Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-12-03
LIGHT ON CANAL REPORT.
Chief Reasons Why the Com m ission Fa-
vors Nicaragua Route.


A synopsis of the report of the 18TH
milan canal commission gives the COM
missions reasons for selecting the Me
aragua route in preference to the Pan
ANA route. 1t says that the Panama
route alone is feasible for a sea level
canal, although both are entirely practl-
cable and feasible for a canal with locks.
The time required to complete a sea
level canal on the Panama route, prob
ably more than twice that needed TO
build a canal with locks, excludes it from
favorable consideration aside from other
features Of its construction.
With an adequate force and plant rae
commission estimates that the Nicaragu
canal can be completed in four years.
This indicates, under reasonable allow
ance for ordinary delays, that if the
force and plant are available to secure
practically concurrent execution of all
portions of the work on the route the
completion of the entire work might be
effected within SIX years after its begin
ming exclusive of the two years esumat-
ed for the period of preparation.
The greatest single feature of work on
the Panama route is the excavation III
the Culebra section. amounting TO about
43,000,000 cubic yards of hard clay, much
of which is classed as soft rock. 1t is
estimated that this cut can be completed
in eight years exclusive Of two-year
period for preparation.
The report goes on to say: a canal by
the Panama route will be simply means
of communicating between the two
oceans. The Nicaragua route, on the
other hand would bring Nicaragua and
a large portion of Costa Rica and other
Central American States into close and
easy communication with the United
States and with Europe"
The report also points out differences
In hygiene conditions existing along the
Nicaragua and Panama routes and makes
it clear that in this respect owing to
sparse population the Nicaragua route is
much more preferable than the Panama
route.
The total length of the Nicaragua route
from sea to sea is 1886 miles, While
the total length of the Panama route is
400 miles. The length in standard canal
sections and in harbor entrances is 1913
miles for the Nicaragua route and 364l
for the Panama route.
The estimated cost of construction of
the canal on the Nicaragua route is $40
630, 7Q4 more than of completing the Pan
anna canal, emitting the cost of acquiring
the latter property,
The estimated annual cost Of maintain
ing and operating the Nicaragua canal is
S1,350,00O greater than the correspond
ing charges for the Panama canal The
estimated time for deep-draft vessel TO
pass through is about twelve hours for
Panama and thirty-three hours for Mic
aragua.
The cost Of constructing a canal by the
Nicaragua route and of completing the
Panama canal, without including the cost
of acquiring the concessions from the
different governments, is estimated rs
follows:
Nicaragua entertainments S9, STD, Oti2
For the proper comparison there must
be added to the Panama route the cost
of acquiring the rights and property of
the new Panama Canal Company The
commission has estimated the value of
these and the project recommended by il
at S40,000,000.
The report says that the French Pan
anna Company asks 500, 14I 800 for its
property and concessions. This. added
TO the cost of completing the work. makes
the whole cost of a canal by the Panama
route S253, 3T4 .S3S, while the cost by the
Nicaragua route is $1S9, S64. 062. differ
-ence OF S63,51o,796 in favor of the Mic
aragua route.