The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-01-23

oeeP Water III the lake consists OF soft
mud sixteen to Sc "enteen feet deep, un.
derlaid by hard clay and sand. The
mud is SO soft in places that it is diff.
cult to determine its surface. The
steamboat navigating the lake pushes
its way through several feet of it when
the lake is low. This material will take
flat slope, and after a channel is ex-
cavated through it there will be some
expense for maintenance"
Engineers say that channel through
such material will have to be constantly
dredged, and there will always be dan.
ger of ships running aground. Retain
ing walls of masonry would be cheaper
in the end, but unfortunately there is
no foundation for such works. Lake
Nicaragua, therefore, instead of being
can inland sea" Offering free navigation
for great ocean ships, like Lake Mich.
gan, presents these serious problems:
l. Costly excavation and mainte-
nance. $7,s77,611 being the estimate of
the commission for this section.
2. Doubt of the navigability when
completed and at least great risks to
ships.
For nearly fifty miles (49.64) ships
will have to navigate the canalized val
ley OF the San Juan. Here arise more
difficulties. Heavy winds blows up this
valley from the sea. The San Juan: as
the commission says, is very crooked
stream, "the curves being so sharp IN
places that the natural channel, even il
deep enough, would be difficult for large
ships to navigate" So the commission
proposes cut-offs to straighten the
course, and it adds that while it would
be possible to straighten it still more.
1.-THE cost would be increased, and has
been the governing motive to preserve a
Judicious balance between curvature
and cost"
Engineers claim that the experience
IN the Suez, Manchester and Kiel canals
has shown that no curve should have
shorter radius than 5000 feet, if designed
Tor large ships. while some authorities
put the safe minimum at 5000 feet.
Notwithstanding the expenditure of
S23, 900, 900 in Strengthening this section,
the canalized river is on a curve of 81
per cent of the total distance. There
are four curves Of 4,O45 feet radius. one
OF 1927, two of 4,91l, three of $3.50, six
of $3.50, two Of 1927, four of 6,S76, one
OF $3.50, five of II, 459 and one of II, ls9.
Here, in fifty miles, are eighteen curves
under the safe limit in narrow channel
swept by the trade winds blowing from
ocean to ocean.
In passage through the Nicaragua
canal ship would have to round fifty
six curves, thirty-three under 5000 feet
radius and eight more under 5000 feet
radius. The total curvature is forty.
nine miles, and total degrees of curve
1889. In other words, the turning of a
ship in transit would be equal to six and
one-half complete revolutions of a circle.
In passage through tie Panama
canal ship would have to round twen-
ty.eight curves, none being under 5000
feet radius, and only two under 5000
feet, the total length of curves being
twenty-five miles and the total curva.
ture being III degrees, or equal to lit.
tie more than two turnings of a circle.
"The alignment is exceptionally good, y
says the commission. The Panama
route is comparatively free from storms.
In length, first cost, ease of navigation,
certainty Of success in operation, Pana.
ma has the advantage. The one point
Of superiority Of Nicaragua is found in
its lying nearer to the United States and
afording slightly shorter route be-
tween New York and San Francisco.
This advantage is more apparent than
real. For slow cargo boats the differ.
ence is only twenty nine hours, and for
fast ships only four hours. These fig
ures are based upon the commissions
estimates of the time required to pass
through the two canals, thirty-three
hours for Nicaragua, twelve hours for
Panama. No allowance is made for the
much greater risk Of detention on the
longer, more crooked route.
To pass from ocean to ocean in the
time set by the commission, ship using
the Nicaragua route would steam 1904
miles in thirty-three hours, or at the
rate of five and one-half miles an hour,
not counting detention by locks. To
consume the time set by the commission
for the Panama route, ship would
steam at only three and one-half miles
an hour. There are five locks on this
route, and eight on Nicaragua. The lat
ter is crooked. the former straight.
Nicaragua has difficult lake navigation;
20 loLo