New-York tribune., 1885-08-16
The PANAMA C.INAL.
SIGNS THAT THE SCHEME is on IT'S LAST
LEGS.

LEGS.
tFRoMA SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT or THE rRrBUSE'l
Cotton, Aug. IL see that Mt q meeting OF the
stockholders of the Panama Canal recently held in
Paris one misguided individual dared to propose an
investigation Of the manner in which the stock
holders money has been spent. He was quickly
and eAeqtually snubbed. Ii. however, the stock
holder with an nquirlng turn of mind Will visit
the Isthnus he will soon see where his money has
gone. Dumped into big trench In the groandI
Not bit of it. lie will see 1T transmitted nto the
fine villas of the chefs dc sections, the huge idie
cXcavator and drcdgcs, the rolling stock loaned 10
the Panama Railroad, the fine turnouts aud liyerleS
of the Director-Gencrai, the handsome Offices at
Panama and tho salaries of an army or CLERKS ana
employees. No matter how the work on tho canal
Lays, no matter how mach money Is wanted. tue
cutting down begins, paradoxcaliy, at the bottom
"Coupes' said an American on the istsmus
recently. "never built the Panama Railroad and
they can never build the Panama Canal" The
Panama Railroad was built IN the face OF great
obstacleg. bnt obstacles which had been carefully
considered and provided for in the plans American
energy pushed II to ~ successful completion. The
Panama Canal affords the most startling example
the world ever saw Of enterprise plunged into
without proper consideration Of the obstacles to
be overcome and OF the reckless expenditure OF
money with no adequate result. Since the Sonth
Sen Bubble there has not been anything approach
ing 4 parallcl Tho name of tho old Count lie
Lesseps is the naino tho managers OF the canai
scheme use 10 cOnjurc by. Ferdinand do Lesscps
You see II everywhere: on the engines, on inc
excayators on the drclgcs. But even that name
seems 10 have lost It's power in Paris and now tile
canal company ia driven TO tho last resort OF
lottery 10 raise funds to prolong the farce. "A
general fecliag prevails here that the jig Is up.
aud that all the eilorts OF the canal olhciFiS 10
piOiUng u will bc useless.
A large building facing on tho l'laIa dc "a
Cathedral il filled with AN army oi cierEs al
bearing more sounding titles Even the clerk VINO
nlrs away the papers ~ designated as the Keeper
If Archives" There are uniforms ana iNerlcs
display and hustle, but. alas no canal
iom the heights OF Culebra balboa mot stou'
Cortes ~ first saw tie Pacific when
All his men
Gared "a each other with Wild surmlse
sieht apon pcaS IN Darien.'
Below the historic summit the course of the
canal p1ssing between two mountains Here II
| the summit where the deepest cut VIII have Il
be made The casual observer would eNclalm on
ookinv AZ the work at this point " Here. certainly
il "A place where digging has beon done lie sees on
either side the terraces OF fresh earth rising high
one above the other Ito imagnes that he u
| standing at tho bottom OF an immense cut. III
reality lie IA standing between two hills the sides
| OF which have been terraccd so that the eartu
would not slide into the hypothetical canai 10 De
LuiIt IN the subunciIyo future No work ot any
| Importance has been done on tho Culebra section
m spite of misleading photographs aud rosecoiored
rep6rts / ain told that the borings on this most
important section revealed so large An amount oi
rock 20 be excayated that tho officials OF tho canal
company never had the heart to break the SAD news
| To lie public In general and the STOCKHOLDERS ia
particular In TACT, the accuIaoJ vi aL' Ihe %
ge1oyicI charts of the canal course. prepared by
| the coupany arc mach questioned.
| There are many signs that the end OF the canal
| ,chcmo is approaching. Tho money from the
lottery may prolong It's Iiic but not for long
| lime. Even ihe Panama star aad Herald, paper
| devoted to the interests oi the canal company
| yrntured to remark tpe other dag As We take IT,
| the time OF preparation Is past. Let us now have
| some work" OF course there Is possibility that
the canal will be completed. Tho lottery scheme
| may bring another Sl2O,OOJOOJ into the hands oi
| the company and with that they may make enough
showing To induce future generations tD throw theiI
| treasure into the cOmpany's Golfers An engineer
| may he born who can invent plan Tor controlling
| the Chancs, ana the rocks OF Cu,ebra aud tLt
| sands of Gamboa may change places. such Is the
vision of the French enthusiast II c Is an official o
| the canal company But somehow alter short
STAY on tho lsthmus he prefers to retire TO Paris
where he can await In simple luxury the iulhlmen
| of this vision.