Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-08
Something About the Largest Of Gen.
tral American Republics.
SITE OF TIE PROPOSED CANAL
Remarkable Topographic Condi-
tons of the Route.
ITS VALUE TO COMMERCE

A. T. Davis in the NatoraI Geographic Magazine.
Although Nicaragua is almost entirely
cover I'd with dense forest growth, the really
useful timber is not abundant A district on
the Atlantic slope near Bluefields affords
large quantities Of yellow pine Of fair quail
ity which. however, is not yet easily ac-
cessihie The only timber yet used to any
extent for lumber Is the cedar, which is
soft, straight grained. easily worked. and
durable The trees are scattered and not
plentiful. Ire lumber is mostly sawed by
fanI. The timber of greatest value IS the
mahogany, which is cut for export to be
used as ornamental wood and in cabinet
making The monopoly OF its export is con-
ceded to an American firm. The wild cot
ton tree Is sometimes used In making CO.
noes number of the forest woods found
in Nicaragua are heavy and so hard that
# is Impossible to drive nails spikes into
them, but they are exceedingly durable5 A
variety Of dye woods is found in various
parts
The present population Of Nicaragua is
estimated IA about 100000 or only about
eight 10 he square mile OF each hundred
Inhabitants there are fifty Indians, one ne
gro. fOrJy-five Of mixed blood and four
whites. They are sharply divided into
classes. the CahallerOs, or gentlemen, and
the poems or laborers. who be distin-
guishej by their costume as far as they
car be seen. This classification Is punctili
ticularly noticeable Oh railroad trains and
steamboats, The upper classes dress very
much as We do In summer that season
being perpetual in Nicaragua, Among the
lower classes the mems costume usually
consists Of a straw hat, n short cotton
shirt. and trousers of darker material No
shoes are Worn, but sometimes a pair of
light sandals are used as protection
against Tot OF th"rny ground. The dress of
the women is even more scant. being minus
the hat and sandals. a skirt substituted for
the trousers, and the arms and upper part
OF the bust entirely bare.
Homes of the People.
The country people and the poor of the
cities live in matched huts, with walls
rudely constructed of upright poles or with
no walls at al. The better buildings in the
cities are of stone brick, OF adobe stuc-
coed with cement, and covered with tiles.
They are cool and comfortable and almost
freprcor. but sadly lacking in light. The
presidents palace III Manaksua has glass
windows. and \ few Americans in Grey
town enjoy the same luxury; but in Leon,
Granada, Rivas. 1r any other city Of Mic
aragUa there is hardly 4 pane of glass BY
far the finest buildings are the churches
and cathedrals- The sidewalks are often
only three Ut four feet wide, and change
their grade win nearly every house they
pass. 81 II is necessary to climb up down
three or four cps every fifty feet or so.
The streets are marrow and usually IN
paved; but most of the towns are built on
much encountered.
Conditions of the Route.
The peculiar interest attaching to Mica
ragua from the American point of view is
the promise held out by the remarkable
hydr0sraphic and Topographic conditions of
practicable route for a large ship canal.
These conditions consist o. a large, deep
lake 100 feet above SEE level separated
from the Pacific ocean by a narrow strip of
q n n.
the continental divide between the Arctic
ocean and the Straits of Magellan, and a
large navlgable stream carrying the sur
Plus water from the lake TO the Caribbean
sea This route is especially fortunate In
having at its summit level a magnificent
natural reservoir IN Lake Nicaragua fed
by an ample drainage basin. This reser-
voir is useful not only for storing water
Tor operating the locks Of the canal! but
also for regulating the control of great
floods that could hardly be provided for at
practicable cost without lis aid No other
route enjoys advantages of this kind.
Outlet of the Lake.
The San Juan river Is the sole outlet Of
Lake Nicaragua and its tributary drainage
basin Its total length from the lake to the
sea Is ia miles and 1t is usually navigable
for Hght-draft river steamers. L leaves
the lake at Fort San Carlos at an altitude
varying from about - feet to about Iii.
Its course for a distance OF twen+v-siy
miles is through low, swampy country
relieved by occasional hills Through this
course the river is sluggish and receives
several tributaries OF small Discharge
"hlch IN the dry season are practically
sun water The principal of these are the
Melchora, Media Queso. PaIo de Arco and
Rio Negro The first tributary of imp0rt-
ance 10 the San Juan river is the Rio Ss-
balos. which enters from the north and
etnptieS tWenty-siX miles east of Fort San
Carlos About half a mile below the mouth
OF the Sahalos are the first RAPIDS called
zorro rapids. These rapids are caused nv
boulders and gravel. probably brought into
the river ny Rio Sabalos in former times,
but do not seriously obstruct navigation ex
cept IN times of extremely low water. Re
low this point the San Juan receives the
Haters OF lew streams. the principal OF
HFich are The Rio POGO Sol and Rio Sa1ta
Ctuz- Ten miles below Zorro rapids are the
teiSeSt rapids on the river, at Castillo Vie
70 As the river here falls about five feet
IN a few hundred feet, steamers arr. ssldono
taken over except in high water A raii-
ISad about 2.tD feet long is provided for
IN! .he portage Of freight and passengers on
tHe Flsht odnk Of the river.
Along the River.
bei'W castillo are the Diamond Rails
Gnu Niacouca rapids, the last named being
thirteen miles from Castillo. All tbass
rapids admit the passage of river staar,a-u
except at extreme low water. Below Nc
chuca there are no more RAPIDS The r,,,a
~ no" deep and sluggish for distance OF
Apout seventeen miles. until it receives the
mis- river is the largest tributary nf tha
Sah Juan. rising far to the southwark i'm
me mountains OF Costa Rica. ard bearing
such d volume of sediment that n dsiis
mas been built up at its mouth From
this point to the sea the San Juan is a shall
low stream with sandy shifting bed; TWEEN
ty-hye miles farther down the SersniC,,t
empires into the San Juan from Costa Rica
VI the tributaries To the San Juan il Is sec
S ono IN size 10 the San Carlos. ard, Ike the
latter, bears larg. quantities of sediment
IN Tunes OF flood. Eight miles below the
mouth OF the Serapiqui the San Juan as
sumes decidedly the character of a ,ieI+aIc
stream, and sends out small distriblItarv
known as thu San Juanillo which meanders
through the swamps to the northryard and
after receiving the drainage of the Desas,
40 re-enters the San Juan four miles above
us mouth SIX miles below the exit of The
san JuanIIlc. or about los miles from Lake
Nlcaragua- the main stream of the San
Juan separates into two large distribi1-
Ianes' the larger. called the Rio Colorado.
moving eastward directly to the Caribbean
ana the smaller, or Lower San Juan mean