Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-12-04
FOR NICARAGUA ROUTE
Report Of the Isthmisn Canal Com.
mission is Submitted to Con.
gress Today.
in Favor of the Mica.
ragua Route To Cost Over
s2oO,OoO,OOO.
Would Require at Least Ten Years
to Build An Extended
Report.

Washington, Dec. The report Of the
Isthmian canal commission, submitted
to congress, today. gives as the unani-
irnous conclusion of that body that the
most practicable and feasible route for
the Isthmian canal, under control and
management and ownership OF the Unit
ed States is that known as the Nicara-
guam route" The commission estimates
the cost of this route at 5000. $40 000 This
estimate is much in excess of any here
|Stofore made, and is' due TO the increa sed
dimensions and other features not mere
|tofcre considered. The commission also
estimates the cost of the canal by the
Panama route at s142,342,579. according
to one route, or s156. 6.3S7.25S according to
another route. As between the Near
aqua and Panama route the commission
sums up a number of advantages favor.
able TO the former. 1t states also that
under the concession given by the Pa.
mama government to the Panama Canal
Company that company is not free to
grant the necessary rightsto the United
5 "a tes except upon conditions made by
the company.
The report is almost as long as the
presidents message. Altho the work of
the commission is not yet completed,
many field parties still being out, yet it
has been sufficiently advanced to make
II practicable to present preliminary
report giving the essential findings. A
thorough investiga ton has been made
not only of the Nicaragua and Panama
routes, but other possible routes. the
commission keeping in mind the indus
trial, commercial and military value Of
an interoceAric canal
Along the Nicaragua route 1t was
found short section Of partially con-
structed canal was in as good shape to-
day as 1t was when the work stopped
The buildings however, are all rotten,
dredges boats, ETC., worthless. The
commission visited the officials Of Nj
caragua and Costa Rtca and found
them generally interested In the project.
q strong sentiment existingk in favor Of
the Nicaraguan n route. After going over
several routes the commission consid-
cred the dimensions of the canal 10 be
built. 1t was determined to AK the sen,b
at thirty five fete at maen iaS water and
~ ~ q 'l ilSet. While
these dimensions may saem excessive
To-Day, the commission points out that
the canal IS not likely to be opened
within ten years. during which time the
increase in maritime dimensions isf
y to continue. The commission saws
the Nicaraguan route as adopted fol- i
lowe essentially the lines laid down py
the commission in its report OF '97-,99. II
peelns near fireytown on6the Atlantic
SIDE, follows the San Juan river. enters
"a akes.S lca.agsau and terminates at Brito
on the Pacific. a distance of about 1856
miles. he most difficult engineering
work is the dam across the San Juan
river to regulate the waters of the lake.
The time required to build the canal
hinges almost entirely ON the time re-
CURED for the construction of the dam
II the work commenced inmediately
the entire work could be completed in
about ten years
Concerning the Panama route the
commission s. n says its natural attraction
lies in the combination of q very narrow
isthmus with a low summit The width
fthe isthmus is less than thirty-tive
miles while the summit is barely 400 I
feet above mean tide.