258 NICARAGUA AND THE ISTHMIAN ROUTES 



the east and Buen Retiro on the west. The total length of his 

 proposed line was 194.4 miles, and the cost was estimated at 

 $31,538,000. This included the cost of an artificial harbor at 

 Brito ; but at that time there was a good harbor at Greytown. 

 The object of this survey was primarily to establish a means 

 of communication with California to accommodate the heavy 

 traffic induced by the discovery of gold. 



President Grant took a deep interest in the canal problem, and 

 in 1872 appointed a commission consisting of General A. A, 

 Humphreys, Chief of Engineers; C. P. Patterson, Superintend- 

 ent of the Coast Survey, and Commodore Daniel Ammen, of the 

 U. S. Navy, to examine the information at hand and determine 

 the most feasible route for an interoceanic canal. The routes 

 considered were the Tehuantepec, Nicaragua, Panama, and 

 Atrato-Napipi. The commission unanimously reported in favor 

 of Nicaragua, and this has ever since been regarded as the favor- 

 ite canal route from the American point of view. 



In 1873 an expedition was fitted out by the United States Gov- 

 ernment for the confirmation and continuation of the Chilcls 

 survey. It was placed under the charge of Commander E. P. 

 Lull, U. S. N., who surveyed the route with reference to the con- 

 struction of a canal 26 feet deep. He confirmed the surveys of 

 Colonel Childs, but fearing difficulty with the waters of the upper 

 Rio Grande, he recommended that the canal leave Lake Nica- 

 ragua by way of the Medio instead of Las Lajas. This was 

 shorter by a mile and a half, and avoided the Rio Grande, but in- 

 volved a ninety feet deeper cut through the divide. The western 

 half of the routes coincide, and reach the Pacific at Brito. Com- 

 mander Lull also caused a reconnaissance to be made of a portion 

 of Lake Nicaragua and of the San Juan river. It was thought 

 that the river could be improved at the rapids by means of 

 locks, and that by this means and by dredging, could be con- 

 verted into a canal to a point near the mouth of Rio San Carlos. 

 Here it was proposed to construct a dam, and the canal was to 

 leave the river and follow near it until the swamp region was 

 reached below the Serapiqui, and then to cut across to Greytown. 

 Eleven locks were proposed west of Lake Nicaragua, and ten on 

 the east side. The estimate included $2,500,000 for the restora- 

 tion of Greytown harbor, and was in all $65,700,000. 



Associated with Commander Lull in this survey was Mr A. G. 

 Menocal, a civil engineer of the navy, who has since become 

 famous as the chief engineer of the Maritime Canal Company, 



