The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-06-10
FACTS FROM AN EXPERT
On Nicaragua Canal Construction.
Senator Engineer Harris Speaks.
OPPOSES HANNA'S PANAMA SCHEME
Said that No Report Ever Made on the
Subject Ever Claimed that Nicaragua
Was Not Feasible.

Washington, June 0--An interesting con.
trlbutlon to the discussion of the lsthmian
canal project, was made In the senate to-
day by Mr. Harris Of Kansns. member
! OF the committee on interoceanc canals.
who is also aH engineer OF recognized
Hbtlity He strongly Advocated the selec.
ton OF the NicaguR canal He maintained
tnat II was entirely feasible aud practi-
| cable from an engineering standpoint and
said that some Of the difficulties present.
ed by the Panama route were insuperable.
notably the construction Of the Bohio dam.
Consideration was then begun Of the
naval appropriation bill The bin ms re-.
ported to the senate carries appropriations
! aggrcgatlng SIS. 1G0, s3s.
Mr Harris tNnnD. a member Of the com.
mlttee on intcroceanlc canals. addressed
INC senate In favor of the Nicaragua route
5 PROGRESSION Mt. Harris is nm engineer
niu ne served Tor u long time as chief on
sincer OF the Union Pacific railway In The
hhhAns division. one fact he said Was
PIoulinent and conspicuous 40 cxplora-
tl"h on SURVEY made Of canal route there
had ever placed ON record "A report adj
verse IN opinion 10 the feasibility ana prnc
HtAhilItN or constructing n caunI hy thu
aa he aaot r%pt M ~ answer to Mr. Han
! es'nCu rlglneer as saying 10 a committee
or congress- that If a Canal with hicks ,vns
~, ne constructed. the Nicaragua route WAS
tng nret Mr. Harris said in makiIH rs
aupplcmentnl report In favor Of the Pann
MA route tue iSthmtan canal commission
ma nu"Wed the idea Of getting q bargain
''Htc Us business vision
Mr, hnrilS went Into minute details M
ne ihpnma proposition his point being to
SNOW mat the valuation Of the propertv
vi we fanama company, both as 10 the
canal aud tho railroad property. was nat
unN excessive, hut that much or II hcng
useless Tor our purposes. would have to he
lie referred to "the legal and diplomatic
onHlculll"s which surrounded the Panama
anal company on an sidcs," and declared
thnt thcy were absolutely lnSuperahlc
Mr. Iillman inquired how the lands nor
cSsarN for The Nicaragua route were to he
HhialnGd II they were owned by private
Have Americans gone down there and
hNod up things SO that We VIII have 10 pay
millions and millions Of dollars for the
right of wny?'
CULRERsON WANTS FIGURES.
The treaty with Nicaragua" Mr. Harris
replied, provides for the condemnation Of
the lands where private rights are In
yolvcd"
MI Cnlberson tTexas) inquired how much
would have to be paid by the United states
Tor private rights along the canal
MY Harris replied TINT so far as he know
no data on that subject had been prepnrcd
Mr. Morgan said that By an arrnngnmcn;
WIN rue NleoraGuan government all ac-
quisltous Of land by the United STATES
would date hack to the conditions which
preclude speculation in land along the
route.
Mr.. Harris insisted that strictly com.
mcrclal reasons would warrant the United
states In building the Nicaragua canal cyru
though the Panama route were presented To
this country.
Again Mr.. Tillman Interrupted to express
MS apprehension that spectators had oh.
taincd or would obtain title TO lands that
would be necessary to the United States il
the Nicaragua route were selected
Mr.. Harris replied that In view Of the I
automatic arrangements between the /
United states ana Nicaragua no such apprc [
houston as that suggested was warranted !
although II was impossible, perhaps to /
guard absolutely against frauds Of the kind |
suggested
Mr.. Harris expressed great fear that the
construction Of the Rohio dam of the /
Panama route could not he ACCOMPLISHED /
and that even II It were the dam could not |
I've made OF strength sufficient to withstand !
the tremendous head Of water from the |
Chagres river. In support OF this contrn.
Hon no made mn extended tcChucal argu. !
mcnt
Mr.. Morgan discussed briefly the dlplo.
matte negotiations between the United |
states and the governments OF Nicaragua |
ana Costa Rica to show that neither Me. |
0ragua nor Costa RIGA could have claims |
against this government through thc old |
Maritime Canal company lie pointed out |
that II was through tho wisdom aud fore. !
sight ot William Mckinley that the United |
states had acquired the exclusive right to |
construct a canal through Nicaragua and |
Costa Rlca and he declared that this was |
ono OF tho most magnificent acts ever rcr.
formed by president OF the United
States"
II had cleared the wnv for tho cnnstruc.
ton OF the cannl and those two Southern
nations were hound NV tho agreement until |
this congress should take action on tho
canal question.
Tho senate ut $50 p m went into ex,
ecutlvs session and soon after adjourned