NICARAGUA. 



563 



is 32 miles long, and, together with the GO 

 miles of the western section, completes the 

 entire distance of 92 miles, which involved an 

 outlay of $1,942,579, including the rolling- 

 stock. 



Steamship Lines. According to the published 

 interviews with the agents of the Del Oampo 

 Spanish Steamship Line at San Francisco, in 

 January, 1888, which line was established 

 three months previous in opposition to the 

 Pacific Mail's new company, it decided to cease 

 operations. The company ordered its four 

 steamships at San Francisco to be tied up until 

 further orders. It is said that the reason for 

 this is found in the fact that the Del Campo 

 line was not afforded any facilities whatever by 

 the Panama Railroad, and that the five-per- 

 cent, rebate granted by the Central American 

 States on all duties on goods shipped by the 

 Del Campo line was not tcade an exclusive 

 grant to them, but similar concession had been 

 made to the Pacific Mail. For these reasons 

 Marquis del Campo gave orders stopping all 

 the steamers on their way to the Pacific, and 

 ordering steamers there and at Panama to be 

 laid up indefinitely. 



The Government, early in 1888, resolved to 

 subsidize, at the rate of $15,000 per annum, the 

 river and lake steamers that are owned by Don 

 T. A. Pellas, in connection with a fortnightly 

 service of coasting steamers between San Juan 

 del Norte, Bluefields, and other Atlantic ports. 



Wagon-Roads. The Government has intrust- 

 ed an expert with the task of making the ne- 

 cessary surveys for a high-road between the 

 most suitable port of Lake Nicaragua and Blue- 

 fields. 



Commerce. The imports into Nicaragua in 

 1885 amounted to $2,168,426, and to $2,557,- 

 590 in 1886. The exports of merchandise 

 reached the sum of $2,236,444 in 1886, as com- 

 pared with $2,032,383 in 1885. The American 

 trade with Nicaragua has been as follows : 



The increase of trade between the two coun- 

 tries has been due chiefly to the advance in 

 coffee and India-rubber. 



Manufacturing Privileges. A concession was 

 granted in November to M. E. Salignac, a 

 Frenchman, to introduce during five years, 

 duty and tax free, material for the manufacture 

 of matches, he in return engaging to instruct 

 ten young Nicaraguans in this branch of in- 

 dustry. It granted also a concession to Don 

 Tomas Arguello to manufacture, under an ex- 

 clusive privilege, cotton cloth, from cotton 

 grown on the spot, in a spinnery and weaving 

 factory to be established by him. A conces- 

 sion was also granted to George A. R. Morris 

 for the exclusive privilege of sinking artesian 

 wells in the republic for a term of ten years. 



The Maritime Canal Company. On Feb. 21, 

 1887, the United States Senate took up the bill 

 to incorporate the Maritime Canal Company of 

 Nicaragua, and the bill was passed. It incor- 

 porates Frederick Billings, Charles P. Daly, H. 

 L. Hotchkiss, Francis A. Stout, W. B. Frank- 

 lin, Daniel Ammen, William L. Merry, Horace 

 Davis, Edward F. Beale, James H. McMullen, 

 Shepherd Romans, and their associates, as the 

 Maritime Canal Company of Nicaragua, with 

 the principal offices in New York city. The 

 capital stock is to be not less than fifty nor 

 more than one hundred millions. Ten per 

 cent, is to be payable when subscriptions to the 

 capital stock are made, and future payments 

 are to be made as the board of directors may 

 determine. The aggregate of all charges, dues, 

 and towage is to be reasonable, and not to ex- 

 ceed $2.50 a ton weight of the total of all 

 cargo (fuel and supplies included) on board any 

 vessel in transit, or not exceeding $1.25 a ton 

 actual displacement of any steam -vessel and 

 $1.75 a ton actual displacement of any sailing- 

 vessel. The United States is to exercise such 

 control over the canal as provided for by 

 treaty with Nicaragua and not inconsistent 

 with any treaty obligations of the United States 

 with any power, and is to enjoy its unob- 

 structed use (at half rates) for troops, muni- 

 tions of war, and mails. If stock to the amount 

 of $10,000,000 be not subscribed and 10 per 

 cent, thereof actually paid in within two years, 

 or if the work of construction shall not be ac- 

 tually begun and in progress within four years, 

 the corporation shall be deemed to have ex- 

 pired by limitation and all its franchises to 

 have ceased. The passage is to be entirely 

 through the territory of Nicaragua, excepting 

 in a limited portion of the eastern division, 

 where, by a recent revision of the boundary- 

 lines, Costa Rica is awarded the southern bank 

 of the river at a spot where it will be available 

 for the movement of ships. But, by a conven- 

 tion between these two republics, Costa Rica 

 agrees to accept all the conditions granted to 

 the American Company now engaged in build- 

 ing this canal. The boundary questions in 

 issue have, by common agreement, been left to 

 the arbitration of the President of the United 

 States. The summit-level of the canal above 

 the mean sea-level is 110 feet ; the distance 

 from sea to sea is 170 miles, and of this only 40 

 miles are to bo actual cutting or excavation, 

 leaving nearly 130 miles to be navigated on 

 Lake Nicaragua and the river San Juan. The 

 summit-level is to be reached by three or four 

 locks from the Atlantic, and four from the Pa- 

 cific. The length of the lock-chambers will be 

 650 feet, and the width 65 feet. No. 8, which 

 will probably be divided into two locks, will be 

 cut out of solid rock, but others are to have tim- 

 ber and concrete foundations, and the cavities, as 

 they may occur, will be filled with concrete. 

 The real question to solve in regard to these locks 

 are the gates, which are of exceptional size. 

 Engineer Peary has invented a rolling gate, 



