Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-04-09
A TALK WITH CHAs. DE LEssEPs
Work on the Panama Canal-The Under
taking Less Difficult than was Ex-
pected.

work on the Panama Canal-The Under
taking Less Difficult than was Ex-
pected.
Charles de Lesseps, son of Count Ferdi-
nand de Lesseps, and NJ. Dauzats and
Captain RICHER, of the Panama Canal
Company, arrived in New York city Thurs
day morning by the steamer Colon
from Aspinwall. NJ. de Lesseps was seen
at the Windsor Hotel by reporter in the
evening and conversed freely about the
progress of the canal company's work on
the lsthmus. In regard to the time of
completing the canal, he said: cit is
well known by those who took an interest
in the project that the first two years were
to be devoted to preparation, and that
work was to be begun in the third wear.
and that 1888 was to see the marriage of
the two oceans. Such was the programme
OF my father, and have no apprehension
but that it will be successfully carried
out"
''In what state is the work now?"
1--WE are now at the beginning of the
third year and at the beginning of work.
We have established a line of villages
from Colon to Panama. The country has
been thoroughly surveyed, and the ac-
tual work of excavation begun. Two
large dredgers are at work at Colon, two
ready to begin work, one crossing the
ocean, and third, very large one, from
Philadelphia, was met by us, being towed
INTO the harbOr of Colon as we were COM
ing out. Steam eXcavators are at work
all along the line"
"How many men have you employed on
the work nOW?v
"We have at present 1000"
Ills there any difficulty on account of
the sanitary condition of the country?r
"Well, as to that" said NJ. De Lesseps.
mOtioning toward himself and NJ. Dau-
Eats, both of whom are the very pictures
OF health, 1--WE are specimens of what the
climate does for Europeans. We have
been there three months, and Travelled
over every part of the line Of the proposed
canal. OF the 1000 men employed, only
zoo are In the hospitals of the company.
Of these, only 10 are seriously ILL.,"
'Work will be carried on from both
sides OF the isthmus, will it notY'
Yes, in a week or so the Franco-Ameri-
can Dredging Company will have dredges
at work at Panama. Though excavatfng
and dredging is now going on with all
possible rapidity, it will be year before
the work will begin to look like a canalv
Have the engineering difficulties to be
overcome been as great as was antici-
patedT'
"No; they have been very much less. |
Some of the hills to be removed. which
were thought at first to be of solid rock.
proved to be mostly of soft earth, and
altogether it will be much easier Job
than was anticipated"
''DO you apprehend any hindrance to
your work in consequence of the Monroe
doctrine?''
'The control Of the canal is question
for nations, not for the canal company.
The canal company is a business firm.
hayipg nothing to do with intern atinnaf
politics.. 1t is universal and for all ma
tions alike. We shall simply go on and
build the canal as any company would
undertake piece of wOrk.'s
"Has the Colombian Government made
any preparations for fortifying the ends of
the canal%'
1.-The company has no connection with
the Colombian Government except the
contract in regard to the digging of the
canal''