First Isthmian Canal Commission - 1899-1901 Through the efforts
of engineers employed by the boards appointed by Congress to
investigate the feasibility of a canal between the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans (viz : the Canal Board of 1895, the Nicaragua
Canal Commission of 1897, and the Isthmian Canal Commission of
1899), a large addition was made over these five years to the
knowledge of the climate of Central America. The Spanish-
American War illustrated to the American public the need for
some type of canal in Central America -- it took the battleship
Oregon more than 60 days to go from San Francisco to the
Caribbean by way of Cape Horn. In December 1898, the French made
an official approach to the United States about buying the
concession rights of the New Panama Canal Company. To sort this
all out, Congress appropriated $1 million to fund an Isthmian
Canal Commission to recommend either Panama or Nicaragua as the
route for an interoceanic canal. The ICC included Haupt and
Hains from the previous commission a