Show anft nicaragua route Is the best and cheapest COST ABOUT ily by tile route tho coat I 1 14 estl mated at and in addition tile the cani concession collection would cost coot tho the united states 1 the canal commissions report Is in favor of the nicaragua route and it will be submitted to congress before the here Is the report in full the Inie investigations stig actions of this commission havo have shown that the selection ot of the alo most t feasible and practicable route roulo tor for an isthmian canal must be made between the nicaragua and panama locations furthermore fu r the complete problem involves vol ves both the sea level plan at 0 canal and that with locks the panama route alone Is feasible tor for a sea level canal although both are entirely practicable anil and feasible tor for a c onal canal with to locks C its the time required to co complete mple t P a tea sea level canal on the panama route probably more than twice that tha I 1 needed ceded n to build a canal with locks excludes it fro from m favorable consideration aside from 0 ther other serious features of its construction it Is the conclusion of this therefore that a plan of canal with locks lock should tit be adopted A comparison of the principal physical features both natural and artificial c jai of the two routes route reveals some points ot at similarity both routes cross the continental divide less than ten miles from the pacific ocean the th panama summit being about double the th height of that in nicaragua both rook routes a require costly danis dams for more than halt half its length the location 0 of each route on the tha atlantic side Is governed by the course of a river the flow from whose drainage basin Is the only source of water supply tor for the tha proposed canal and the summit levels differing about twenty feet in elevation panama being the lower are formed by lakes natural in the one case and artificial in the other requiring costly dams and water ways for their re regula gulat and tor for tho the impounding Impound big of surplus waters to reduce the effect of floods and meet operating demands during low water seasons the investigations made in connection with the regulations of lake nicaragua have demonstrated that the lake affords an inexhaustible water supply for or the canal by that route the initial proposition on the other hand for the panama route Is to form lake bahlo so as to yield a water supply for a traffic of 0 tons which can be supplemented when needed by an amount sufficient for more than four our times that traffic by means of the alhajuela Alha juela reservoir for all practical purposes this may be considered an unlimited supply tor for the panama route so far as the practical operation of a ship canal Is concerned therefore the water supply features on both lines are satisfactory the difficulties disclosed and likely to be encountered in the construction cons truc tion of 0 f the dams are less at conchuda Con chuda on the nicaragua afe line ine than at bahia on the panama route both dams however are practicable but the cost 0 of that at bahlo Is one half more than that at con chuda commission desires a perfect structure A less expensive dam at dohla has been proposed but through a portion of its length it would be by a deposit of sand and gravel pervious to water the seepage might not prove dangerous but the security of the canal Is in directly dependent upon this dam and the policy of the commission has been to select the more perfect structure even at a somewhat greater cost T the he waterways at both locations present n no a serious us difficulties the advantages in the design and construction of the dams are arc in favor of th the dicara nicara nicaragua a route the system of deku reku regulation 0 tie at uke lake bahlo consists of the discharge of water over the crest of a weir as the lake level rises under the influence of floods in the chaigres Char grea gres river the plan of at regulating the level of lake nicaragua Is less simple though perfectly practicable it involves the operation of movable gates at such times and to such extent as the rainfall on an the lake basin may require the experience and judgment of 0 the operator are essential elements to effective regulation of this lake the regulation remil atlon of 0 lake bahia Is automatic the only means of transportation now found on the nicaragua route are the narrow gauge silica lake railroad about six miles in I 1 length th and the limited navigation of san genyuan juan iziver and lake but the nicaraguan government to Is nw building a 9 railroad along the beach from grey town to monkey point about forty five miles to the tha northward where it proposes to establish a commercial port by means of a pier in the area protected by the point goods and material tor for canal purposes can readily be landed and transported by rail to Grey town such piers are in constant use on our pacific coal this railroad and port would be of at groat great value during the period rt ot preparation and harbor construction and should materially shorten that period PA nama tiar ila railroad in operation A well equipped railroad Is in operation along the entire length of the panama route and existing conditions there afford immediate accommodation for a large force ot of laborers the