New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-06

was 1887 feet. The San Juan River through
which the waters OF the lake are discharged at
Fort San Carlos. follows a tortuous course in
southeasterly direction and empties into the Ca
ribbean Sea through several mouths
Greytown AS the crow flies. the distance
from the outlet OF the lake TO the mouth
of the river is about so miles. but the
lures of the stream increase this distance to 40
miles. The largest and most important tributary
of this river Is the San Carlos which rises in the
mountains Of Costa RIGA, flows northeasterIy and
empties into the San Juan River about ifty-seven
miles from the lake 1t is wide, swift stream,
and has variation of discharge OF between 5000
and $500 cubic feet a second The average width
OF the San Juan River Is 1850 feet. Its minimum
discharge has been estimated at 1900 cubic feet
second and the maximum by some as 5000. and by
others at 10000 cubic feet The latter volume is
than half that passing over Niagara Falls.
The foods which occur frequently in the San Car
los River bring down large quantities OF sand and
volcanic dust. which carried to the sea, where
a delta is being formed branch Of the Cordil-
Ieras separates Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific
Ocean. There are harbOrs on either side Of
Nicaragua near the route selected most avalla-
BILE for the canal. a harbOr which existed at Grey
town sixty years ago has almost been filled up
with drifting sand.
An interesting characteristic Of the country is the
wide difference between the rainfall at Cireytown
and Fort Carlos. the former being in the heart
of the district having the greatest known rain
fall on the American Continent, while the entire
drainage basin Of Lake Nicaragua lies in region
having a we'll defined dry season. The average
annual fall at Greytown is probably go TO go
inches, while it is almost 200 inches less at Fort
San Carlos only eighty miles away.
The country through which it is proposed to con-
struct the Canal is partly level and partly
otherwise, the hily region being the western
side The width of the isthmus this point IS less
than thrty-sx miles in straight line. The high
portion is limited to width of about six miles.
The Chagres River, which. like the San Carlos and
San Juan rivers. frequently becomes the channel
for the discharge Of n large amount OF surface
water because of the tropical rains. rises in the
hills east OF the line of the proposed canal and
flows northward into the Bay Of LimOn. which
Colon is situated This river is navigabe for
canoes within sixteen miles Of the Pacific Ocean.
The volume OF water pouring down through it
sometimes approximates seventy-dve thousand
cubic feet a second. The floods only of short
duration however. These rapid changes in the
volume of water constitute one OF the great prob
lens in the construction of the proposed canals
The engineersswere obliged 20 make careful studies
of their characteristics TO discover how they could
be best controlled and used.
The plan proposed for the Nicaragua Canal and
recommended by the IstEmian Canal Commission
before 1t was ascertained that the Panama Canal
property could be secured was as follows; There
were TO be four levels with eight locks, four be
tween Greytown and Lake Nicaragua, to lift the
vessels to the level of the lake. and four others
in the narrow strip between the lake and the
runs across the country north OF the san Juan
River from a pair of jetties built out into the
Caribbean Sea at Greytown for distance OF
1911 miles, and then joins the river ABOVE a
dam built across it at Conchuda. This dam Is
located above the junction OF the San Carlos River
with the San Juan. In this way the floods OF the
former WIN their freight OF silt are eliminated
from the problem. The dam regulates the summit
level, including that of Lake Nicaragua all the
locks being below the junction with the river
From this point the canal follows the river Owing
TO the crookedness OF the stream from this point
il was necessary 10 plan for cutoafs even these
improvements left 81 per cent OF the total dis
lance from the dam u the lake 1854 miles in
curvature. Thence the line OF the canal crosses
Lake Nicaragua TO the mouth OF the Las Lajas
River, distance OF 7Ol miles. OF which PSI
miles would require more or less excavation. 10
obtain the intended minimum depth OF the canal.
thirty-fve feet The entrance to the canal from
the lake the west side is LOO feet north OF the
mouth OF Las La1as River About hve miles from
The lake the summit of the continental divide -
reached. Cutting through this the canal reaches
Lock No 8. sos miles from the lake where small
dam at Buen Retro would maintain the summit
leyel on the west side. From this point by three
other locks, the canal drops down to the Pacific
- Brtto, wheSs an artificial haxoer would pave to