The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-06
HANNA ON THE CANAL
OHIO SENATOR URGES THE PANA-
MA ROUTE.
USED EARTHQUAKE ARGUMENT
MITCHELL SPOKE FOR NICARAGUA
ROUTE.

Must De a Canal for the worlds
business. said Mr. Hanna-Pnnamn
" verseI-Nfaragua Tao Much
subject to Eartaquakes-Mr. Mitch
eli shows That Selection of Nicm-
ragua Canal Means That u Canal
VIII he HuiIt While thS SpoOncr-
Hanna Plan Means Ind cnitc POST
ponenent.
Washington, June Sin further con-
alteration of the isthmian canal pro-
iect the Senate heard to-day two
speeches, neither of which was ccm-
pleted. Mr.. Hanna of Ohio spoke in
favor of the Spooner amendment con-
ferring upon the President authority to
purchase the rights of the Panama Ca
nal Company if a valid title could be
obtained: otherwise he shall decide
upon the Nicaragua route.
Senator Mitchell supported the Hep
burn bill for the construction Of the
canal by the Nicaragua route.
Seldom has a senator been accorded
more attentive hearing than that
given Mr.. Hanna. Eliminating senti-
ment he considered the Panama route
much to be preferred to the Nicara qua
route as it provided an inter"ocaanlc
waterway much shorter, and one that
could be traverse1 at less expense than
the Nicaragua route. He maintained
that the United States was to build The
canal to accommodate the commerce
Of the world, and that fact must be
taken into account. He was III favor
been convinced by stubborn facts, he
said, that it was the better of the two
Mr.. Mitchell urged the passage of
the Hepburn bill, maintaining that I'M
less the Nicaragua route was deter
mined upon definitely by Congress, it
would mean the indefinite postpone
ment and perhaps the ultimate defeat
of any canal legislation. He discussed
at length the canal question, insisting
that the Nicaragua route was entirely
feasible and practicable, while the
Panama route involved difficulties
which were scarcely to be surmounted.
Before the canal question was resumed
the Senate passed the military acad-
envy appropriation bill, providing for
extensive improvements at West Point.
DIR Hanna's Argument
Mr.. Hanna, in his remarks, said he
had shared in the common belief at
first that the Nicaragua route was the
only one to be considered, but the
United States was deferred from en-
barking upon that project, and in the
light of events, the fates seemed to
have interfered to prevent us from
making a mistake.
Discussing the two great routes, Mr..
Hanna said the Panama route was
only forty-nine miles long, while that
of Nicaragua was 1873 miles in length.
You build your CANAL he said, Ito
provide for the passage of ships from
ocean to ocean, in the least possible
time and at the least expense"
A canal constructed on such lines he
said meant success.
I'VE are to build this canal for the
world he said. I'VE are to build
canal for the commerce of the world;
and we must take into account the
business attracted to it from the
world
Mir. Hanna referred to the seismic
disturbances in the canal region and
suggested that those disturbances
ought to cause the American Congress
to pause and consider the suggested
dangers seriously. He referred to some
maps arranged around the walls of the
Senate chamber showing the number
OF active and inactive volcanoes in the
canal region, saying there were more
volcanoes in the neighbOrhood of the
Nicaragua route than in that of the
Panama route. He said that the cost
of the Nicaragua canal would be great
er In point of construction and opera
ton than the Panama canal, and he
SAID he was prepared to demonstrate
that the Nicaragua canal could not be
operated at night.
Favors ScoOner Substitute.
Discussing the Spooner substitute. he
denied emphatically that it was a SUBJ
tertuge intended TO delay and procras-
innate. He said that if the President
were not satisfied with the Panama
canal Company's title he could pro-
coed to build the canal by the Mica
ragua route, provided that all condi-
tlons and concessions were satisfac-
tory.
Mr.. Mitchell, in the course of his
general argument in favor of an 18TH
mlan canal, said that If shippers should
send their products from the Pacific
coast to Europe by way of an isthmian
canal sailing vessels would be en-
ployed where now only steamers were
used thus reducing enormously the
freight rates now paid by the Pacific
coast He maintained that sailing YES
sells could not go through the Panama
canal without the assistance of steam
or electricity on account of the Gains.
Adverting to the danger of seismic
disturbance, Mr. Mitchell declared the
authorities indicated that the danger
from earthquakes was 100 per cent.
greater in the region of the Panama
route than in that of the Nicaragua
route. In neither case was the danger
Sufficient To rnnda,. haza r-in1is the cnn-