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

VI AAC SOSAs
THE following is the estimated cost Of
canal on the Nicaragua route:
Eastern Division (from Greytown to
Boca San Carlos dam) ......--....-.. So 6G2s OJo
Middle Division (fTOm BoCa san Carlos
dam to Las Laias)--------=....-.-... 25,42o,0J9
Western Division (fron Las Lajas to
Britol d os0'ooo
$50. 10. ooo
IS miles Of railroad 5,S50.09o
Total ........---........-. I67 III, 900
Engineering, police, sanitation, and
general contingencies ------------.-- 8, 4ZS,UOO
Aggregate ......................... 2oa5iO.o coo
This estimate is for a canal suitable
for navigation by the largest ships now in
existence. and thus in accordance with the
terms of the bill pending in Congress. It
provides for a double system OF locks, SO
that navigation can be maintained if one
system be closed for repairs or renewals
The estimate OF cost is much in excess
Of any heretofore made on this route and
arises chiefly from the increased dimen-
siOns Of the canal, the dol bic system Of
locks, the extra cost Of the 6 IN. Carlos dam
due TO increased depth OF rock, increased
embankments, and the modification in
part CT the line on the eastern division,
which has been located by this Commits
sion farther from the San Juan River in
the interest of security
while the project on which this eSti-
mate is based is the one recommended,
canal of smaller dimensions and reduced
Jockage facilities can be opened for navi-
CATION at considerably less cost If 4 sin
gle lockage system only were first proTid
ed, so designed as to permit the construc
ton ultimately Of a second system, the
first cost would be reduced S19,6IS.000- A
further reduction Of SIT, $40 0G0 could be
made by narrowing the bottom width one
I'D oil THn tod 1falo 1,Tc in ~
nal, river, and lake sections. With these
reductions made the estimated cost would
become S165, 913, GOO. In such q canal the
time for passage and the risks to ships
would be materially greater than in the
enc recommended"
the report then proceeds to state the
condition of the uncOmpIeted Panama Ca
nal and the estimated cost Of carrying it
10 completion. One of these estimates
places the cost at S142, 1859; the other
at S155, 37S, 25S. The value Of the French
work already done IS placed at S33, 1874, 46S.
The report further on says:
THE use that would be made OF an 18TH
milan canal by the United States and other
nations and the effects Of that use upon
the development of our resources and the
extension of cur domestic and foreign
trade have been carefully investigated.
and the commercial advantages deTiYable
from the Nicaragua and Panama routes
have been compared in order that every
factor having bearing upon the location
Of the canal might be considered In the
prosecution of this enquiry data were Sc
cured from the Official statistics of our
own and foreign GoveInp1ents, from com
merciaI organizations and business men
who we're conferred with personally, and
by an extensive correspondence The final
report OF the Commission will contain
full discussion of the value OF the canal.
The following are some CT the conclu-
c70 IN -z-T1I has led
Traffic on the Canal
TO determine the amount of tonnage
that would use the canal we're it now in
existence, two distinct statistical investi-
cations have been made In one of these
the exports and imports OF The United
States and of the leading commercial ma
lions OF Europe were studied for the pur-
pose Of 2scertaining how many tons Of
cargo, or how much freight, those coun-
tries would now contribute to the traffic
through an American lnteFOceanlc canal
The statistics of exports and imports Of
all countries being given either in values
or quantities. it was necessary to convert
these into their tonnage equivalents This
change having been made for each com
mO6ity. IS uas found thai 3.426,T 20 cargo
tons CT the maritime commerce OF the
United States during the year ended June
50, 1893, could have used the canal to ad
vantage During the calendar year 1893
the trade of Europe With the west coast
of South and Central America and British
Columbia amounted TO S,345,37T cargo
tons The sum OF these two amounts, G.
773, 10 cargo or freight tons, does not in
Ciude any OF the trade between Europe
and the Orient, part OF which would
have used the American canal had 1t been
in existence. The figures. moreover. apply
to the commerce of the lst carried on
under the conditions then prevailing.
The statistics Of entrances and clear
anccS show that the net register tonnage
Of the American and foreign shipping that
would have passed through q canal had it
existed during the year 1898 80 was f.
So 12S tons, in addition to part of the
commerce between Europe and the ORR
ent. The opening of the American 18th
milan Canal viii accentuate the present
tendency to follow round-the-woTld lines,
and not less than one-fourth of the pres
enI traffic Of Europe with Eastern coun-
tries may be expected TO use this route.
One-foUTth OF the vessel tonnage employ
ed in the uropean-Oriental commerce
during the calendar year 1898 amounted to
1,154, 32S tons net, and this added TO 4,5S2,-
12S gives total Of 5,735,456, the number
of tons of shipping that would have used
a canal had it been in existence in 1898
's9
Records of vessel movements, kept by
the New Panama Canal Company, show
that the commerce between the east and
west coasts OF the American Continent,
and between Europe and the American
west coast would have caused an 18th
mian canal to be used by 3,84S,577 tons net
register for the traffic available in 1898.
The difference between the result of the
investigation made by the French COM
pany and that conducted by this Commits
sion is 800, $50 tons; however, two-ffths
of this difference is accounted for by the
fact that the French statistieians did not
include any tonnage for the trade carried
on between the eastern half OF the United
States and foreign Pacific countries by
way of our Pacific ports. The difference
between the two totals may also be part
y due TO lhCir not covering identical pc
RODS. The United States statistics of
entrances and cleaTances studied by this
Commission were for the fiscal year end
ing June 20, 1899, whereas the French rec
ord of vessel movements was for the cal
endar years 1893. The similarity in the
results OF the two Investigations is evil
hence of the essential accuracy of both
The increase during the decade preced-
CWAMD rot recommended 10,
- w SNAFAA -