The Washington times., 1903-08-31
NICARAGUA MAY YET
GET THE BIG CANAL
COlOmbia's Failure to Rat
ify Treaty.
ONLY A MONTH MORE TIME
President Empowered to Negotiate New
COnvention-Characteristics
of Alternative Route.
ONLY A MONTH MORE TIME

Colombia's delay in ratifying the Pan
ANA Canal treaty has turned attention
again TO the Nicaragua Canal route across
the isthmus, the route which Senator
John T. Morgan, Representative Hep
burn, and many other prominent mem-
bers Of Congress favor.
President Roosevelt is empowered un-
der the Spooner law to make negotiations
for right of way across Nicaragua in
case the Panama treaty is rejected. Co
lombia has another month In which to
act on the treaty. If II does not ratify
1t, or secure an extension of time be-
fore September 81, the treaty will be
dead letter, and negotiations with Costa
Rica and Nicaragua for the Nicaragua
Canal will doubtless begin, as President
Roosevelt is determined to have a canal.
Panama's Threat to Secede.
1t is freely predicted that the state Of
Panama will secede from Colombia, in
case the congress fails to ratify the
treaty, and make IT possible for the
United States to negotiate a treaty with
new government born of insurrection
to control the portion of the isthmus
which the United States desires to use
for canal purposes. The establishment
of an independent government in Panama
is thought to be unlikely, however. ami
Senator Morgan and his followers arc
turning hopefully to the Nicaraguan
route
This route is 1868 miles long, and
follows the San Juan River in general
way from the east coast OF Nicaragua
to Lake Nicaragua, across the lake to
Its western shore, and through the
continental divide to the Pacific Ocean
at Brito. The distance from Greytown.
the eastern end of the canal, to Lake
Nicaragua. is about 100 miles The
course across the lake Is seventy miles.
and the cut through the divide to the
Pacific ocean is about seventeen miles
long
Costa Rica's Rights.
Most Of this route lies in the republic
of Nicaragua, but Costa Rica has the
right of navigation In the San Juan
River below Castillo. AS the canal
route includes part of this section OF
the river. the republic of Costa Rica
must also have a hand In the negotia-
tions.
The estimated cost of constructing
this canal is $500 SAC, 600. II includes
57.SS miles of canal proper, 27.96 miles
Of river Improvement, 17.26 miles of
river which does not require improve
ment, 22.19 miles of lake channel cut to
width of 300 feet. 4s74 miles of lake
not requiring Improvement, sos miles
Of harbors and entrances to harbors.
Lake Nicaragua, which forms such an
important part Of the proposed lake
route, is 100 miles long and forty-five
miles wide. distant from twelve miles to
thirty miles from the Pacific coast. the
longer axis being nearly parallel to the
coast. The country between the lake
and the Pacific coast is hilly, forming
part Of the continental divide.
Lake Above Sea Level.
The lake Is about 1e5 feet above the
two oceans, whose level is about the
same. The divide west of the lake is
about forty-four feet above the lake
level. and Brito is the town on the Pa
cific coast at which the entrance to the
proposed canal would be located. Lake
Nicaragua is of sufficient size to furnish
ali the water needed to maintain the
canal 1t discharges through the San
Juan River into the Caribbean Sea. The
San Juan flows through a hilly country
near the lake and carries little sedi-
nnent. Consequently 1t can be used
there as canal by means OF locks. AS
1t nears the sea 1t carries much sedi-
Consequently the canal route does not
follow the river in the fifty miles of its
course nearest the Caribbean Sea-