The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-29

Failure Of the Belly Enterprise, &c., SO.
We have received few interesting particulars Of the
complete failure OF the great Belly enterprise Central
America, result which confidently predicted from the
beginning The Details which are brief and the point
will show how vel founded has been the estimate which
was formed Of the project in this country.
The great company which NJ Belly informed the world
that he had taken TO Nicaragua and which, according
TO his own account could fail establish the canal
consisted Of no more than sixty persons These unforu
nate persons were employed for nine months in Ncara
qua. During five months-the first of the nne-thcy re-
ceved part Of their salary each month Soon after the
expiration Of the ve months, Mr.. Belly left for France
without notifying his employees Of his intention and for
the next four months they got cent Of their
money, and, what worse never expect to get it, On
arriving, in the beginning of the expedition,
Belly brought with him 100000 francs; but after
this sum had been expended he could not carry his
enterprise Tho founders Of the company gave their
money into the hands Of Belly and this has been the
sorry result of their hopes and plans The French
gneers arrived in Nicaragua two days after the expira
ton of the American contract originally intended
by the company.
The works undertaken during the occupation Of the
country by the French engineers in the end to
nothing. Their abors for nine months may properly BIO
said 10 have been thrown away. They had begun the
operations Of dwelling, but this had be abandoned in
consequence of the of labor the severity Of the
weather.
The whole corps Of workmeu aud engineers dyi-
ded into three parties The first remained San Carlos
where they employed in erecting house which cost
less than 100000 francs This place called San
Felix, after Belly, and involved him in difficulty with
the commandant of the place, who disputed HIS right to
establish villages and name places after himself.
This matter was however, eventually settled. The
second party stationed junction of the
San Juan river and surveyed about thirteen fourteen
miles the aggregate Of their united abors. The third
division sent to Machucac, the San Juan river,
where they succeeded in constructing hut two for
culinary purposes Before this division of the force was
made the men were kept in dleness.
The main part Of intelligence is that everybody
has LETT the place, and the grand project of M Belly
has been entirely abandoned The utmost dissatisfac
ton obtained among the working party. The sys-
TEN Of giving goods in payment in lieu Of money
largely adopted, and the result has been what be
in all The rates at which these goods sold
were very exorbtant of which the following will afford
an example20 boxes Of matches sold for 81 bot
tie of brandy oor), rs CENTS lbs. SALT ST. eggs, rs
cents boxes matches, 30 cents gallon Of liquid cof
fee, 81; chickens smalD, Sand so on in proportion
The earnings OF the men, which they had collected
during long Of labor in all parts Of the world had
to be expended in this when their salaries failed
them. Most of them had to sell their clothes, watches,
ornaments, &C.. to find the of defrayng the
expenses of their passage.
The failure of the enterprise also due to the non
arrival Of two photographed engineers from France,
who had been all along expected bat who did not come
because II alleged they had no confidence in the work.
Our nformants agreed that the opening of canal
capital and least 20 900 would be required who
would also be expected to submit to the regulations Of
military organization.
In short the bubble of the Belly canal has BURST and
will not be renewed, and the dupes Of the enterprise
dispersed the world, left to fight their own
battles, and to shift for themselves