The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-12-23
FIGURES OF BIG CANAL.
Nicaragua Waterway Expected
to Cost $3.50, 900, 900.
DOUBLE LOCK SYSTEM TO BE USED

Locks. Four on Ench sue OF the
Lake.
Details of the grand scheme under
which the United States will build the
Nicaragua canal are rapidly becoming
known since the isthmian canal com
mission at Washington has completed
its report and senators and others
have been taken into the confidence of
the members of the million dollar
board.
The New York Herald presents facts
and figures of the engineering features
of this greatest of national undertake
ings. Unless legislative miracle hap
pen, congress will this winter vote 20
construct the Nicaragua canal at cost
OF S1S9000.000. This is for two great
harbors--one at Greytown. on the At
lantic or Caribbean end of the canal,
and the other at Brito. at the Pacific
end-for canal OF eight locks, and
for an enormous dam at Conchuda, on
the San Juan river, several miles above
the mouth Of the San Carlos river.
The Greytown harbor and entrance
to the canal will cost S2.196,SG0 and
the Brito harbor and entrance will cost
S1.509.470. The Greytown harbor half
century ago had a depth Of fifty feet
of water. II Is now but little better
than lagoon. with half the depth, and
lighters bearing cargoes from ships an-
chored in the otiing have to cross
bar that carries less than six feet of
water.
AS the canal is to have n depth OF
thirty-fve feet II is necessary that the
harbor and entrance should have the
same. 1t is proposed to have harbors
at either end of the canal, protected by
Jetties $500 feet long. These jetties
will be constructed of loose stone and
will be six feet above the water. The
entrance will be 800 feet wide and of
35 feet depth. Much more dredging
will be necessary at Greytown than at
Brito. The sand movement at Brito
will be less than at Greytown. and the
cost Of maintenance will be far less
Within the harbors there will be n
turning basin of 1.SO0 feet.
IL will be impossible for the govern
ment to use the Greytown lagoon, for
that is all 1t is today, for the landing of
machinery or material for the prosecu-
ton of the work on the canal. In order
TO prosecute the work to advantage 1t
Twill be necessary to do much railroad
Jbuiiding. A railroad must he built for
: about 100 miles In order to do the work
at all. This railroad will cost, it is es-
$4,000 a mile. and its total
j, cost will be S7,5T5,00O. This is under
~ stood to lie exclusive of equipment. A
\ branch of he road will also have to be
run from tie main line to the proposed
great Conch1da dam.
This dam Is necessary to the success
OF the project. The canal. as is well
known. passes through Lake Nicara-
qua. This lake, while forming natural
portion of the canal. at the same time
presented difficult problem. 1t is 1OO
miles long and 45 miles wide. and II
discharges into the Caribbean sea
through the San Juan river near Grey
town. East of the lake the San Carlos
river empties into the San Juan. Botl
are very large streams. The San Car
los alone discharges 100000 cubic feet
OF water per second, and this may al
times reach 100000 per second
Through % Is miles of the lake the
commission decides that there must b,
dredging to give the required depth oi
thlrty-fve feet and to make n char ne
800 feet wide. This will cost $7,ST7,
8l1.
There is variation in the level o
Lake Nicaragua of at least thirteeI
feet At times 1t is as high as III
and at times as low as ninety
feet II will be necessary to checl
this fuctuation by means of an enor
nous dam on the San Juan river
The difference between a good and 6
bad site has since been found to rep
resent at least $11,000.000.
This dam is TO regulate the flow o
the San Juan river In wet and dry sea
sons, and this is to be done by means
OF great gates and sluices. A force will
have to be constantly on the watch fol
floods and be ready at n minutes motto,
to put the machinery in operation
which will let the surplus water out OF
keep the needed water impounded.
Including the sluices and machinery
the dam is to cost not TO exceed $4,
O17.G00. There is also to be an auxll
larry wasteway. including sluices an(
approach channels to the dam, which
will cost $2.045.322.
The first lock on the canal from til,
east end will be IA miles from Grey
town harbor. This section is through
''swamp" and will cost $4.S99,SS7. Ii
addition TO the expense of canalin,
the diversion of the lower San JuaI
will cost $40. 100 and of the San Juanil
10 $l16,7G0. This brings the canal {,
lock No. l. which, including the exca
walton. viii cost S5,719.6S6. In thii
section a serious problem was faced.
For a part OF the distance between
Greytown and the Florida lagoon t.
the west the canal will pass over {
very swampy section. The materia
II too soft to support the embankmenti
~vhloh ra paa1a1 n faan aut tho nOod,