The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-07
THE PANAMA ROUTE
AN HANNA INSISTS THAT 1T MUST
BE USED.
NOT TRYING TO DEFEAT CANAL
M STRONGLY OPPOSES THE NC
ARAGUA PLAN.

pusincss and Not a PO1itial Mat
tor. the Ohio Senator Declares.
The Panama Route the Shorter
and More Easily Constructed and
Loss Exposed to Volcanic Disturb
onces-TestimOny of Shipmasters
Introduced Giving Reasons for
preferring Panama Over Nicara-
qua.
Washington, June 6.-After transact
,rr some routine business to-day the
senate resumed consideration of the
1sthmian canal bill, Mr.. Hanna of Ohio
continuing his argument in support of
+be Panama canal. He declared that
M political considerations were in
volved in the canal problem, and that
every senator was laboring for what
he conceived to be the best interests
of the country. He discussed some of
the technical difficulties involved in the
consideration of the Panama route,
notably the Bohio dam, and declared
his confidence in the engineering skill
Of Americans to solve any problem of
that kind.
masters and pilots as to the desirable
itv of the Panama and Nicaragua
routes. They were unanimously in
favor of the Panama route. Mr.. Han
ma argued that the views of men who
had devoted their lives to the sea, and
who were expected to use the canal by
whatever route it might be constructed
ought to be given consideration. He
argued that the construction of the
Nicaragua canal was beset with UNI
known difficulties, while the construc-
ton of the Panama canal was IAN open
book" He laid particular stress upon
the danger of the Nicaragua route from
volcanoes, and argued that it was not
good business policy to ignore those
dangers in a project involving an ex-
penditure of 5000, 600, 900.
In conclusion Mr.. Hanna appealed to
the Senate to consider the matter as
a business proposition, and with some
feeling he repudiated the suggestion
that those who favored the Panama
route were not in favor of the consturc-
ton Of a canal. He said he hoped that
the work of construction of a canal
would be begun before the close of the
present year.
Attacked Minister Merry.
Mr.. Hanna criticised the testimony
of Capt Merry, minister of the United
States to Nicaragua, who supported
the Nicaragua route. He asserted
Capt. Merry was stakeholder in the
Maritime Canal Company, which want
ed the Nicaragua route adopted. Mr..
Hanna said Capt. Merry would better
attend to his official duties and not
interest himself in questions of this
kind.
Mr. Hanna devoted some time to the
action of the House in passing the Hep
burn bill for the construction of the
canal by the Nicaragua route and de-
clared that scores of members of that
body had not even read the report
upon the bill, brief as it was" Mem
bers had, he said, voted for it because
they were anxious to bring to a salts
factory conclusion the isthmian canal
question.
As 10 the possibilities of danger from
seismic disturbances, he thought it
was practically an even thing between
the two routes. There was not enough
danger along either route to deter the
United States from building the canal
either in Nicaragua or in Panama, he
said. He laid particular stress upon
the danger to the Nicaragua route
from volcanoes. He quoted from He'll
prin, the volcano expert, as saying that
the region of Panama was not in dan
ger from volcanic disturbance.
Mr.. Hanna said that in the con-
struction of this canal the United
States was invading the territory of
the volcano; that in Lake Nicaragua
itself there were two volcanoes, one of
which, he said, had been more active
recently.
Testimony of ship Captains.
Mr.. Hanna presented a synopsis of
the statement of eighty-three captains
OF ocean-gOing steamers and other
vessels as to the use of the isthmian
canal. He said the ships and their
cargoes must pay the operating ex-
penses of the canal and that in the
natural order of things the wishes of
owners and masters of ships as to the
route of canal ought to be considered.
Up to this time it had not been deemed
necessary to obtain the views of own
ers, masters and pilots as to the route
OF the canal. 1t seemed to him
sound business proposition to build the
canal along the route preferred by sea-
faring men.
Mr. Hanna said that all of the mas
ters questioned had had experience in
navigating the Suez, Manchester and
Mel canals. They were unanimously In
favor of the Panama route for steamers
400 feet long and 25 feet draft. provid-
ed both canals were in operation and
weather and expense conditions were
equal From the answers to the ques-
tons propounded, he said, it was evil
dent that the masters questioned much
preferred the Panama route to the
Nicaragua route, because for practical
seafaring reasons the Panama route
was the better.
In answer to an inquiry by Mr..
Mitchell, Mr.. Hanna said the informa-
ton had come to him at his own in
stigation in the course of his investi-
gallon of the canal questions.
He said that if the United Staets
should decide to construct a canal
along the Nicaragua route, it would
nave no assurance that some other ma
uon would not decide to complete the
Ianama canal. If such Jealousy
should arise as would prompt another
nation to construct the Panama canal,
ne said, the United States would be at