The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-12-05

Eastern division. from Greytovn TO Bo-
ca san 'a,los Dam, S'2.6t-n n".
Miacl" division, from i:ncI san carlos
Dar' To L.s Iajas. s.. .i25.o',.
Western division. from Las Lajas t" Brito,
81 l.">".t-I.
Nlucty-ciaht miles of railroad. s7.Glo.0c9,
Eagine.rin;. I.oiica. sanitation anI gem
cr;l euntinG Gc:cicy. 81. T.; Olc.
Agcrccat,. SrH.5i'op"
This estimate provides for a double eys-
ten of locks. 81 that navigation can he
maintained IL on" system be- closed for re-
pairs or renewals. II "a single ioskaG" .-yS-
tom is provided the cost viii hr reduced So
$500" Narrowing the bottom ouc-thi-d
Will permit u further reduction of Sl6.9i?."H.
10 SIe3.9i5"1.
By Way of Prnnma.
Concerning the Panama route. the COM
mission says its natural attraction lies in
with low summit. The width of the 18th
mus IS less than th:rtv-five miles while
he summit * bare,y 500 feet above mean
tide After d detailed description Of the
entire route. the commission estimates the
cost OF completing Il canal tn h" $l4c.G'.,-
J.9
The commission reports that the vairc
"f the Fr' nch work already done is eSti-
mated at $;3 Y}i. iG
i:-fcIrin.: To- th. commercial advantages
of an iSthu-iIn waterway. the report says:
AS compared with Europe. tn" United
states will derive from the canal far
greater benefits. both commercially an
induStriafly As soon as, il has been opened
our trad. with the west coast of SOi:th
America will rapidly increase. as will also
The amount Of the American roinmer""
through the canal will quickly surrass the
total amount If European trait1c
Comparison of Routes.
The commission concludes with Il care
fUl comparison of the Nicaragua and Pan
anna routes. IL shows that distances he
tween Atlantic and Pacific ports are snort
.r by the Nicaragua than by the Panama
route This is in part Offset by thc III
creased time in getting through the Mica,
raEua canal. The latter rout. Is reported
to- De more favorable for sailing vessels.
The Nicaragua raut. is also regarded rs
adyantag"ouS through its development OF
the country through which II passes.
IL iS pointed out that the Panama 'oli-
c, sSion now held by the French company.
prohii,its u e, ':'!on ot rights I" any ii''t'p'i
or foreign Government. lhr 1onot.Sioh i
limited 50 that IL the United states =
quireI il there would not be an dhS"!Gtt
ownership in psrrc;Uty. as uhe CONE ,",.i 80,
provides that the canal shiil pass 10 90
Tre "nmnLsEion has ask 1t President
Huiu IL thu French company 10 ni,le
terms upon which the company viii as
nos. Of its property and Interests 1" III"
United States No formal reply WA re-
rcived until the commissions fvl'it WIS
being closed.
Thr fnal conclusions Of the commission
are stated as follows. -,
The estimated cost OF building inc
Nicaragua Canal is about <"S.~",w1 more
than that of compl"iirG tht Panama
canal leaving out tn cost OF aogHrinS
the latter property. This measures the fii-
ference in the magnitude -: the Obstacles
tn he overcome in the actual construction
Of the two canals.
THE new Panama Canal comn2HN has
shown no disposition to sell lis Irperty
ia the United States. Should itau company
be able and willing to sell there - reason
to believe that the price would i.ot hc such
as would make the tota! cost TO IN" tiited
States less than THAI of the Nicaragua
Canal
''The Panama Canal after completion.
would he shorter. have fewer locks and
less curvature than the Nicaragua Canal.
The measure Of theST advantages ia the
time required for Il vessel tn pass through.
which iS estimated fur an avcraS" .hil at
twelve hourS for Panama and thirty three
hours for Nicaragua.
ION the other hand. the distance from
San Francisco to New York is %i1 miles.
To- New orleans 519 miles and To Liverpool
.Si miles greater via Panama than via
Nicaragua. The time required 10 pass over
these distances being greater than the diff
ference in the time of transit through the
canals. III" Nicaragua line. after compile
tion, would he the more advantageous Of the
two to the United States. notwithstanding
the greater cost OF maintaining the longer
canal