The Washington times., 1902-05-26
Measure to Be Called Up
After Vote on the PHI
ippine Bill.
TO F0RESTALL OBJECTIONS
Senator Morgan Prepares Document
Showing Actions of Earthquakes and
Volcanoes in the Isthmus and Prob
able Effect on Waterway.

for consideration Immediately after the
Philippine bill is disposed Of and the
Senate still hopes for a vote on the
latter measure on Thursday. Probably.
however. vote will not be reached be-
fore June 3.
Senator Morgan has been assured that
there will be no disposition by the op-
ponents of the bill TO prevent action on
it There will he a number of speeches
both for and against it: the latter. as far
as can be learned. are all to be in favor
of the Panama route. No one has ex-
pressed an intention of speaking against
the canal project itself.
Senator Turner of Washington will de-
liver one of the principal speeches in
favor of the Nicaraguan route. lie has
been preparing his speech for a week or
more. and is understood TO have gone
into every phase OF the question.
Senator Morgan has delivered one
speech this session in favor of his bill,
but it is thought that he may talk again
on the subject. Senator Hanna is ex
pected to talk in favor of the Panama
route.
Senator Morgan's Data.
Senator Morgan has gathered all that
has been written in the different canal
reports on the subject of earthquakes
and volcanoes and complied it into a
Senate document.
The catastrophe at Martinique has
drawn attention to the relative nearness
of the isthmus to the volcanic belt of
the Lesser Antilles. ara also TO the vol
canoes on the mainland of America. II
has been suggested that earthquakes
might be serious menace to a canal,
and Senator Morgan wished to refute
this idea If possible. He believes that
his report does this conclusively.
The evidence of the documents is that
earthquakes are few on the isthmus.
and not OF great severity. a larger
number have occurred along the Pana-
ma route than along the NiCaraguan
route.
Report on Earthquakes.
The report of the Nicaragua Canal
Commission of May 8. 1899. says on the
subject:
From the most reliable data obtain
able the Commission believes that the
canal region is practically exempt from
anv seismic influences of sufficient force
to cause destruction or danger TO any
part of the canal route or suspension
OF its traffic. DR.. c. w. Hayes has
treated this question fully in his report.
He says that
Earthquakes due to the dislocations
of strata faults) are perhaps no more
liable TO occur in the vicinity of the
Nicaragua Canal route than elsewhere
and hence they do not constitute dan
ger which is peculiar to this region more
than to almost any other in which
ship canal might be constructed
HE thea proceeds to discuss those
due TO volcanic agencies at some length. |
and concludes that those activities are
on the wane and so remote from the
route as not TO constitute menace. In
quoting from Major -Dutton he adds:
'Brifly. then. the risk of serious in
Jury by earthquakes 10 the constructions
proposed for the Pacific section OF the /
canal is so small that 1t. ought to be
neglected: also that the risks
TO the Atlantic section are still smaller I
L2luI AiAt7' " AAA' eNAAA' ii6As
The Recent Commission.
The recent commission sGys on the ,
subiect that while no portion OF the
region of the great chain Of mountains |
stretching from Chile to the northwest
coast of America is entirely exempt |
from earthquakes there have been very
few serious disturbances in the isthmus
No important earthquake has occurred |
upon either OF the canal routes since
1856.
Fourteen Earthquakes.
"The record for points upon the line
OF the Nicaragua Canal shows fourteen
cart hquakcs. Two OF these were felt
at Grcy,own. which has been supposed
by some writer's 10 be exempt. Tho
only one which is reported TO have cals.
ed serious injury was that Of ISL
Rlvas was almost destroyed. ana great
damage was done at Greytown Rivas
is four miles from the canal lire. and
is The only town Of consequence in that
part OF Nicaragua II has had a con
tinuous existence since a period ante
dating the conquest. when Il was known
a. Nicarao. IT was subsequently known
as Nicaragua.
For Panama the records show
twenty eight earthquakes Tho only
one that could be called destructive was
that Of 1921. which destroyed nearly
all the houses In Panama The next
most severe was that OF September :.
lNs2 Curing this earthquake part OF
the front Of the cathedral IN Panama
was thrown down and the headquarters
building Of the canal company was
cracked: the railroad had its track and
oadbcd IN places thrown ont OF line
and he masonry " three or four bridges
md culvcrts was damaged; al Las
Cruces The church vas thrown down
n Colon some lives were lost and I
,reyasses were opened and tho Jamaica {
telegraph cable was broken.
List Not Complete Enough.
1T Is eviden; that this list is not ,
complete enough TO justify a compari- {
ION between the Nicaragua and Panama. !
'cutos as to either the number OF earth
i1akos or their severity. They are on /
precisely the same footing Historically D
IS they are geographically. In neither
aso is there recorded any great dis
sters such as have occurred In neigh !
Ioring countries. with the exception OF r
he injury to Panama In 1921 and TO u
.C0ptinucd On Tiith Fage.) b