The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-05
The ISTHMIAN CANAL
REPORT TAvoRs THE NICARAGUA
ROUTE.
THE TWO PLANS COMPARED
THE PANAMA CANAL WOULD COST
LESS MONEY.

cost 10 construct the NicHruSua
Canal Estimated at $1S3.564,O62
as Against $I44 ,233,30S for the
Panama Roufe-Pnnama Company
Wants SIO9,I IL 600 for Its Conces-
sion-The Latter n Sea Level Canal
and Only FOrty-nine Miles in
Length.
Washington. Dec. 4.-The report of
the Isthmian Canal Commission was
sent to Congress to-day. The commits
sion, as anticipated several weeks ago.
favors the Nicaragua route and makes
an estimate of $1S9, ,S64,O62 as the total
cost of construction of the canal
through Nicaragua. The estimated cost
of the Panama route is $144. .2SS, 1858, but,
the report says, it would cost $109, ,141,-
900 to obtain the Panama concession.
The report says the Panama route is
feasible as sea level canal,
while the Nicaragua route must
be by locks, but Lake Nicaragua
will furnish an inexhaustible supply of
water for the canal. The Nicaragua
| route has no natural harbors at either
| constructed. Harbors already exist at
each end of the Panama route, but
considerable work must be done at
the entrance of the harbor on the At
lantic side. With adequate force and
plant the commission estimates that
the Nicaragua canal can be completed
in six years, exclusive of two years for
preparation. Ten years is estimated TO
complete the Panama canal. The to-
tai length of the Nicaragua route is
1888 sc miles, and the Panama route
49. 09 miles. The estimated cost of
operating and maintaining the Nicara-
qua canal annually is 81 1850, 900 great
er than that of the Panama canal. The
estimated time for a deep draught ves-
sci to pass through the Panama canal
is twelve hours, and through Nicara-
qua canal. thirty-three hours. The
Nicaragua route, the report says, is
| more advantageous for commerce save
| that originating on the west coast of
| South America. For the Gulf ports
| the advantage is two days, and for
most of the ports in the Atlantic and
Pacific, one day. The Nicaragua route
is said to be better for sailing vessels,
on account of favoring winds. Hy-
| gienie conditions also favor Nicaragua
|
should acquire control of a strip of ter
ritory ten miles wide from sea
| to sea to build the canal The
consent of Nicaragua and Costa Rica
must be obtained to construct the ca
nal, but the report says this can easily
| be secured. The concessions granted
by the Colombian government to the
Panama Canal Company have many
years to run, and new concessions can
NOT he ad
The report concludes as follows:
After considering all the facts de-
veloped by the Investigations made by
the commission, the actual situation
as 1t now stands. and having in view
the terms offered by the New Panama
| Canal Company. this commission is of
the opinion that the most practicable
and feasible route for an isthmian ca
nal, to be under control, MANAGEMENT
and ownership of the United States, is
that known as the Nicaragua route"
Favors the Panama Route.
George S. Morrison, a member of the
commission, submits a minority report
favoring the Panama route He saws
the estimates for the Nicaragua canal
do not make sufficient provisions for
unknown conditions and contingencies.
No consideration, he says, has been
given to accidental interruption Of
traffic by Nicaragua, which he thinks
would not be so likely to occur at Pan
anna. He believes that better condi-
tions and terms can be arranged
through the acquisition of the Panama
Canal Company's right, than by any
negotiation with Nicaragua and Costa
Rica. The government. after securing
these rights, he says could negotiate
direct with Colombia for the right to
construct the canal. He closes by
saying:
1.-The Panama route has advantages
over the Nicaragua route in cost Of
construction, cost of operation and in
convenience when done, while it's use
is less likely to lead to local interna-
tional complications. If the United
States government is to build an 18TH
mian canal, the Panama route is the
best"