nicaragua route has no natural harbor at either cither end at both the atlantic and pacific terminal however satisfactory harbors may be created by the removal of material at low prices and by the construction ot of protective works ot of well established design an excellent roadstead protected by islands already exists at panama and no work need be done there for either cither harbor construction or maintenance teri ance at colon the atlantic terminus of the panama route a serviceable harbor already exists it has afforded harbor accommodations for many years but ls Is open to which a few tim times e a in n each year are liable to damage ships or force them to put to sea considerable sid erable work must bo be done there to create a suitable harbor at the entrance of the canal which can be eastly easily entered and will give complete protection to shipping lying within mork compared the completion of the harbors as planned tor for both routes would yield but little advantage adian tage to either cither but the balance of advantages including those 0 of m maintenance a Inte nance and operation Is probably I 1 in n tavor favor ot at the panama route the existence of a harbor at each terminus Us of the panama route and ami a line of r railroad L across the isthmus will M make I 1 it t I 1 practicable cacti c L ble to co commence mence work there ther e after the co concessions nees are arc acquired as soon as the necessary plant can be collected and put in place and the working force organized this period of preparation Is estimated at one year in nicaragua this period Is estimated at two years so go as to include also the construction at 0 working harbors and terminal and railroad facilities the work of excavation on the nicaragua route Is ia distributed it Is heaviest near bonchu conchuda Con chuda d a at Tambor Tamber olto and in the divide west of 0 the lake on the panama route it Is largely concentrated in tile tha culebra and emperador lamp crador cuts which are ara practically one As A a rulee rule distributed affords a great greater num number r ot of available ab IS points a of attack Z contributing ing a clu quicker icker completion but I 1 in n either cither a ot th these so cases such stich difficulties as my exist can be success successfully fillia met int wl with th suitable organization t and effi efficient clent appliances lobor labor scarce there the time required for constructing the nicaragua canal mill depend largely on tho the promptness with aich the requisite torce force ot of laborers can bo be brou brought glit to nion bagua housed anil and organized sed with the locations of heaviest walk along the route tho the cut through the divide west of the lake inke probably will require acquire the longest time of tiny any single feature of construe tion it contains cubic yarns yards of at earth and rock execration or a little less than 10 per cent or of tile the total work of all cla classes ases included with adequate force and plant this athla estimates that it can bo be completed in four years this indicates under reasonable allowance tor for ordinary delays if foice and plant enough were obtainable to secure a practically concurrent execution ot of all portions of work on the route the completion of f tie the entire work might be executed within six years after Us its being started excle exclusive s ive of the two years estimated for the period of preparation the Re securing curing and of the great force of 0 laboi laborers ers needed largely foreigners so as to adjust the execution of tho the various portions of the walk to such a definite program of close cloge filling parts in a practically unpopulated tropical country involves unusual III I 1 les a and nd would prolong the time required tor for c completion the greatest single feature of 01 work on the panama route Is the excavation in the culebra section amounting hard to about cubic yards of hard clay much of which Is classed as aa soft rock nearly 45 per cent of 0 all classes ot of material to bo be removed right eight venis leiti required it Is estimated that this cut can be completed in eight years with allowance for ordinary delays but exclusive of a two year period tor for preparation and for unforeseen delays and that tha I 1 the remainder of the delar war work can be finished within tho the same fame period the treat great concen concentration tr a of work on this route and its lc less qs amount will villi require a smaller force of laborers than on the nicaragua route hence the difficulties and delays involved in securing them will be correspondingly diminished the total length at 0 the nicaragua route from sea to sea Is miles while the total length of the panama route Is OM miles the length in standard canal section and on til the le harbors and entrances Is miles I 1 tor the ho nicaragua route and miles tor for tho the panama route the length of sailing line in lake nicaragua Is 70 51 miles while that in lake bahlo la is 1268 miles that portion ot of the nicaragua route in tho the canalized canali zed san juan Is miles tile the preceding physical features ot of the two lines measure the magnitude of th tho 0 work to be done in the construction of waterways along the two routes the estimated cost of constructing the canal on the nicaragua route Is more