Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-26

and the important tributaries; what
| disposition will be made of the enor.
nous deposits of sediment brought
down by this river and emptied into
the canal?
| The Panama route has twenty-five
curves, in total length of curvature
of nineteen miles; the Nicaragua route
has eighty-two curves of a total length
of So miles. MIR. Varilla maintains
that this sharply curving channel. op-
ened as it is down into silt and sand
Will be extremely difficult to manage
since it will necessitate constant
dredging in river which carries dur.
ing flood time one-quarter the amount
which goes over Niagara Falls. cob
viously," said Mr.. Vanilla, ships will
meet there an accumulation of ex-
IRENE difficulties in the way of sharp
curves, heavy river currents, constant
strong winds and impediments either
from the dredges themselves or from
the sand and silt they will have to re-
move" AS contrast, he presents
Panama with it's large and easy
curves, absence of winds, scarcity of
currents and the rarity of floods.
The next strong feature presented
by the chief engineer, is in regard to
harbors. The advantage, he says. is
generally admitted to be with Panama,
since two excellent harbors exist. one
at each terminus. At Nicaragua, on
the other hand, the Atlantic terminal
is unsatisfactory, because of the enor-
nous quantities of sand emptied into
the sea by the San Juan river, and car
rled across the proposed mouth of the
canal by the trade winds. The harbor
on the Pacific will also have to be arti-
ficially constructed. Furthermore, two
additional harbors will be nee
essary at the entrance and
exit of the canal at the
great inland sea of Nicaragua. Final
ly We're the two canals both finished
and opened to traffic, the time of tran
sit by the forty-five mile canal at Pan
anna would be only twelve hours, where
as by the 1873 mile Nicaragua canal the
time of transit would be thirty-three
hours.
The chief engineer might have add
ed to his argument that violent storms
occur on Lake Nicaragua, which would
increase the hazard and delay the
transit.
twill be seen by these statements
that appeal so forcibly to reason that
our representatives in congress are
charged with the gravest responsible
ties in considering this question. This
is an opportunity for the United States
ton commercially and strong in case
sof war against any adversary that may
sbe able to appear in :, naval force
against eltherEour Atlantic or Pacific
borders; it would assure peace to the
distracted republics of South and Cen
trail America and bring them in close
communion with the great republic of
the north. The superior advantages
of American control of an Isthmian
canal to this country over Europe, are
apparent 1t would bring New York
1000 miles nearer to India, China and
the archipelagoes Europe would not
find a proportionate advantage, mas
much as it has route by the way of
the Cape of Good Hope, as near as this
one would be, but if the canal were
built it would be preferred as it would
avoid the perils of the cape in naviga-
ton.
In considering the points of COM
parison brought up by Mr.. Vanilla, the
superiority of the Panama route is
made at least prominent in these
statements.
/. Difference in distance between
the two routes, in favor of Panama,
1873 miles.
2. Difference between the two
routes in eXcavating of deep cuts; of
the number of locks and rock founda-
tions in favor of Panama.
8. The water shed of the river Cha
gres, and the much larger water shed
of the San Juan river, also the greater
rainfall in Nicaragua.
4. The enormous deposits of silt in
the San Juan river, that can never be
obviated by any human invention so
long as sand and silt exist and water
falls upon the ground.
5. The excessive curves of the Mic
aragua route that will encourage silt
and sand deposits and necessitate con-
slant dredging thus interfering with
transit.
6. The harbors of the terminals
contrasted which shows that two ex-
cellent harbors already exist at Pana-
ma, and four will have to be construct
ed at Nicaragua.
The question Of location is there
| IL