The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-06-01
NlCARAGUAN CANAL ROUTE
THE COMPASSION DECIDES TT IS
 THE MOST DESIRABLE,
stract of the Report Presented by Ad- mtral Walker-COst win Not Exceed S11s,113, 3,790-Better Physical Com ditions Than Hitherto Supposed.
ltions Than Hitherto Supposed.

Washington, May 31.-The state de-
 partment to-day made public an official
 abstract of the report of the Nicaraguan
 canal commission as presented by Ad-
 miral Walker, the head of the commits
 sion. The report itself covers 136 type
 written pages and is accompanied by
 eleven appendices. It is understood to
 be the intention of the president to sub-
 init the full report to congress at the
 beginning of the next session. Mean
 while the department states that it will
 not be possible to make public more of
 the report than the synopsis furnished
 to the press to-day. This synopsis says
 The commission understood that 1t
 was required to consider all routes here
 tofore proposed having any merit, that new routes that appeared to have merit should be developed and the entire re- zion of canal possibilities should be eX- amined with sufficient thoroughness to enable a just and comprehensive com parison of the various routes to be made and the most desirable one selected. With this view the commission made a careful study of all data bearing upon the Nicaraguan canal question and or ganized large force. Much delay to the work and great annoyance to work ing parties was caused by attempts at revolution and by the strained relations between the governments of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The outberak of the war between the United States and Spain was also serious matter.
 The report goes into minute details in respect to all questions connected with the construction of the canal. and says that after mature deliberation the com mission has adopted and estimated for the route from Brto to Lake Nicar- agua called Childs' route, and from the lake to Greytown, called the Hull route. This line, leaving Brito, follows the left bank of the Rio Grande to near Bueno Retire, recrosses the western divide to the valley of the Lajas, which it follows to Lake Nicaragua. Crossing the lake to the head of the San Juan river, it follows the upper river to near Boca San Carlos, thence by the bank of the river to the San Juanillo and across the low country to Greytown, passing to the northward to Lake Silco. It re-
  works at both ends of the summit level. The surveys have in general revealed better physical conditions than were supposed to exist, especially as to the amount of rock in the upper river whereby it is possible to greatly reduce the estimated cost of construction.
 To determine the proper unit of prices l for excavation, the average of prices &C., tually paid to contractors on the Chi | cago drinage canal, which represent the | cost of the plant, prices paid for work | done and contractors profits, were talk en. To these prices certain percentages were added for the difference in loca- ton, climate, etc. Tn obtaining the es- inmates for the cost of lock the prices actually paid for building the govern ment locks at Sault Ste Marie were taken and thirty-three per cent. was ad- ded for the difference of location. Af- ter giving due weight to all the elements of this important question, and with an earnest desire to reach logical conclu- sions, based upon substantial facts, the believes that a canal can be built across the isthmus on this route for not exceeding $118,113790. Colonel Haines concurs generally with the views ,f the other members of the commits sion, but his estimate of the cost is s134 ,81s,30S.