new canal
company. with the 65,OOO,0OO francs
which 1t possessed when it secured the
control of the big cut, has simply been
doing the preliminary work necessary
on account of the mistaken ideas OF
the old engineers. Now all obstacles,
such as the overflow of the Chagres
River during the period of freshets,
idea of making the connection between
ocean and ocean a tidewater one has
beed modified so that the part that is
yet to be finished will be built on the
lock principle Two-fifths of the en-
tire canal work is now actually COM
pleted and the balance under active
construction with 5000 workmen and
a large force of engineers. Thus far
about fourteen miles of the tidewater
part of the canal on the Atlantic SIDE
have been completed and are navl-
gable to vessels drawing twenty-elght
feet of water. There are few bars
that only need dredging to make them
passable for vessels of greater depth.
Beyond that point there has been con-
siderable excavation to the twenty-one-
mile line from the Atlantic. Over four
miles of the tidewater work on the
Pacific side of the canal have also been
finished.
General Abbott says the new plans
for completion of the Panama Canal
are perfectly feasible, and that the
canal can be completed in one-half the
time and at much less cost than 1t VIII
take to dig the Nicaragua Canal
Were the two routes completed to-
day." said General Abbott, EIGHT yes
sells to one would prefer the Panama
route. because it is only forty-six miles
across, and the Nicaragua course will
be four times that length. and the
winnings of the San Juan River are
very short and sharp.
There is no reason why this country
should not take hold of and finish the
Panama Canal. President Mckinney
has recently been furnished with the
full report of the International Tech
nical Commission and the present
status of the canal, as stated, may be
the means of the abandonment of the
Nicaragua project by this Government
and the completion by the United
States of the Panama route. / have
been called to Washington for consult
tation. and can talk intelligently on
any subject concerning the canal.
1.-The report of the commission IS
probably the most authoritative docu-
ment ever presented on an engineering
subject. It has been prepared with the
greatest care after the most thorough
and competent investigation and ex-
animation, with most exhaustive sur
yeys before the members, which cover
every foot of the ground to be treated,
and by the most experienced engineers
of five different nations
'"The total length of the Panama Ca
nal is 1862 miles. including 3.35 miles
dredged in the Pacific to deep water
The profile of the canal presents, in
the central part. high summit. from
which the ground slopes gradually, al
though irregularly, toward the low
grounds adjacent to the sea.
"The portions of the canal adjacent
~ the sea have been excavated, and.
although the Chagres River has been
fo,. vears flowing through them. they
CON no nartially utilized. At the pres
a,t time the topography of all the
Grounds involved in the project and the
,ba cter of the materials to be en-
conntered are accurately known ana
da1ineated Deep and extensive excava-
+ions as we'll as soundings and borings.
have made known the subterraneah
strata underlying the surface. ana py
those means no doubt is left as TO ,ne
soundness of the materials through
which the canal is to be dug 10 se'
depths, and on which the foundations
of the locks. dams and other structures
are to be established. Sixteen dinerent
plans have been worked out in dstaii'
including estimates of cost ana tiine
needed for construction. 1t is on tness
complete data and by the observations
of its own members on the istnmus'
that the International Technical COM
mission has based its conclusions.
The original purpose of the old COM
many was to build a canal without
locks. freely open from ocean to ocean,
but. after several years of work, the
n,an was abandoned. owing to the
enormous excavation necessary to cut
the central mass of the mountain fthe
culebra) and the difficulty and expense
of properly taking care of the occa-
sional torrential flow of the river
Chaeres. The alternate plan which has
been adopted by the new company is
to reduce materially the depth of the
central excavation and to establish
x1.-...t,. a cvc<em nf looks fn he fed