The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1902-02-20
TILL ISIIHEIIhl CANAL.
A VITsL QUESTION NOW.
Tr:joc:: Nearly 400 Years Old.

Christian Advocate.
Among tie VITAL questions now Gu
gros sing he attention OF the American
people, tbs Isthm;an Canal has pre-
emieDence. The question Is net only
for American nco. le but fer tie civilized
world. 4 shcrt waterway bstween Tho
Atlantic and Pacific oceans hiss a siy.
niiloajce which touches the commerce
OF the Worid. Our readers will do well
to keep themselves informed on tie
nature ard progress of this great enter.
prise.
The project CT a ship canal between
the two oceans is nearly four hundred
years old. The Srariaids explored a
route across the Is.hmus in 1929. with
a view to efecting the passageway
which offers such possibilities to the
civilized world. Suffice it to say that
at tia. time the scheme was So i'm
practicable that all efforts in this di.
rect!on Uere abandoned for the time
The interest shown by the 81 aniar 8
has not been Irultless, as what they G d
has furnished foundation for succeed
ing projectors to build upon.
The Is hman Canal Commission
was appointed in 1899 to determine the
most feasible route for q ship canal
across Genital America. After ex ten
size a"rvays only two routes were con-
s,de'ed practicable: The Nicaragua
aud Panama. If our readers will look
at & map Of Central America, they will
plaiLl; see tie force OF this statement.
Il viii a'sO lie seen that mach more
wor;. is 10 he done Oh tie Nicaragua
than the Panama route. Bo.h routes
lie Ii tropical countries. and the dlE-
gsr 10 lie Is greater than in any o:Lcr
gssa. c:.ttrpri:e inaueura.ed by the
civilized wcrlI
Tie entire distance Of the proposed
Near yia Canal f,om Greyton On tie
| Caribbean sea to FritO on the Pacific
is 1873 sc miles. 1t cuts the coniinen-
tai ice only twelve miles from the
coasts. Certain attitudes constitute
he greatest difficulties to be confront.
ed Oh this route. Lake Nicaragua is the
highest lo:nt, AMI undoubtedly fur
| nisheS Il great advantage in constitute
ing part OF the waterway. Four
locks have been Planned in passing up
| tc the lake level from either OccaDs
Al immense dam is necessary at Con-
chuda On tie San Juan river. Tho
total length Of tho d.m would he ].
80 feet, snd its cost is estimated at
- ,Ol7, $50.
TIE Perama route ia but 1900 miles
from ocean to ocean. Colon is the
| Atlantic terminus Panama Bay, the
Pacific. The summit elevations are
about twenty feet less than that for the
Nicaragua route. The greatest diff
Guilty n the Panama route is place
for a dam which will not cost an ex.
orblantant sum. The estimates OF the
Canal Comm ssion are $50, ,OG2
| for the Nicaragua route, and TI44 ,233,-
| 35S for The Panama. Tho difference
is considerable as can be seen at a
glance. The Panama route is about
one-fouth the length OF that OF the
Nicaragua. The estimated annual cost
OF oreration OF the Panama ronte is
but six.!enths OF that required in the
Nicaragua route.
Before the Is.i.snlan Canal Commis-
sion vas appointed, IL French corpora.
ton, of which Ferdinand dc Lessers
was the head, began work on the Pam
anna route in 1888. In 1887, cpsrl-
tions were sus: ended for lack OF mon.
ey. Ia 1889, the company becan Q
bankrupt, aud was dissolved. The !iI-
ui!atcr succeeded in forming in 1874
new company known as the new Pana-
ma Canal Company. This eomIani
agrees 70 sell is tights an properly
valued at $lO9, ,l4l 200, for Tlo, OC,OCO.
Tie matter is before Congress, and
| " hat the result will be is problem ati,.
It islikely, however, that the Nicaragua
route will be chosen. The question Is
complicated, and the United States has
On its hands problem which is very
d,t;i,,'t but ,,hjcl, we have no doubt,