than that ot of completing the panama canal omitting the cost of 0 acquiring the latter property this surn sum measures the difference in the magnitude ot of the obstacles to be overcome in the actual construction st of the two canals and covers all physical considerations such as th the e greater or less height ot of dams the greater or less depth of 0 cuts the presence or absence of 0 natural harbors the presence pre senco or absence of a railroad and the amount of work remaining to be done the estimated annual cost coat of maintaining and operating the nicaragua canal Is 1350 greater than the corresponding charges tor for the panama canal ran panama a ma route shorter the panama route would be miles shorter from sea to sea than the nicaragua route it would have less summit elevation fewer locks lock and miles at less leas curvature the estimated mated time tor for a deep draft vessel to pass through Is about twelve hours for panama and thir ty three hours tor for nicaragua these periods are practically the measure of tile the relative advantages of the two canals as water ways connecting the two oceans but not entirely because tile the risks to vessels and the dangers of delay are greater in a canal than in the open sea except tor for the items of risk and delays except the he ti alne e required to pass through the canals need be taken into account only as an element in the time required by vessels to make their voyage between terminal ports compared on this basis the nicaragua route Is the more advantageous tor for all commerce except that originating or ending on the west coast of south america for the commerce in which the united states Is most interested that between our pacific ports and atlantic ports european and american the nicaraguan route Is shorter by one day the same advantage exists between our A atlantic ports lorts 1 and the lo 10 orient for our gulf p ports arts the advantage of the nicaragua route Is nearly two days for commerce between north atlantic ports and the west coast of south america the panama route Is shorter by about two days between gulf ports and the west coast of south america the saving Is about one day the nicaraguan route would be the more mare favorable one for or sailing vessels because of the uncertain winds in the day bay of panama this la is not however a material matter as sailing ships are rapidly being displaced by steamships A canal by tile the panama route will be him aim ply a means of communication between the two oceans the route has been a highway ot at commerce for or more then than years and a railroad has been in operation aaion there tor for nearly fifty years but this has affected industrial changes hut little and the natural fea features teres of the country through which tho the route passes are such that no considerable rable development Is 11 likely kely to occur as a result of the construction and operation ot of a count canal in addition to its use as a means of coan muni cation between the two oceans ocean 4 a canal by the nicaragua route would bring nicaragua and a large portion of costa rica and other central american states into close and easy communication with the united states and with europe tho the intimate business relations that would want be established with the people of the united states during the period of construction by the expenditure ot of vast sums clims of money in fit those these states and the use of american products and manufacture B would be likely to continue after the completion of the work to the benefit ot of our manufacturing agricultural and other interests tile tho the nicaragua route lies in a region or of sparse population and not in a pathway of much trade or movement of people conditions productive of much sickness do not exist on the other hand han 1 a considerable population lius has long g CISE unlaced enlaced ed on the panama route and it lies iles on an a pah pathway ay of comparatively large trade at along which hach currents of moving people from infected places sam sometimes climes converge thus conditions favorable 1 lu ep epidemics 8 existing conditions indicate by hygienic advantages for the nicaragua agut route although it Is probable that no less effective sanitary measures must lie be taken during construction in tile the one case than in tile the other the cost of constructing a canal by the nicaragua route and of completing tile the panama canal without fill including tile the cost of acquiring tho the concessions from the different governments Is estimated as an follows follos S 1 8 loga a for a proper comparison there must be addad to tile the latter the cost of acquiring tile the rights and property of the new panama canal company this commission ha has a estimated the value ot of these in the project recommended by it at in order to exercise the rights necessary tor for the construction ot of the ranal canal and for it its management alter after carn completion the unil united ed states should I 1 d ac acquire r control of it strip at 0 aca territory arr arar tye from 0 sea alil to sell sufficient in area the 0 convell o ent and effi efficient clent of these purposes meaer Me aur ml m int 4 l iilo also lie be taken to pro protect te t the line frain arr m unlawful uril isrul acts of 0 all 11 kinlic kinds to insure |