The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-02
DISCUSSES CANALS
THE PANAMA AND NICARAGUAN
ROUTES COMPARED BY AN
EXPERT
SOME INTERESTING DATA
Figures Given Seem to Favor the
Panama Route as Most Desir-
able fos. the Worlds Ship
ping Interests.


WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec 1.-The
chief photographer of the isthmtan canal
commission, Arthur Davis, has just cons
pleted an article in which he compares
the two canal routes proposed, and g-vea
some new and interesting data BEARING on
the availability of each. He says:
The value of an isthrnian canal depends
upon the difference between the toi:s
charged by the canal and the expense it
saves in shortened voyages and TRANSFERS
of freight To be public benefit, its
tolls must be less than the cost of trans
ferrng freight to the Panama RAILROAD,
hauling it across the forty-seven miles
of that line and reloading Il on the ether
SIDE. The canal will be compelled also to
compete with the Tehauntepec railroad,
1tG miles in length, en- a route very much
shorter between points in the nortnern
hemisphere than by way Of either canal.
For these reasons to be a success the
interoceanic canal must not only be a
f1st-class canal, operated at low rates.
but must be located en- the most faVoIaDla
route.
While both the Panama and Nicaragua
routes involve enigeering feats OF great
magnitude, they are both entirely feasi-
bic. Both have ample and certain wafer
supplies and can control their surplus
waters with certainty and safety. Doth
can be constructed IN about ten years,
and can be maintained in a Eigh state
OF efficiency. III all these respects the
routes are about equal.
Panama Channel Partly Dag.
No construction work has. been done
in Nicaragua, while in Panama about
69,OC0,000 worth of work has been done,
but the partly constructed canal, with it's
concessions, belongs to a French COM
pany which is prohibited from trans r
ring it to any government. 1t might, now
ever, relinquish its rights for a sufnclent
consideration, thus leaving the Colonb an
government free to negotiate new con-
cession with the United States.
The Isthmian canal commission, in IS
preliminary report, estimates that canal
of So feet depth, $50 feet bottom width,
and duplicate locks &C large dimension
would cost SOS, 0C0,0t0 more at Nicaragua
than the completion of the Panama canal
on a similar bass.
The total length of the Nicaragua route
is 107 miles, of which 40 are deep Watef
in the lake, where vessels can traVei at
full speed, and canal proper. Eighteen
miles OF the river require no improve
ment other than the construction OF the
0am. and will require little attention for
maintenance, but viii require lighting, at,
tendance of tugs, tele graph service, etc.,
and will be included in cost Of operation
and maintenance, while the lake Will be
excluded, though it will also require some
lights, and telegraph wires must go
around it.
Comparing the Routes.
The length of the Panama canal IS
about forty-seven miles, of which ten
are in Lake Bollio which Is really the
Chagres river inpounded by the Bono
dam, but being of the same nature as
the eighteen miles of San Juan river on
the Nicarag qua route it will, like that be
charged for operation and maintenance
Taking these lengths. 1SS miles for
Nicaragua, and forty-seven miles for
Panama. and we find that if tolls axe
made to- just cover expenses they can
be about SO cents per ton lower by the
Panama than by the Nicaragua route.
No trade between Europe and the ORR
ent can profitably use either the Panama
or Nicaragua canal, the distance being
very much shorter via. Suez. NeSsN-a
from New York, bound for ports south
of Hongkong, will go via. Suez or Good
Hope. but for Shanghai. Yokohoma or
Manila they can save time via. the Amer
lean canal while Hongkong is SO nearly
equal as to bring into play the advantage
offered by the Suez route OF more fire.
quent ports available for coalinS and
repairs, and the Suez canal would obtain
the tariff unless lower rate We're offered
by way of the American isthmus routes
Of travelling that would use an isthnian
canal.
To sum up, sailing vessels to and from
the north, or, say per cent of the total
traffic, would prefer Nicaragua; steam
vessels from Gulf ports to the west coast
of North America, or perhaps % per cent
of the total, would prefer Panama, but
might use either route with nearly
equal advantage; while all the rest, or
Z per cent would much prefer Panama;
and the traffic to and from the west
coast of South America in steam vessels,
or about 8 per cent would, by way Of
Panama save an average of nearly forty
miles in distance and IS cents per ton
always assuming that these are to be
based on expenses.