The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-04

/ The width of the isthmus is less thar
81 miles while the summit is barely 800
feet above mean tide. After a detailed
description of the entire route, the COM
mission. gives the following estimated
| cost of completing the Panama canal
route:
| Colon entrance and harbor, 81, ,334. .673.
! Harbor to Bohio locks, including levee,
/ $40, 718, 288.
Bohto locks, including excavation, $1O,-
982, 345.
/ Lake Bohio. 81 7s6. .449.
| Obispo gates. $295, ,436.
! Culebra section, $44, ,378, 1886.
Pedro Miguel locks, including excava-
/ ton and dam, SIS, 496326
| Pedro Miguel level, $1,169,611
Mira Flores locks. including excavation
and spillWay, So, 720, ,363.
| Pacific level, S12, ,366, ,914
| Bohio dam. So 500 600
Gigantic spillway, 81 124,5 ,524
O76
| Charges diversion, 81, ,929. .976.
Gatuncillo diversion, $10O 000
/ Panama railroad diversion, 81, ,267, 500.
| Total, $11Ss61S, ,816.
Engineering, police, sanitation and
| general contingencies, $23, ,723, 1853
] Aggegate, $142, ,342, ,b79.
I This estimate is capable of reduction
to $1l5,941.2l5, if single locks and a mar
row bottom are adopted. An alternative
estimate is submitted, based on having
the Alhajuela dam built to impound the
waters of the upper Chagres This esti-
/ . fC,Z9
WORK ALREADY DONE.
The commission reports that the value
| OF the French work already done is es-
timated at $33. .934, ,463.
1t is estimated that the tonna e-e that
would use the canal, will amount to T.
O30,O27 tons in 1909.
Referring to the commercial advant-
| ages OF an isthmian waterway. the re-
| port says:
As compared with Europe, the Unit
ed States will derive from the canal far
! greater benefits, both commercially and
1nduStrlally- The commerce of Furope
| with the Pacific coast of North Cen
| tral and South America, under existing
| conditions, is somewhat larger than the
total volume of the present traffic of
the United states that may be con-
| sldered tributary to the canal; but this
/ fact does not indicate the relative ad-
| Yantages which the canal will possess
| Tor the trade of Europe and that of the
| United States. AS soon as it has been
| opened, our trade with the west coast
| OF South America will rapidly increase
as will also the volume of our trade with
| the Orient. The amount of the Ameri-
can commerce through the canal win
| quickly surDass the total amount of
European traffic.
An isthmian canal will strengthen
| the unity of the national and political
! interests of the United States. develop
| its Pacific territory, and promote the
| commerce and Industries of the entire
| country. The benefits which Europe
| will derive from the canal will be com
mercial In addition to this ours will
| be political and Industrial. By bringing
| the eastern and western sections of our
| country into closer relations by reduc-
/ ing the time and cost of Transporting
| our western products to Europe and by
enabling the eastern, southern and cen
| trail states to reach the raw materials
and markets of Pacific countries cheap
ly and expeditiously, the canal will
more fully identify political and social
interests and quicken the industrial ac-
( fiVjfV of section IF TTnffad
States. The iron and steel, the textiles
and the other manufactures of eastern
and southern states the coal from the
mining regions, the cotton from the
south and the grain and forest products
from many sections will flow out to for
eign countries in an increasing volume
and this larger trade will be shared
| generally by the ports of all our sea-
boards-the Atlantic, the Gulf and the
Pacific. The canal will cause the COM
petition of the United States with
Europe in the countries of western
South America and the Orient to be
much keener with the result that the
trade of our country will increase more
rapidly than will that of our rivals. The
canal win aid the United States in Sc
curing and maintaining a position of
primacy in the International trade Of the
world"
The commission concludes with a
careful comparison of the Nicaragua
and Panama routes 1t shows that dis
tances between Atlantic and Pacific
ports are shorter by the Nicaragua tnan
the Panama route This is in part off
set by the increased time in getting
through the Nicaragua canal. The lat
ter route is reported to be more favor
able for sailing vessels. The Nicaragua
route is also regarded as advantageous
through it's development of the country
through which 1t passes. 1t is pointed
out that the Panama concession, now
held by the French company, prohibits
a cession of rights to any nation or for
eign government. The concession is
limited, so that if the United States ac-
quired it, there would not be an absolute
ownership in perpetuity as the conces-
sion provides that the canal shall pass
to Colombia after 80 years. The COM
mission has asked President Hut1n OF
the French company to name terms
upon which the company will dis
pose of its property and interests to the
United States No formal reply was re-
ceived until the commissions report was
being closed The report says that the
conferences have resulted in no offer to
dispose of the property to the United
States upon any terms, nor had the
company expressed any desire to nego-
tiate with the United States with ref
erence to such a disposition. 1t was
proposed by President Hutin that the
United States might obtain control of
the canal scheme as majority stock
holder of a new organization The COM
pany prefers. however, to reincorporate
in the United States, and accord to this
government such representation its
board Of directors and such purchase of
interest as its concessions permitted.
The final conclusions of the commits
sion are stated as follows:
..First-The estimated cost of building
the Nicaragua canal is about $5S,00O000
more than that of completing the Panama
canal, leaving out the cost of acquiring
the latter property. This measures the diff
ference in the magnitude of the obstacles
to be overcome in the actual construction
of the two canals and covers all physical
considerations such the greater or less
height of dams. the greater or less depth
of cuts. the presence or absence of nat
uraI harbors. the presence or absence of
a railroad, the exemption from liability to