The Triumphant Life of Theodore Roosevelt edited by J. Martin Miller

THE PANAMA CANAL 141
which in brief gave the former the right to build the canal.
This was rejected by the Colombians, who demanded more
monej-, and on November 6, 1903, the independence of
Panama was recognized by the American government, and a
treaty entered into with the new republic which granted to the
United States the occupation and control of the canal zone,
and authorized the Panama Canal Company to sell its rights
to the United States government.
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION
In comparing the Nicaragua and Panama routes the com-
mission cited the advantage and disadvantage of each substi-
tute as follows:
In each case a canal with locks would be required; the water-supply features
were satisfactory on both lines; both dams by which the summit levels would be
sustained were practicable, while the plan of regialating the summit level on the
Panama route was simpler than that on the other; the absence of harbors on the
Nicaragua line would make the period of preparation longer than on the Panama
line, where harbors are already in existence and where a railroad is in operation
along the whole route.
The Panama route is 49.09 miles long, and 134.6 miles shorter than the Nicaragua
route from sea to sea, with fewer locks and less curvature both in degrees and miles.
The estimated time for a deep-draft vessel to pass through the Nicaragua Canal was
placed at thirty-three hours, as against twelve hours for Panama, these estimates
being the time of actual navigation and not including delays for winds, currents or
darkness.
If the passage were made without interruption, about a day could be sa\ ed by
the Nicaragua over the Panama route by ordinary steamers handling commerce
between Pacific ports and all Atlantic ports, and about two days by steamers of the
same class trading between gulf ports and north Pacific ports. The time advantage
of the Nicaragua route would be less in the case of fast high-powered steamers, the
use of which is increasing.
Between Atlantic ports and the west coast of South America the Panama route
has the advantage of about two days, and between the gulf ports and the west coast
of South America the Panama route has the advantage of about one day. The trade
of the western coast of South America is a very important one, which has hitherto