The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-11-13
THE NICARAGUAN ROUTE.
Relieved That the Canal Commission
VIII R.-rnu, L-.a-nh IL

The isthUiau Canal Commission was I'm
session at its quarters i'm the CorCorau
Building again this morning and con-
tiuUed the work Of going over the report
which is nearly completed The mem
beers of the Commission will make no
definite statement regarding their report
until after il has been submitted % the
President. it is believed. however. that
they viii recommend the Nicara guam
route. and the report will set forth the
reason FOR its selection i'm preference TO
the Panama and other routes OF less i'm
portance. II was said today that the re
port would probably not De signed before
the middle of next week
4 Washington despatch to the New
York Herald. printed this moraiug. says:
Here are some of the important POINTS
in the final report of the Isthmi1n Canal
Commission, which is practically com
pieted:
,l--Consideration Of all the information
obtdlHtd with regard 10 the NIcaragua
and Panama Canal routes establishes that
the former Is 'the most practicable and
feasible route Tor an isthmiaH canal TO
be under the control. mauagymeut, aad
ownership OF the United States
-Provision IS made for canal which
ShaH have depth of thirty-fivc feet and
"A width AT the bottom OF 1T least one hun
dred ana fifty feet. and which shall De
provided with eight locks. four on either
side Of Lake Nicaragua.
The estimated cost Of the cOnstruc-
tiOn OF the canal by the Nicaragua route
Is about $2Jh. 900 900. This is $JS. UUJ.0UJ more
than Il will cost to complete the Panama
Canal, excluding the price that would
have to be paid for acquiring the Panama
Canal concession. While the Panama Ca
nal, after completion. would be shorter
than the Nicaragua Canal. and Ould
nave fewer locks and less curvature, en-
ID f.T frIH #.r.s.
the passage Of a ship from the Atlantic 20
the Pacific Ocean, this advantage Is Offset
b. the fact that the Nicaragua route Is
nearer the United States. and ship
cisco could save time by using the Mica
ra-ua instead of the Panama route.
1.-THE Commission declines 10 recon-
mend Tor adoption proposal submitted
Dy the Panama Canal Company relative
{ tho price which shall DE paid by the
United States for its concession Tram
mtled by this concession. Colombia is not
free to enter into independent arrange
meEtS with the United States.
Unlike Colombia Nicaragua and
Costa Ricl are absolutely unbound by any
eugagemeHts, and are prepared to make
liberal concessions to the United States
10 Induce 1t go build the Nicaragua Ca
nal
While the Commission will make no
reference in its report to the obstacles
which may be thrown In the way Of leg
iSlatlpE in behalf of the Nicaragua route.
ti1n mas been formed 70 defeat the Mica
Tagua Canal bin which will be the out
come or It's report This combination
consists Of the following interests
mics.
The Pacific Mail Steamship Company.
The Panama Canal Company
The Suez Canal Company
The Atlas Steamship Company. which
controls exclusive rights Of trauspOrta-
ll'. across Nicaragua. ano which itself
Is owned by the Neutrality-suspicious. line
I he recommendations Of the Commits
sion are unanimous There is not a dis
SeHJnE voice tp their incorporation in its
final report Two sessions were held to
day. during each of which the final re-
port was gone over paragraph by para
graph. and careful revision made The
correct report viii be- typewriter. and the
revised report viii be again considered at
me session which VIII boz held tomorrow.
ihe Commission expects to sign the
report certainly this week perhaps on
THURSDAY, and &c viii then be submitted
10 The PRESIDENT II VIII be accompanied
by numerous appendices. which viii in
ciude an able discussion Of the Industrial
and commercial value Of the canal TO
the United States and a comparison Of
the commercial advantages derivablc
from the Nicaragua and Panama routes.
1t viii be shown FOR instance that so
FAR as the domestic commerce OF the
tItted States is concerned. the Mica
ragIa route viii DE preferable. The ad-
vantagCs OF the two routes with respect
TO trade with the Far East and Australia
are about equal The Panama route is
superior for trade with South Africa.
The Commission has also eXhaustiveiy
discussed the present tonnage OF await
able traffic ana has prepared a statement
regarding the probable traffic Of the ca
nal when il is in operation.
The construction 81 the Nicar3 qua Ca
nal viii take about ten years
The report gives iu great detail the en-
cheering questions which must be solved
i'm connection with the construction OF the
Nicaragua Canal BOTiHgs made by eugi-
HecTs az COnchuda. Just above the mouth
Of the san Carlos River, have established
that IL is the best site for the dam. which
win control the great discharge Of that
stream The Commission estimates that
a saving Of S5.UJ1UJt will he effected by
the selection Of This site. while the engi-
n,crioE advantage VIII be corresponding
IS great.
The Ochoa dam project has been aban-
dgrtd
Artificial harbGTS must be constructed
at Greytowu and near BritO of O. depth
equal 90 that of the canal. and this work
will De extremely expensive