The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-28
COL. WATTERSON'S "THIEVES."
A Plain Statement BY Q Distinguished
FPeuch Englneer.

plain Statement BY Q Distinguished
Freuch Engineer.
To THE EDITOR or THE sUN-Sir: have
read In your yesterdays number an extract
from Col wattersons article on the Panama
treaty. This article seems to have been In
spired more by the imagination Of the writer
OF the Thousand and One Nights" than by
the dry contemplation Of plain facts.
II you think IL necessary to reassure over
nervous people about the division between
thieves" in France and wolves" In America
OF the az. O00. 900 to be paid by this Govern
ment In case OF purchase Of the Panama
property. II might perhaps be convenient to
state that not one cent Of said sum can be
disposed OF without decree OF the courts
OF France. the property paid for belonging
to company in bankruptcy and being man
aged by receiver under supervision OF the
courts.
Col. Watterson seems to have felt the pres.
sure Of plain facts only when he says that
Panama may have some engineering ad-
vantages over Nicaragua, but oil others.
and they are overwhelming. are with Mica
ragua."
The mare Of Roland. Charlcmagne's nephew.
We are told. had all the advantages, all the
merits. and they were overwhelming. She
had only one disadvantage: a technical one
for mare: she was dead.
1t is somewhat the case with Nicaragua.
1t has all the advantages over Panama
except the technical ones;
First-,The nfty miles OF tropical swainps through
which the canal would be built. Ia the low valley
of the San Juan. ale known 10 be the hcsithlest
place on earth.
Some people insinuate that II no human
being dies there II ID because monkeys and
alligators are the only inhabitants. But they
must be wrong, though history tells US that
Nelson. having come in the eighteenth CEN
fury with On English army from Jamaica
to invade Nicaragua. was forced to retreat
not by the fire Of the Spaniards. but by the
much more terrible fevers OF this healthy
country.
Secondly No sailing ship will ever pass through
Panama on account Of the cAlns and II will be
dcathblow 70 the democratic sailing trade. when
1t would be revived by the Nicaragua canal. where
schooners would swarm.
Some people remark that the actual Gains
must be infinitely calmer than formerly. since
the whole trade between the Pacific Coast
and Europe has been made by the lsthmus
of Panama and net by the Jsthmns OF Mica
ragua. between the discovery OF America
and the discovery of steam navigation. be-
tween Columbus and Fulton.
During that neriod NJ several centuries
sailing vessels constantly landed on both
sides of the Panama isthmus without re-
marking that 1t was impossible for them
to get there and exceedingly easy to go to
~. rao,,. ,,h. oLo s,,,h ,.,,orrs 49,.
Wv ~ 80
.hn. iii, Us, ~. ,uanIa al ,,s.IS ~
s,s.n,.. LII, - .to - 49, a.,s,.,,.,nd
- a., Ia.S - pn ,,h;aL T., ,r,.
~e' 20, .n@. .s... y. n.oes,'.
~. ,' a.. ~ 49,; -, ,artnr;,.
a"u w W. ~, I've a'e =, N.n 'a' '''
IA ~ e'e' w '''o' ~
Thirdly II Is known that the Nicaragua route
Is the only virtuoua route that can be selected
ACROSS Central America
We willingly admit that anybody having
touched Panama il lost forever, himself. his
children and his grandchildren; that he is
q thief. wolf and still something worse. and
that anybody on the Nicaragua side liz
virtue clad from head to foot.
Let us admit all these advantages. all these
merits, for Nicaragua. and many other non
technical ones: will they be sufficient to in
sure good and permanent water route?
Unfortunately mo- And this is the point.
the only point worth considering. where
technical disadvantages step in.
The exhaustive researches Of the Isthman
Canal Commission have shown;
First--That the Nfcaraguan route cannot
possibly have the easy curves. with large
radii, which are absolutely necessary Tor the
safe transit OF long ocean steamers OF now
adays. and which natural condtions a!iow
TO obtain IN Panama.
seeondly-lhat the problem OF the resula-
ton OF the summit level could not be COM
pletely and absolutely solved IN Nicaragua
as 1t Is in Panama. and that the maintenance
of the depth OF water, in the longest section
oil the Nicaragua route must necessarily De
left TO the experience. TO the judgment, TO