New-York tribune., 1902-01-02
NICARAGUA'S ADVANTAGES
REPLY To ARGUMENTS FOR THE
PANAMA CANAL.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: After reading the article IN yesterdays
paper on THE Panama Canal I more than
ever fearful that the American people may be
misled by such special pleading.
Engineers, like all specialists. apt TO go TO
an extreme in arguing for any problem that they
may for the moment have in hand. Even The
EngiEeering Magazine which you quote. begins
by saying that 1t has "no practical concern with
the rival interests the isthmus and then. In
the next sentence. states that lit stands. as 1t has
consistently stood from the outset an outspoken
advocate of the Panama Canal" II IT was an
advocate from the outset, it must have fathered
the old De esseps scheme, and the magazine Is as
likely TO be mistaken nov In its conclusions as it
was then.
General Abbot then follows with his special plea
for Panama. Taking his arguments in order the
first is the regulation OF the Chagres Hlver "hich
is tLrbdly clear the waters Cf that stream In
place he that there will be no floods De
the soil becomes saturated with water Whtch
in the dry filters out into the river he
evidently has personally never seen this so-caled
hltering process during the rainy season; although
further on it is stated 'he floods can be easily
and Ierfectly controlled
His eloouence on the subject of the weather is
delicious reading for one who has spent months
in both localities especially the phrase "that IN
Nicaragua the conditions far less favorable
1t undoubtedly true that there Is more ram a'
Greytown than at Colon, but in the former locah'S
rain creates no freshets. and can do no narm 10
will be at the sea level AS to the comparative
healthfulness of the two routes there Is no ques-
ton II General Abbot was compelled 10 sPenu
three months of the rainy season in Panama bay
and then the same months on the lake at Nlca-
ragua his ideas relative to the enects VI i"
and subtroplc heat might undergo a change.
1t is difficult to know what he means by 'ne'e
being more locks at Nicaragua than at f'heiha-
OF course if the French had dug deep enough Oh
the latter route to fulfil De Lessepss dream OF d
hans
enough money in those foreign powers Oh "hi'u
the general is 50 afraid. to accomplish IT, ana
then there would have been no locks az all
So we are to begin trembling again over the
earthquakes at Nicarag ragua-that danger was SNOW"
10 he nothing at least twenty years ago Inc
statement that the route at Nicaragua Is ohse'
is most misleading. for all experts know tha' 'le
distance between Atlantic and racine por's 10
much shorter there; and all scattering men appre-
ciate the benefit of the one hundred miles-oe
tween the two very short canals at each end OF
the Nicaragua route-where vesseis "ll s.e"- -
through a fresh water river and lake free from
ocean tempests, and where metal ships VIII F'u
themselves of the dreaded barnacle
II General Abbot had ever stood the western
border of the lake within twelve miles of the Pacihc
and looked eastward over an lniahd sea- hee.S
twice as large Long lslani sound loto "nlcn
1000 miles OF land surface is drained; had ne theh
crossed over 10 the San Juan River. examined It's
high banks from which freshets come. and tnen
after passing the site OF the dam had ne notlced
how nature had assisted the problem there' o1
dropping the profile down to almost the sea level
| he would think. appreciate the immense ad-
vantage of the foodless territory for the next
twenty miles. with numerous lagoons close 10 the
coast where at comparatively small expense, sue
| cessive ports can be dredged. needed. A jetty
| at Greytown will maintain eastern entrance TO
the canal As the western end al Brito Is TO lee
| ward 1t needs trivial work for the lake will be
the great port over all this region blows the health
| giving trade wind.
After the engineers have had their full say after
| the railroads their final fight against Nicaragua
after the French have done their utmost to sell
| their enterprise, the judgment OF all seafarng men
| and OF the navy. which has persistently urged
| Nicaragua FOR thirty years will be taken at It's
suU value and that route chosen. First, because
Il traverses a better country approachable through
| smooth seas and favcrng winds: second, FOR the
| reason that the lake has unlimited water sup
ply ard will be the great rendezvous for our heets
third because freshets impossible in the Upper
| San Juan Valley. and. fourth. for the most i'm
porant reason that Nicaragua Is the most northern
| and consequently interior line. j. W NJ
/ Dec