The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-19
ISTHhIAN CANAL ROUTES |
A Lecture on. the Subject of Inter
Oceanic Waterways.
Arthur =. Davis, in an Address He
fore National Geographic society
Describes the Various Projects
Obstacles In the Way of America
Taking Up the Panama Enterprise.


Government Investigations of rainfall
river flow. evaporation, water storage. and
related subjects of the Nicaragua and
Panama Canal routes. and has spent near
ly two years upon the isthmus, making
frequent journeys over both routes. in
supervision of the photographic work. e
The lecture was illustrated by a large
number of lantern slides. some of which
were colored. After speaking of the i'm
portance of the isthmian problem. and the
| attention which it has attracted in the
past. the lecturer referred briefly to the
various proposed waterways. mentioning
| the Atrato, the San Bias, and the Gale
! donia routes The San Bias route, he said
| is across the narrowest part OF the 18TH
mus, being only thirty miles from ocean
to ocean. It. however. requires the con-
struction of a tunnel seven miles long.
The Caledonia route was first advocated
by DIR. Cullen. about 1850 The present
| Isthmiau Canal Commission, Mr.. Davis
said. had caused a reconnaissance to be
made of the entire Isthmus of Darien.
which resulted in the conviction that no
other route compares in practicability with
| the laTaula ana NiCdTdBudn IOultS.
THE Panama route" he said. though
not passing through the narrowest part
of the isthmus, has a natural harbor on
each coast, with depression in the back
bone of the Cordillera only 1863 feet above
sea level. These natural advantages led
to the construction in 1851 of the Pan
anna Railway, from Colon, on the Carib-
| Do,,a he arff 10 RI aS-
commodate the heavy traffic induced by
the discovery of gold in California. In
1878 De Lesseps inaugurated his cele-
brated attempt to cut sea level canal
! through here, without having made any
adequate estimate of the cost, or even
of the physical distractions to be over
| come.
"A large amount of work was actually
dore, the canal being practically COM
| pleted for seven miles on its northern
| end and quantities OF heavy excavation
made in the upper and southern portions
| of the route. The sums actually sub
scribed and put into this work are va
riously stated as more or less than $780,
| 600 GOO, not more than one-fourth OF
which is represented by actual construc-
ton, the balance being squandered in
corrupt and reckless extravaganza: and
the scandals occasioned thereby led to
the bankruptcy OF the company and the
suspension of the work. small force
is. and has been for several years, at
work on construction"
Mr.. Davis then told the history of the
proposed Nicaraguan route. Continuing,
he said:
THE route adopted by the Nicaragua
| Canal Commission in 1899 starts near
Greytown on the Caribbean, runs In u
| general southwesterly direction across
| the swamps and lowlands, north of Lake
| Silico along the San Juanillo. through
| two locks. reaching the left bank OF tine
| San Juan River. near the head of san
| Juanillo, about twenty miles from Grey
| town; it then follows near the left bank
| of the river, but not in it. to a point about
| a mile above the mouth of the Rio San
| Carlos. A high dam near this point Will
| raise the waters of the San Juan to the
| level OF Lake Nicaragua. and the canal
will enter the basin through two locks
| ana follow the course of the river for the
most part TO Lake Nicaragua.
Several cut-offs on the natural course
| of the river will be made. and above Cas-
| tillo a large amount of dredging will have
| to be done, to secure the required depth,
and this viii be continued far out into
| Lake Nicaragua. West of the lake the
| line runs by way of the valley of Las La
| jas, cuts through the divide. and follows
| the Rio Grande Valley through four LOCKS
| to the Pacific. where a harbor is to be
/ constructed. The total length is about
| 40 miles. of which 50 miles is deep water
| in Lake Nicaragua. leaving 13l miles of
| canal proper.
1T is to have ten locks; the level Of
| Lake Nicaragua and all the canal between
| Boca San Carlos and Bueno Retro, the
| extremities of the summit level, are to be
| controlled between the limits of 10i and
| Il,
| cent of the surplus water will be dis
| charged through the canal line into the
| Rio Grande, and thence into the Pacific,
| and the remaining SO per cent into the
| Caribbean. by way of the Rio San Juan
After a brief description of the charac-
ter of the country. the climate. and the
people In the vicinity of the canal routes
the lecturer entered upon a detailed COM
parison of the Panama and Nicaragua
routes. reaching the conclusion that The
latter was more desirable than the
former.
The paramount objection of the Panama
| route is, he said. the apparent impossi-
bility OF obtaining for the United States
| Government concession that will include
| exclusive ownership and control.
The canal company" said the lee
turer, lis absolutely prohibited to cede
| or mortgage its rights under any con
sideration whatever to any nation or for
eign Government G2der penalty OF for
| fixture. The contract with the railroad
| company contains a like prohibition and
declares further that the pain of forfeit
ure will be incurred by the mere act Of
| attempting to cede or transfer its Drivi-
lege to a foreign Government and such n
| act is declared absolutely null and Of
no value or effect.
For these reasons" the lecturer said,
| the Isthmian Canal Commission. in it's
preliminary report, has recommended the
adoption of the Nicaragua route. and that
country assumes anew its absorbing inter-
est for Americans.
Nicaragua is as large as the State of
Ohio and even richer in natural resources.
Its population is less than the city %
| Cleveland, and % per cent OF these are
| Indians or of mixed blood. The few eau
| casians are Spanish, Italians, Americans
Germans and English.
| Nicaragua is very healthy and better
| suited for white colonization than most
| tropical countries, and the canal will be
the outlet for nearly the whole country.
THE portion of Costa Rica adjacent to
| the canal line Is practically uninhabited
| II contains some swamp lands and noun
| tains but in the main il is a vast track
less forest of wonderful fertility, which
will be developed into a productive re-
| gion by the construction OF the canal. 1t
| Is similar in all essential respects to the
adjacent parts of Nicaragua.
| In view of all these facts 1t is ineyita-
| BILE that large American canal through
| this country will have a powerful infiu-
ence upon the destiny Of this region
No Other for Years.