Arizona republican., 1902-01-05

river regulation contemplate two great
 artificial lalles-one formed by dam
 at Bohio. creating a lake having 20
 square miles of surface, and which for
 thirteen miles will form bed of the canal: the other above. on the upper river for storage of water for lockages etc. Together they will allow any ex- cesSive flood water to be held back, to
 be discharged gradually and thus rem dered harmless to navigation.
 Such a system, says General Abbott is superior 10 one immense natural lake, because. on the American isth- mus, the rainfall varies not only from year to year. but also by periods cover ing several years. These variations cause corresponding variations of lake level, which are extremely difficult to regulate where the surface Is large.
 He concludes that as compared with
 it's most formidable rival, nature has given a route only about a quarter as long and requiring only about half the number of locks; an exemption from about fifty miles of river navigation WHICH cannot put DC uunScrouS 10 great ocean steamers by reason of very bad curvature an dtroublesonie fogs and winds; and. lastly. harbors which have aided in making if the flaw orite transit route since the Spanish occupation 400 years ago, meeting all the demands of commerce heretofore. and admitting of future improvements at moderate expense. should such be- come desirable. It seems clear that if the two canals were opened to nav isation there could be no commercial competition between them. taking into account the delays and the costs of transit, including tolls. tugs for steer ing. etc, and insurance rates.
 In fine. he says, the present coadi- ton of the Panama canal may be sum med up as follows: The operations Of the new company have demonstrated that the route possesses so. great natural advantages that when com pleted it will control the transit of the isthmus. The estimates Of the inter national commission of engineers. rep resenting not only France, but also I1ilSistAi4' pel IIiS-iSi LNGSsI-t lt-S 1Iil- ted States and Colombia, have placed the cost of completion of canal suited to all the probable needs of navigation for fifty years. and admitting of en- largement if ever desirable. at one hundred million dollors-only half of the cost of construction of the Mic aragua canal as estimated by the isth- i milan canal commission. The new com pany has everything in readiness to begin work on grand scale, except the !, funds.
 Commenting upon the article. the editor of the Engineering Magazine says:
 We waited the report of the present ' with the admission (March, {. 19OO,) that il was ''Conceivable that the | merits Of the Nicaraguan route would be so commanding as to make it ad- !. visa ble to abandon the work done on the other line and being anew The . report, on the contrary. shows that at | every conceivable point the Nicara ! guan route is inferior. The United ! States will fall lamentably from every | ideal in their history. political or in | dustrial. if they seize the inferior and !. let the better go. If they are so mis- guided. others wiser will take what rejects and. having the best, !. will leave her vanquished and dis honored. Her perversity will be Brit i aims or 'Germanys opportunity.
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