The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-04-04
THE CANAL
COMMISSION.
All but One Of Members Have
Returned to This Country.
REAR ADMIRAL WALKER TALKS
Ne Declines, However, 10 State Whether
He Has Any Preference as 10 Route.
PRINCIPAL PLANS HAVE ADVANTAGES.
A Mass Of Data Has Been Accumulated but
Report Cannot Be Maas Before Tho Middle
Of December Next
Ne Declines, However, 10 State Whether
He Has Any Preference as 10 Route.
PRINCIPAL PLANS HAVE ADVANTAGES.

New York. April 4.--Rear Admiral
John G.. Walker and three other 18th
mian canal commissioners returned
yesterday on the Atlas line steamer
Allegheny. The other commissioners
were Samuel Pasco of Florida. Col. os-
wald III. Ernst, l.. ). A., and Prof.
Emory X. Johnson of the University
of Pennsylvania. With the exception
of George s. Morrison of this city all
the commissioners have now returned
to this country. The Allegheny reached
pier No. 1. North river, at $3.50 o'clock,
and Rear Admiral Walker went direct
to the Cortlandt street ferry and took
a train for Washington. He talked
freely as to what he and the other COM
missioners saw at both Nicaragua and
Panama during the last three months.
but he refused absolutely TO say which
he considered the most available route
for an inter-oceanic canal Neither
would he give his opinion as to wheth-
er the canal should be fortified.
DATA COLLECTED.
1--WE have collected SO muct material
OF an importanlt nature" said the Rear
Admiral, that it will be impossible for
us to whip a into proper shape for
presentation TO President Mckinley
much before the middle OF next De-
cember. The best part Of this data we
collected In the bush, in which We
spent three months. When we reacI.ed
Nicaragua we imm aiately began 10
examine the work which was being
done by the various engineering parties
engaged along the Lire for some time.
Our trip across Nicaragua required six
weeks, and when we reached the Pa
cific side we proceeded by steamer
down 10 Panama. We spent but two
weeks in making the journey from
Panama to Colon. We had originally
thought that this part Of the journey
would take us fully a month. The
presence of the railroad made IL less
difficult to accomplish than we antic-
ipated Our journey over the Nlcara-
qua route was most fatiguing one.
because we had to depend absolutely
upon mules. inferior as well as refrac-
tory.
ORGANIZATION EFFECTED.
"when we left this city one of the
first things we did was 10 organize our
selves into four committees and / was
elected chairman eX-officio Of each. IL
was decided that Mr.. Alfred Noble OF
Chicago, Prof. William III. Burr OF CO.
lumbia. and Gen. Hains should be the
committee on the Nicaraguan route.
The rest OF the commissioners We're
split up I'm this way: PanasA route,
Messrs. Burr. Morrison and Ef.frt. 9th
err possible routes besides Panama and
Nicaragua. Messrs. Morrison, Noble
and Hains. Messrs Johnson. Haupt
and Pasco We're made committee on
the Industrial. commercial and military
advantages of a canal.
commissioner Morrison, who is n
member OF the committee on other
routes, is now on the Isthmus OF Dari-
en-. but is expected 90 return here in a
few weeks. Just before we boarded
the Allegheny we waited upon the pres
ident OF Costa Rico to ascertain what
concession could be obtained as To A
canal. We found work most active
along the route of the Panama canal
about 1000 men pushing the work.
This route certainly has its advan-
tages, but then SO has that Of Nicara-
qua"
WOULD NOT ANSWER.
"Do you favor "a fortified canal?"
THAT question | would not answer
under any circumstances. My duty
like that Of the others, is TO state the
facts and to present TO congress the
result OF our survey and observations
We certainly will not commit ourselves
on the question OF fertilization. In the
selection of route It must be remem-
bered that the chief points are those
Of engineering, economic and military
consideration. As I previously re-
marked, both routes have their advan-
tages. and these fine points are TO be
brought out in the report that we are
to prepare.
1--WE have examined, almost every
inch. / may say. of the territory down
there. When we finished our survey OF
the Panama route we divided as n
committee, some going TO Darien. /
went TO Costa Rico. We were delighted
with the way that the people OF Mic
aragua, Panama and Costa Rico re-
cciyed us. With the exception % n
small opposition OH the part of some
Indians we were most Hospitality re-
ceived. The sentiment OF the people
everywhere We found To be In favor OF
the United States building the canal"
1T has been limited that you favor
the Panama canal.
l.. Nef