, 1884-02-19
THE PANAMA CANAL
A Conversation with NJ. De Lesseps,
tho -Piercer OF Isthmuses-"

paris Cor. Inter Ocean.
After speaking with enthusiasm Of Col
Roudaire's inland African sea, which NJ. de
Lesseps believes to be perfectly feasible, and
after referring to Con. Turr's canal between
the gulf Of Corinth and the gulf Of Egina,
in Greece, the @Piercer of Isthmuses" took up
the subject Of the Panama canal. The re-
ports which reach US from your side of the
ocean are very contradictory concerning the
actual state Of things at Panama 1t would
seem that tho work is not progressing very
rapidly. An hours talk with II. de Lesseps
banishes all pessimistic views, and you come
away as convinced Of the ultimate success of
the gigantic undertaking as the president of
the company himself.
@Work is now going on along the whole
line" began NJ de Lesseps, "and tho diff
culties are not as great as we had antici-
pated. Negroes from tho Antilles supply all
the manual labor which we need The health
Of our employees is very good AT the meet
ing Of the Academy of Sciences last month
presented statistics which prove that there ia
less sickness among our mon than among
any body Of laborers engaged in similar
work In America or Europe
you Americans have boon OF great help to
US in many ways. In tho first place we have
some of YOU c~ountrymen in our porsonne
at Panama; then again we employ
tho pretty American excavatos; cot
tagcs which we buy In the United States
ready-made are scattered along the whole
line of tho canal; their railroad, which runs
from Aspinwall to Panama, and which was
built with American capital, has been of
inestimable service; and lastly. American
engineers nave furnished US many a valuable
suggestion during the progress Of the work.
"The two chief difficulties Of the undertaking
are the cutting about 400 feet deep through
the mountain or hills Of Culobra and the dam
of Gamboa, which Is TO stop the Chagres
river and form an immense reservoir OF fresh
water. But N. Dingler, the general director
OF the Panama canal, assures US that these
two obstructions not only can be surmounted,
but that they are less formidable than we at
first thought them to be. So l am sure that
the work will be completed at the specified
time, that is, in 1888. II you wish to get q
good idea Of the work you must zee the pam
Drama of Panama In the ~company's Office in
the Rue Caumartin."
l followed M. de Iesseps' advice and won't
into tho large central hall OF the Panama
company. Against the wall on ono side of
the room is a very large relief model of the
whole country stretching from Panama to
color You see the railroad, tho future
canal, tho towns, rivers and mountains of the
Whoie iOubSs oub AhstfesNh6 ahN IN
more significant was the busy air OF usine
which filled the spacious room.
The Rue Charras and the Rue Caumartip
run parallel to each other. The entrance &c
the Suez company is on the former street,
the entrance to the Panama company Is on
the latter street Tho two buildings stand
back to back and are connected. Passing
from the b~ustling Suez Office, full of clerks
and people, you Immediately enter the Pam
ann office, which is also replete with hurry
ing mon and busy clerks. Til broad tables
In the center of the room are all occupied
with owners Of Panama stock, filling out
blanks with one hand while they hold cou-
pons in the other. At the counters clerks
are at work over tho various duties of q
great mopeyed concern. The annual inter-
est is being paid The stockholders are
evidently from the middle classes, II one
may judge by their dress. A priest was
there, and so were women In fact NJ de
Lesseps glories In this confidence OF the peo-
pie in him, In this participation Of the
thrifty lower middle class In his schemes.
@Lord Palmerston called them the petites
gems" he said on one occasion. swell, these
pctites gems have made the two greatest
works of the century"
After listening to NJ. de Lesseps' ~sanguine
uttsrances and visiting the company's Office,
one cannot help sharing the confidence Of
Lord Pa1merston's -pstites gems" in the
Panama canal and its famous PROTECTOR