The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-05
REPORT ON ISTHMIAN CANAL
RECOMMENDS THE
 NICARAGUA ROUTE.
sEstimated Cost Si9O,OOO, ,OOO-Cnn he
 Completed in Eight Years-Compari- i& son of the Route Favored With That z at Panama More Advantageous to x x Commerce.

< Washington, Dec. 1.-The report of fthe Isthmian canal commission was
 ai0n favors the Nicaragua route and
 entinates the total cost of construction < of the canal through Nicaragua at $1o9,- x 664, ,062 The estimated cost of the Pan
 anna route is $144, ,233, ,35S but, the report SaEays, it would cost $1O9, Al, 900 to obtain < the Panama concession. The commits
 sion values the work done by the IS Wrench at $4O,OOO,0 ,0O0.
 The report says the Panama route is feasible as a sea level canal, while the Nicaragua route must be by locks, but
 5Lxake Nicaragua will furnish an mex &QAuSttble supply of water for the canal. Nhe Nicaragua route has no natural \ harbors at either end, but satisfactory \ hArbors may be constructed. Harbors kAlready exist at each end of the Pana-
 ma route, but considerable work must { ne done at the entrance of the harbor \ N0n the Atlantic side.
 sx With adequate force and plant the SNommission estimates that the Nicara- < Rt1a canal can be completed in six vars, Sx Exclusive of two years for preparat on. W m years, it is estimated, will be need ae1 to complete the Panama canal. The
 f6tal lf length of the Nicaragua route is 3.66 miles and of the Panama route
 &09 miles. The estimated annual cost S0f operating and maintaining the Nic- 3 kHgua canal is s1,35OOO0 greater than s$6at of the Panama canal The esti- Co.,, l.>, cl,+ @> aN$&s through the Panama canal is I$fWelve hours and through the Nieara- Ina canal thirty-three hours.
 The Nicaragua route, the report says, s3t more advantageous for commerce, %4Ye that originating on the west coast
 4k South America. For the Gulf ports
 6he Aadvantage is two days, and for gj4I0st of the ports on the Atlantic and zERcif1c one day. The Nicaragua route
 eaid to be better for sailing vessels a0h Recount of favoring winds. Hygien- S conditions also favor this route. " The commission says that the United
 Hates could acquire control of a strip |tl territory ten miles wide from sea to
 HEN through which to build the canal. x t2e consent of Nicaragua and Costa
 1ira must be obtained but the report s1&Ys this can easily be secured. The ilcSssions granted by the Colombian I Government to the Panama Canal com
 4py have many years to run and new
 o4ieessfons cannot be granted to the
 United States. The report concludes as y 14fI9Ws: ;8{ tsAfter considering all the facts de- H z0ped by the Investigations made by \ 134 Commission, the actual situation as 3E&i10w stands, and having in view the 34TiYis offered by the new Panama Canal | |46xnpRny, this commission is of the 1 '6pffion that the most practicable and | fH8sible route for an isthmian canal to | f. \ 8lioer rfrc control, management and !
 HefShtp of the United States, is that |
 0Wn as the Nicaragua route.'
 % 2e6r8e S. Morrison, member of the l 6HYf1ission, submits a minority report |
 SV0x1nE the Panama route. He says |
 I5e Estimates for the Nicaragua route l U6f 11ot make sufficient provision for un- |EmVWn conditions and contingencies No | 11TiI1 Iii fdeTa ton, he says, has been given 49 Accidental interruption of traffic by | which he tn nks would not | U& 8eo likely to occur a S at Panama. He | Thieves that better conditions and bet IF terms can be arranged through the XIcauiHition of the Panama Canal com
 KHV's rights than by any negotiations %ith Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The X8yernment, after securing these <(Shts, he says, could negotiate direct ! ||R4th Colombia for the right to con- Xtrhct the canal MT. Morrison closes SS saying:
 sThe Panama route has advantages over the Nicaragua route in cost of con Htfuction, in cost of operation ard in when done, while its use is lsss likely to lead to local international Complications. If the United States Government is to build an isthmian G8nal the Panama route is the best.