The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-02

lSlnlilldH tdildi must DG Ilddt btlMtGll lHe Nicaragua and Panama locations Fur thermore, the complete problem involves both the sea-level plan of canal and with the locks. The Panama route alone Is feasible for a sea-level canal, although both are entirely practicable and feasible for canal with locks. The time required to complete a sea-level canal on the Pan- anna route, probably more than twice that needed to build a canal with locks. excludes it from favorable consideration aside from other serious features of it's construction. It is the conclusion of the commission, therefore, that a plan of canal with locks should be adopted"
 The last clause of this chapter of the report reads as follows:
 Most Feasible and Practicable.
 After considering all the facts develop ed by the investigations made by the commission and the actual situation as it now stands, and having in view the terms offered by the New Panama Canal company, this commission is of the opin- ion that the most practicable and feasi- ble route for an isthmian canal to be under control, management and owner- ship of the United States Is that known as the Nicaragua route"
 It seems altogether improbable that any member of the commission who sign ed the report can now express grave doubts as to the feasibility of the Nica- ragua route, and were it not for the pos itive information which l have on this report l would not give any credence to the report It is not to be believed that the commission undertook to jockey the Panama Canal company and the govern- ment of Colombia by making a too favor able report on the Nicaragua route in order to induce the canal company to re- duce it's price. or the Colombian govern ment to be more favorable to our talk ing over the work of constructing the canal.
 Knowing that during all the years that the sthmian canal scheme has been be- fore the public and congress that you have given full faith to the statements by myself as president of the Canal Con- struction company, and to MT Menocal, chief engineer of the company, I am dis posed to briefly review the several sur- veys and examinations of the Nicaragua route from which it will be seen that every engineer of repute and every com mission appointed to examine the matter has reported the route via Nicaragua as feasible and offering fewer obstacles than any other route.
 The first instrumental survey ever made of the Nicaragua route was made by Col. O. w. Childs, distinguished civil engi- neer, in 1852 for the American and Att lantic and Pacific Ship Canal company" organized by Commodore Vanderbilt. These surveys were submitted by Presi- dent Fillmore to Col. J. J. Albert and Ma jor Turnbull. corps of typographical engi- neers, for their inspection and opinion on March 20, 1852 They reported that the plan proposed by Colonel Childs was practicable The company failed and nothing more was done.
 In 1872, General Grant then President, being authorized by act of congress, sent out several expeditions to examine every proposed route across the isthmus.
 Across Nicaragua.
 Commander E. P. Lull undertook the examination of the route across Nicara- qua. MT. A. G. Menocal, civil engineer in the navy, was in charge of the sur veys and made the plans of construction of the canal. This survey, together with other projected routes, were submitted by President Grant to a commission con- sisting of General Andrew A. Humphries, chief engineer of the United States army; MT. C. P. Patterson, superintendent of United States coast survey, and Commo- dore Daniel Ammen, chief of the bureau of navigation, United States navy. After a long and careful examination of the whole subject, this commission reported PC'oSf'f'NN' both for the construction and mainte- nance of canal greater advantages and offered fewer difficulties from an eng1- neering, commercial and economical point of view than any of the other routes,' Mir Menocal was engaged for several years from 1876 on, in surveying and re- locating the proposed canal route, and succeeded in locating line which was considerably shorter than any other line a1 and which also gave assurance of much easier construction. The result of these surveys were report ed to the secretary of the navy and were printed by act of congress.
 The government, however, failed to aln- dertake the work, and then a volunteer organization or syndicate was formed, which was also known as the Nicaragua Canal Association" which obtained con- sessions from Nicaragua and Costa Rica for the construction anc operation of a canal. This concession was transferred to what was known as the Maritime Canal Company" which undertook exten- sive surveys and which when completed were approved by all the engineers of the canal company, and also by a board of consulting engineers consisting of Mr. John Bogart, E. T. D. Myers, A. M. Well lington H. A. Hitchcock and Carles R. Harvey all prominent and competent engineers. This board fully approved of the plans, and declared them feasible Later on, when I became President of the Canal Construction company, these plans were submitted to Sir John Goode of Lon don. who was then the leading engineer in England and Europe, and approved by him. Later on, when the financial panic came in 1S93 the canal company was prevented from procuring further funds with which to continue the work. The construction failed and the Maritime Canal company. which had the conces- sions, being unable to carry on the work, the concession was declared forfeited by Nicaragua.
 Other Commissions.
 By an act of congress, President Cleve- land was authorized to appoint a board of engineers to again examine the pro- posed routes. This board consisted of Colonel W. H. Ludlow, United States en- eineer. NJ. T. Endicott, civil engineer United States Navy and Alfred Noble, civil engineer. They made thorough ex- animation of the routes and reported the nroposed route via Nicaragua feasible, and estimated it's cost at $133, 900.
 By subsequent act of congress, Presi- dent Mckinley was authorized to appoint what is known as the Nicaragua Canal conmission' to further examine and re- port. This commission consisted of Ad- miral Walker, Colonel Haines and Pro- fessor Haupt. This commission made a thorough and careful examination and