Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1895 — NOT FAVORABLE. [ARTICLE]

NOT FAVORABLE.

The Nicaragua Canal Commission Makes Its ReportPresent Surveys 3lS>lnadequate and Misleading -PM im iti-s of the Cost Presented hy the Company De- j “ ' - ; dared Too Low. ■ '■ . -i » - ' „ Washington, NdV. 26.—A serious blow has been dealt the Nicaraguan Cana’ com- 1 pany’s project, tor the construction of waterway across the port of the XicaraarugtrcatiaUcommissiort. 1 Inevitable delay jjul thorough investigation of the entire sub- j Ject are declared to be necessary before i even the engineering feasibility of any | canal across Nicaragua can be decided . upon. • / A review of the contents and the text. of the conclusions of the report of the Nicaraguan canal commission became public Monday morning. This report is now -tytagrorrtheT>'resident's desk, and isnowfceing considered by Hint in connection with his annual messageto congress. The report is at such variance with the numerous rumors and predictions which have from time to time been published concerning it, that it will cause great surprise and disappointment-among those who have j hop£d for a generally favorable report, and who have, ’therefore, placed credence in these rumors, which usually stated, “on the highest authority," Ihci the com- | mission the route proposed by the company, and placed the cost of tire canal | at about *110,b00,000. On the contrary, the: report points out that it is neither practicable hot- advisable to attempt the construction of the NiekMtgua canal upon thej data at present available, and that the undertaking would be fraught with hazards too obvious to disregard. That the necessary knowledge may be had of the physical and typographical conditions affecting construction and maintenance of a canal across Nicaragua, upon which to- form a final judgment as to the feasibility, permanent e and cost, the commission recommends an appropriation by congtess of *350,000 lor extensive additional surveys and examinations, covering a period- of 18 months. Unfavorable to Canal Conipa/V" The generaT trend of the entire report is certainly very unfavorable to the canal company. Tjhe-commission refrains from any direct criticism of the company’s prospectus, but its report shows that certain features, which the company has persisted in assuring the'public, through congress, were knotyn to be absolutely safe and feasible, if put in execution might jeopardize the practicability of the whole system, and possibly destroy forever the hope of a canal by means of the San Juan river and Lake Nicaragua. The commission considers that too much time and pains were devoted by t,i) company the topography of the country when it should have paid more attention to the feasU bility of the water-way across Nicaragua. and its cost. Better Surveys Are Necessary. The commission refrains from commenting onvthe company’s methods ot making its surveys, and, in a great many cases, the failure to make surveys. Certain features of its plans are commended. The report, however, presents many very interesting comparative tables, which appear to show the astonishing insufficiency of the company's data, the inexplicable smallness of the amount of work it thinks necessary to be done, and consequently a comparatively modest estimate of cost of construction and completion of the canal. The conclusions of the commi ..jn are 18 in number'. They refer largely to questions involved in the detailed construction of the work. Perhaps the most interesting: portion of the work -Is the section which gives • a comparative 'recapitulation of the cost. This section follows; ' 'X Company’s Board’s .mJ ' estimate. estimate. Eastern .division *31,31(9.814 . *51,300,295 Lake and river div 5,92ki50 2522&34HWeStern division;,....., 20,54/1491 28,180,773 Lights and buoys. .LA. . 373,000 - 500,00/ Management 4,000,000 Hospital service....'.-.... 1,000,0'y, Totals. ......*58,244,717 $111,227,41’. Contingencies, 20 per cent 31,048,943 22,255,842 Grand totals.... *09,893,000 *133,472.803