NICARAGUA AND THE ISTHMIAN ROUTES 26 L 



the construction of dams on the Deseado and the Rio Grande up 

 to the summit level. All these plans were elaborated in great 

 detail, and the total cost was estimated at $65,084,176. 



In 1895 Congress provided for a board of engineers to ascer- 

 tain the feasibility, permanence, and cost of the canal, and ap- 

 propriated the sum of $20,000 for the purpose. Col. William 

 Ludlow, of the army, Civil Engineer M. T. Endicott, of the navy, 

 and Mr Alfred Noble were appointed by President Cleveland to 

 constitute it. Considering the time and funds at their disposal, 

 this hoard made a very thorough examination of the route, the 

 data, and the estimates, all of which were freely discussed and 

 criticised. They reported that while the canal was undoubtedly 

 feasible, the information collected was entirely inadequate for a 

 basis on which to make final estimates of cost or even to deter- 

 mine the practicability of certain peculiar features involved in 

 the company's plan. They recommended, therefore, that an 

 appropriation of $350,000 be made for further surveys and in- 

 vestigation. A provisional estimate made the cost just about 

 double that estimated by the company. Accordingly, a com- 

 mission was appointed by President McKinle}^, consisting of 

 Rear Admiral J. G.Walker, Col. P. C. Hains, and Lewis M. Haupt, 

 for the further survey and examination of the canal route. 



The points of weakness in the company's data were numerous 

 and some of them serious. The borings on some parts of the 

 line were meager, and in many cases the results had been con- 

 fused and the cores taken had been lost. The Ochoa dam was 

 to be constructed of large rocks loosely dumped into the stream 

 and left to find their own foundation. This style of dam in- 

 volved the use of rocks of very large size'and of hard and per- 

 manent structure. The intention was to obtain this material 

 from the deep cut through the east divide. Investigation, how- 

 ever, aroused serious doubt as to the existence of a sufficient 

 quantity of hard, permanent rock in the divide for this purpose. 

 No satisfactory information existed as to the foundations for the 

 Ochoa dam and the San Francisco embankments. The large 

 amount of material to be dredged in the San Juan river had not 

 hem investigated at all. But little was known regarding the 

 foundations of the proposed dam at La Flor and the material to 

 be dredged at Brito. 



The greatest lack of information, however, was with reference 

 to the hydrography. Though it was proposed to deal with the 



