306 THE PROPOSED AMERICAN INTEROCEANIC CANAL 



their own estimates of tonnage are based, but vigorously oppose 

 any governmental attempt to institute practical inquiries into 

 the subject, at the same time being ardent applicants for enormous 

 subventions from the national treasury in aid of their particular 

 undertakings. 



The idea that the Nicaragua or Panama Canal route, even at 

 the present rate of tolls charged on the Suez Canal, about $1.80 

 per net ton of shipping, will secure the traffic in wheat and 

 lumber from the Pacific coast to the countries of Europe or to 

 other countries and islands on the eastern side of the American 

 continent is subject to serious question. Wheat, lumber, and 

 coal transported on long voyages are essentially sailing-vessel 

 cargoes; but, as before shown, it will for all time be impracti- 

 cable to navigate sailing vessels through any American inter- 

 oceanic canal, for the same reason that no sailing vessel ever 

 passes through the Suez Canal. 



The records of commerce across the Isthmus of Panama dur- 

 ing the last fifty years serve to throw light upon the question as 

 to the practicability of an American interoceanic canal. The 

 construction of the Panama Railroad was begun in the month of 

 Ma}% 1850, and it was opened for traffic January 28, 1855. The 

 length of the road is 47* miles. The cost of its construction was 

 $8,000,000. It continued to be the principal avenue for commerce 

 between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States until 

 the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, the Union 

 and Central Pacific, on May 10, 1869. During the ye&x ended 

 June 30, 1869, the total value of merchandise shipped from New 

 York to San Francisco and from San Francisco to New York via 

 Panama amounted to $70,202,029. As the result of transconti- 

 nental railroad competition, it fell in the following } 7 ear, to 

 $18,594,255. During the year ended June 30, 1898, it amounted 

 to only $4,887,289. Upon the completion of the Union and 

 Central Pacific railroad line in 1869, the carriage of passengers* 

 the mails, coin and bullion, express goods, perishable goods, and 

 all the more valuable " fast freights " was at once deflected to the 

 transcontinental railroad, nevermore to be transferred to any 

 possible trans-isthmian rail or water route. Since theyear 1869 

 eight other transcontinental lines and parts of lines have been 

 constructed, and direct connections have been formed with lines 

 reaching to every center of trade and of production in this country 

 from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from Canada to the Gulf. 



