Doc. No. 75. 



203 



Louis Napoleon estimates the size required in the earth-cuttings as fol- 

 lows: 



Width at water line - - - - - - 147 feet. 



bottom - - - - - ' 6o 



level of towing-path ----- 155 



Depth - - ' 23 



In the rock-cutting as follows: 

 Width at water line - - - - - - 131 feet. 



bottom 126 ^'^ 



Width at level of towing-path - - 131 



Including paths - 158 



The dimensions of the locks, to admit one ship of 1,200 tons, or two 

 merchantmen of 300 tons, or two brigs of 16 guns, &c. : 



Width 47 feet. 



Length within gates - - - - - - 210 



These dimensions are one fifth greater than those of the Caledonia 

 canal, calculated to admit frigates of the third rank. 



The same authority calculates the cost as follows: 

 Works on the river San Juan ... - $4,304,000 



Works on the river Tipitapa - 1,907,100 



Works between Lake Managua and Realejo - - - 10,787,000 



Works at the extreme ports ----- 400,000 

 Purchase of tools, engines, etc. ... - 600,000 



Total cost .... 17,998,100 



Casual expenses and reserved fund - 2,001,900 



Total - - - - - 20,000,000 



The author here quoted observes that he has purposely exaggerated cdl 

 parts of this estimate, supposing a great number of works to be necessary 

 which he is assured are not, and adopting the European rate of wages, 

 with an increase of 50 per cent. But he proceeds upon the assumption 

 that the river San Juan can be made navigable by means of locks, dams 

 and excavations — an opinion from which I must differ. The balance of 

 the calculation is probably not far from correct. 



It is, of course, impossible to calculate with anything more than ap- 

 proximate accuracy the advantages which, upon the score of economy 

 alone, would result to the world from the construction of the proposed 

 canal. Its general benefits to mankind, from the augmentation of com- 

 merce, the opening of new markets, the creation of new sources of de- 

 mand, and the cheapening of all articles of import, with the consequent 

 increase of manufactures and agricultural supplies, cannot be calculated 

 by the narrow standard of dollars and cents. The employment which 

 would, under the new era, be given to the overgrown and starving popu- 

 lations of Europs, the new fields which it would open to enterprise, and 

 the diffusion of light, knowledge, and civilization which follows always 

 upon any great iniprovement in the physical condition of mankind, and 

 which mcreases with every saving of an hour's time or a mile's distance 

 in the communications between nations — all these are considerations 

 which must lead the statesman, the philosopher, the Christian, and the 



