Evening star., 1962-09-02
Interest Is Revived
In Nicaragua Canal
By LAWRENCE SULLIVAN
Contributing Writer


since the 1929 stock market crash,
the historic Nicaraguan canal-a
second Seaway between the Allan
tic and the Pacific in the narrow
waistline of the Western Hemi-
spheres again before Congress.
The Panama Canal is overtaxed,
too small for ultramodern ships,
often short of water in the six
months dry season in the Ameri-
can equatorial tropics, and always
a vulnerable target in the atomic
age.
Representative Daniel ]. Flood,
Democrat Of Pennsylvania, has
introduced HR 1926 to create a
new interoceeaic canals commits
sion to recommend the most
promising second route to break
the ever-tightening shipping bot
tleneck in Panama.
Detailed surveys for the Mica
raguan canal were completed by
the United States Army Engi-
neers in 1928-1930 and are today
in the top drawer of the House
of Representatives Merchant Ma
rine Committee.
The project would cost roundly
$500 million to complete, as
against 50 billion estimated for
the proposed new sea-level canal
through Panama. Engineering
studies Of the new sea-level route
through Panama have been COM
pleted since 1948.
Six Years to Build
AS soon as the new route is
determined by Congress, con-
tractors could begin digging in
three months, and the new 18TH
mian canal could be open to
traffic within six years.
The Panama Canal will mark a
half century Of operations in 1864.
1t was opened to traffic by Presi-
dent Wilson on August is, 1914.
II do not think that q new
canal should be built in the Canal
Zone or in the Republic of Pan
ama," says Representative Flood,
an authority on canal history.
Until 1902 the canal route most
favored by the United States was
via Nicaragua. Its location, $50
miles closer to the United States,
gives it decided advantage"
The Nicaraguan canal is an
old dish for American mariners.
The first detailed engineering sur
vey Of the projected route through
Lake Nicaragua - the biggest
freshwater lake south of the Ca
madam border-was completed in
1850 by the American Atlantic g.
Pacific Ship Canal Co., then
headed by Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Link to Gold Rush
Vanderbilt had been operating
a fleet Of small ships through
Lake Nicaragua as q means Of
Fastening gold explorers to Cali
fornia after the bonanza strike at
Suffers Mill in 1848. The route
proved Improbable with small
ships. A deep-draft canal was
Vanderbilt's next project, but the
vision soon was lost in the gath
ering storm clouds Of the Civil
War.
Today, the Panama Canal traf-
fic is more than the locks can
handle. Every ships, passage re-
quires the flooding of So million
gallons Of water out Of Gatun
Lake. This is approximately the
amount Of water consumed in a
city of $4,000 population in one
full week.
"In recent years there have
been brief and minor water short
ages during extra dry seasons"
says q recent official report from
the Panama Canal Co. "These
have resulted in temporary re-
ductions in the allowable draft Of
transiting vessels"
Panama Canal tranSits now av-
erage more than 10000 vessels a
year, against LOTS in 1915, the
first full year of operation.
Shipping interests the world
around acknowledge the urgent
necessity Of breaking the bottle
neck at Panama.
Would Creote Commission
"Of course the project is so
vast and far-reaching in conse-
quence that we must not make
any mistakes" says Mr.. Flood.