Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-01-25

President Sends Finding of Com
mission to Congress.
ADVANTAGES OF PANAMA ROUTE

Estimated Cost Of Constructing Mica
rasuan Canal 10 $4,000, eeo More
Than Panama, and Annual Cost Of
Maintenance Weuld ne Greater.
Washington, Jan. 21.-The president
yesterday sent to congress. with a mes.
sage simply of transmittal, the supple
mental report of the isthmian canas
commission, in which it is unanimously
recommended that the offer OF the new
Panama Canal company to sell all OF
its rights, property and unfinished
300 be accepted. After quoting the
correspondence which passed between
the commission and the officers OF the
Panama Canal company in Paris.
the report says: The totality, without
exception, OF it's property and rights
on the isthmus. mentioned in the ca
blegram OF January 3, includes the fol-
lowing classes OF property:
There are ffty-six parcels of land
to which the title rests in the
Panama Canal company. amounting
to about 10000 acres, which. with the
lands belonging to the railway COM
pany, cover nearly all OF the ground
required for the actual construction OF
the canal
There are scheduled 2.431 buildings,
divided among AZ sub-classifications.
used for offices, quarters, storehouses,
hospitals, shops, stables and "miscel-
lannon's
two large permanent buildings in Pan
anna, one used as the inspectors resi-
denee, and the second az the general
Offices; large general hospitals at Colon
and Panama, and several important
buildings at Colon. These buildings
are furnished, There is an immense
amount of machinery, consisting Of
floating plant (tugs, launches, dredges,
etc.. The excavation already accom-
plished upon the main canal line was
carefully computed and was found to
be S6,eS9,965 cubic yards. The value
Of the maps, drawings and records in
Paris, on the isthmus or elsewhere. all
of which are to be transferred to the
United States is placed at 50, 200, 900.
Summing up the total value of the
property it is found to be: Excavation
done, $27 ,474,033; Panama railroad
stock at par, $s,SS6, 800; maps, drawings
and records, $4,000, 900. Total, $50, $780,
$50. To which add 10 per cent. to
cover omissions, $3,sSs .667. Total, S4o,-
100000 The last item is intended to
cover any buildings, machinery, rail-
road shares, additional excavation to
date OF purchase and other assets which
may be of value to the United States
and have not been included in the
other items.
The estimated cost Of constructing
the Nicaragua canal is s45, CSC, 7O4 more
than the cost OF completing the Pan
anna canal. The estimated annual cost
OF maintenance and operation is 81
100000 greater at Nicaragua than at
Panama The Panama route would be
134.S miles shorter than the Nicaragua
route from sea to sea, with fewer
locks and less curvature, both in de-
grees and miles. The estimated time
for deep draft vessel to pass through
the Nicaragua canal was placed at SO
hours, as against Is hours for Panama.
S-~~S Veins ZIG tlllc Vi dCluAl
navigation, and not including delays
for winds, currents or darkness.
But for the purpose of permitting
the new Panama Canal company to
enter upon the negotiations which have
resulted In the present offer, Colombia
has waived prohibitions and has au-
thorized the company to treat directly
with the United States, with a view
to the use and occupation OF the terri
tory Of the former for canal purposes
II our government should select the
Panama route for an isthmian canal.
Such a transfer OF title thus approved
would give to the United States the
same right, title and interest in the
premises that the new Panama Canal
company now has, but that would not
be sufficient. The existing concessions
thus purchased would be valuable only
because their ownership by the United
States would remove the obstacles in
the way of negotiation between the
two governments for thu occupation Of
Colombian territory hy the United
States for canal purposes; but these
concessions are unsatisfactory and in
sufficient, and a new arrangement must
be made If an isthmian canal is to be
constructed by our government across
( the isthmus of Panama.