The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-04

Control Of the Watervay-Nfeara
qua Route Reconnmendec-Just
cation Of the Expenditure Urged.
The report of the Isthmian Canal Com
mission, transmitted to Congress By the
President today, starts out with a state
ment that ii has been found impFaetieabIe
TO submit complete report at this time,
and that a supplemental one VIII be made
as soon as possible The Commission tLen
proceeds 10 recount its preliminary Ia
bors. such as the inspection Of important
ship canals in Europe, Of the work done
on the Panama Canal, and the survey Of
the Nicaragua route. Il then goes on as
follows:
The salient engineering problems con-
nected with the Nicaragua Canal project,
briefly outlined. are as follows:
First. The construction Of harbors at
the termiEi of the canal
Second. The excavation Of the canal
prism in the swamp sections between
Greytown and the Florida lagoon.
Third. The heavy cutting near Boea
San Carlos and at Tamborcito-
Fourth. The construction OF the large
dam at or near Baco San Carlos in con
nection with the regulation OF the sum
nit level.
Fifth The locks.
Some fifty years ago there was good
baTb0F at GreFtown, TIE eastern terminus
Of the canal, with thirty feet OF water at
the anchorage and about 11e same depth il
the entrance The entrance TO this har-
Dor where il then existed, has been OBJ
liberated. and the haTbor itself is now a
lagoon almost entirely closed. Of restricted
area, with only about half the depth Of va
ter il it that formerly existed Vessels
for GreytOwn are now compelled &c anchor
IN the ofing and discharge their caTgoes
on lighters which are taken into the Ia
goon across a bar having a depth of less
than six feet OF water. As the prevailing
trade winds are strong ana blow almost
directly on this Part Of the coast. the con-
struetion Of a harbor at this terminus of
the canal becomes necessary IA the early
stages CT the work. as vel as for use aft
er the canal is completed.
1T is proposed to construct such har-
bor, of sufficient area to accommodate YES
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there Is nc harbor and an artificial one
must be constructed. The same general
engineering principles will guide in its
construction The width and depth OF the
entrance viii be the same The sand
movement on the western coast, however,
is slight as compared with that in the vi
cinity Of GTeytown- The prevailing winds
on this side are on shore and destructive
storms seldom visit this part Of the coast
The cost OF maintenance, therefore OF the
harbor en- the west side viii be less than
that OF one On the east side Of GTeytown-
Construction OF the Dam.
The most difficult engineering work in
connection with the Nicaragua Canal prof.
ect is the construction of dam across
the San Juan River to hold back the va
ters of the lake and enable its level to be
regulated. It is of great Importance that
this dam should be located above the
mouth Of the San Carlos River. as the lat
ter discharges at times as much as 100000
cubic feet Of water per second, carrying
with 1t great quantities Of sand
The construction of the dam below the
mouth of the San Carlos, even II an eligi-
BILE site were found, would. in addition to
other difficulties, involve contention with
the combined powers of two rivers. the
San Juan proper and the San Carlos. the
discharge of which may at times reach
200 0e0 cubic feet per second. The Mica
ragua Canal Commission made search for
a dam site above the mouth of the San
Carlos in what is called Aqua Muerta
tdsad Naterl. One was found at a place
about two miles above the mouth of the
San Carlos River. Several borings we're
made to determine the level Of the rock.
| These Indicated that good rock would be
found at a maximum depth of about four
teen feet below the mean sea level The
boringS. however. were not sufficient IN
number to determine with accuracy the
topography Of the rock nor its exact
character The present commission has
planned three lines of borings. 100 feet
apart at the site of this dam, the borings
being spaced 100 feet apart on each line.
Hard rock for the foundation has been
found. but in several places at a greater
OGpAl lHGn tHS tltiltLSu uU4t=0CA u DOst tAASS
first taIIea indicated The maximum depth
to hard roch. as developed by the latest
borings. is about forty feet below sea lev
Ell or about Ice feet below low water in
the river ar the SITE which will make it
necessary 10 construct the foundation OF
this part of the dam by the pneumatic
proc ess. The dam in the deepest part will
then have a height OF about loo feet.
''AS the pneumatic process is an ex-
pensire and slow one at best, this Com
mission has made search for an alterna-
tive site 4 few miles farther up the
river. where the typographical and sur
| face indications seemed to offer favorable
results. One has been found which gives
promise Of more satisfactory and less
expensive solution of this problem, bat
the number of boTings thus far taken IS
! not sufficient 10 determine this with GER
tainty. The estimates, therefore, are
based oE a dam at the site selected By
| the Nicaragua Canal Commission.
The time required to build the Nicara-
/ qua Canal hinges almost entirely on the
| time required for the construction Of the
| Boca san Carlos dam. After 4 harbor
! has been opened at Greytown, and rail-
road constructed, the way Viii be open
/ to attack the work from a great many
! points at the same time. so that il am
pie funds are then available, the exea-
vation Of the prism of the canal ought 20
be completed in 6 comparatively snort
time If prosecuted with viCor. The con-
xii he