Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-10-11
HOW CANAL ROUTES COMPARE.

HOW CANAL ROUTES COMPARE.
Prof. johnson Sums Up For Panama
and Nicaragua.
Emory r. Johnson, professor Of trans
portation and commerce at the Univer-
sity Of Pennsylvania, and member Of
the isthmian canal commission, lee
tured yesterday morning at the Pack
ard school, Twenty-third street and
Fourth avenue. on the Commercial
Engineering and Political Aspects Of
the Isthmian Canal" The lecture was
illustrated with stereopticon views.
Among other things, Prof. Johnson
said: t.
1.-The commission appointed by Presi-
dent Mckinley was directed to examine
and recommend a route for a canal to
connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
We proceeded to Central America, ex-
amined both the Nicaragua and Pana-
ma routes, and reported III favor Of the
Nicaragua route. because the property
Of the Panama Canal company could
not be bought at what we considered
reasonable figure. That company or
iginally asked for what 1t possessed,
sos, 1000. That price we considered
absurd. When the stockholders decided
to take $1,000, 900 we made another re-
port recommending the Panama route.
Briefly, this is what has been done,
hoo hQoyr QpnnnWQrad
to arrange for the building OF the canal.
Let us now consider the two routes.
From a commercial standpoint the
Panama route Is the better, because,
generally speaking, It Is the shorter.
From New York to San Francisco. the
Nicaragua route is 37s miles shorter
than the Panama route, and 500 miles
shorter from New Orleans to San Fran
cisco. From either Of these cities, to
the west coast of South America, how
ever, the Panama route is shorter. But
the navigation of the Nicaragua route
at night would be difficult, on account
of It's tortuous course, and 1t might be
impossible. Therefore, when we take
into consideration the time the ships
would lose in laying up for the night,
the Panama route must be regarded as
considerably shorter. It has been de-
termined that it will take IL hours to
pass through the Panama canal and
80 to pass through the Nicaragua.
From the engineering standpoint,
the Panama route offers great difficulty
on account of the dam that will have to
be built In the San Juan river. This
Is the most serious engineering problem
of the whole work, but 1t can be and
will be surmounted.
1T will cost $5,6O0.0O0 less to build
the Panama canal than 1t would to
build the Nicaragua canal. This Is not,
to be sure, a large difference, not
enough to influence any one IN select
ing one route over the other, but 1t
had to be taken into account and when
| the cost of maintenance had to be con-
sidered It will cost abeat eySeeoee.ass
year to maintain the Panama canal. 1t
would cost $S.5O0.OO0 to maintain the
Nicaragua canal.
"The advocates Of the Nicaragua
route raised the question of the title
which the Panama Canal company
could give to it's property. There is
nothing in that question. The Panama
canal was begun in 1880. The company
failed in 1894. and receiver was ap-
pointed. Then a new Panama Canal
company was formed and bought Of the
receiver the assets Of the old company.
The receiver had the power to sell. The
new company had the right to acquire.
The receiver Of the old company could
and did give to the new company
good title to the property Of the old,
and for that we have agreed to give
$40, 600, 900 when we are satisfied with
the title.
But beside the property Of the Pan
anna Canal company we must acquire
strip of land six miles wide, and this
must be granted by concession from
the Colombian government. We do not
want this strip of land to enable us to
build the canal, but we do want 1t Tor
the purpose Of keeping the canal terri
tory healthy. We want this land so
that we may police it and see to 1t that
unsanitary conditions do not prevail
along the canal. 1t would be better II
the strip were ten miles wide, but
sIx-mile strip will do. 1t Is to acquire
this that we must have the new con-
cession from the Colombian govern
| bent about which we have lately heard
| so much.
"As to the healthiness Of the two
routes, it is about standoff. There
has been much discussion about earth
uuakes and volcanoes In Panama ana
Nicaragua. The two words have been
confused. No shakings of the earth
have been recently felt In either coun-
try. There are no volcanoes IN Pana-
ma. There are two in Nicaragua, one
Of which has recently shown signs OF
activity. Therefore, 80 far as volca-
noes go, the Panama route has consid-
erably the best Of it."-New York Sun.
"SrANpING PAr"-It will be remem-
bered that when Senator Hanna recent
ly made a speech at the opening OF the
Republican campaign in Ohio ne told
his audience that the keynote OF his ad-
dress was STAND Pat" Tom johnson,
who is something Of buffer himself
has made a speech in which he has
something to say about standing pat.
when a man stands pat" he says,
there Is always the suspicion OF
bluff" But the most interesting part
NJ .Johnson's reply to Hanna is rhyme
he learned down in Kentucky, as fol-