New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-12

As it commands the only water-pass between the
oceans, its situation must render it a port
insure passage to the Southern Ocean, and by our
possession of it Spanish America IS severed into two
Nelson's expedition not a success, and England
abandoned for the time the great object which he
had in view the making of a water-pass between the
oceans. In 1914 Spain had brief revival Of ambi-
tOn and the COrtes gravely deCreed the opening of
canal across the sthmS of Daren; but DEGREES do
dig bitches. and the Cores neglected to provide
nothing came of the grandiOse proceedings.
In 1875 the independent Central American States
turned their attention TO the subject and sought the
cooperation of the United States; but nothing was
done toward actual construction of a canal Three
years later the King of The Netherlands undertook
the solution of the ancient problem, and sent General
Verveer TO America with definite orders to build a
canal Central America ablaze with revolutions
when Verveer arrived and the work deferred
until 1890 when a revolution in his country put
an end to the scheme.
During the last sixty years many surveys of canal
have been made, and several promising plans
for financing the work have been tried British
capital ready TO back the Nicaraguan project in
the SOS but the excessive demands of the Nicara-
guam Government killed it,
In 1873 President Grant appointed Inter-Oceanic
Canal Commission, consisting of General Humphreys.
Chief of Engineers T. 5. A General Patterson United
States Coast Survey, and Commodore Ammen, Chief
of the Bureau of Navigation. examine the various
proposed routes. The Commission reported unani-
mously in favor of the Lake Nicaragua route,
veyed by Chds in 1881 and by Commander Lull
twenty years aterOne of the three proposed by
Gomara three centuries earlier.
1t Is interesting in these days of eight-hundredoot
ships note that the Commission advised locks onIv
four hundred feet long and twenty-six feet deep
Extreme length" said the engineers, should be
discouraged, as we'll for true economy as for safety
of passengers. Vessels of exceptional length can 60.
now through the Straits of Magellan"
President Grants Commission of Engineers con
sidered the following survey routes: Ishmus OF Te-
hauntepec; Lake Nicaragua; Isthmus of Panama; San
Bias and Chepo; Caledonian and north; Caledonian
and Sucubti Du Puydt; Cacarica and Tuyra Atrat,
and Truando and AtratO-Napipi. The conclusion of
American engineers that the Nicaragua route
offered greater advantages and fewer difficulties from
every point of view than any other. The report was
submitted until the end of Grants term and
he unable 10 forward the project as he intended
The choice of routes determined finally by D.
LesscpS, who began work in the Panama
Canal and accomplished much before his enterprise
was ruined by extravaganza and fraud that it has
been deemed advisable ignore the opinion of Amer
can commissions and take his unfinished work
rather than invite competition and complications by
building along more nOrtherly line.
The task of cutting through the Isthuus with crude
tools welded by human muscle alone was pronounced
easy by the enthusiastic Gomara. Compared with
his daring conception, the work of modern engineers
who have at their command the power of steam
and mechanical invention. seems only child's plav