New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-24
PROGRESS OF THE CANAL.
VAST PREPARATIONS AND LITTLE MORE
DIFFICULT PIECE or ENGINEERING woRK-wHAr
HAS BEEN DONE.

DIFFICULT PIECE OF ENGINEERING woRK-wHAr
HAS BEEN DONE.
lFRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBUSEl
Colon, May 6.-The Panama Canal is In such
state that its ultimate completion Is beyond ques-
ton. But 1t appears equally certain that the pres
ent company never can complete 1T. Three-fourths
OF the estimated cost Of the canal has already been
spent, and the result is mere scratch across the
Isthmus. But the preparations for the actual work
OF digging the canal, the cearings borings,
soundlngs, surveys. houses, barracks, hospitals.
dredges excavators, ETC., complete. The build
ing OF the Suez Canal was childs play compared to
the building of this one. There nature seemed to
have intended that the waters of the Mediterranean
and the Red Sea should mingle. Here she has OPP
posed every possible obstacle to the marriage of the
Atlantic and Pacific. The confguration and
geological structure of the country, the
deadly climate. the intense heat the differenc,
In tides. the Chagres, alternately o brook and a
devastating torrent the thickly matted Jungle, all
conspire to render the digging Of a canal across
this isthmus one of the most difficult pieces of
cheering work ever attempted by man, il not alb
solutely the most difficult. 1t is common saying
that every tie of the Panama Railroad represented
a human life. Every foot Of the Panama Canal
will represent not only life but fortune as WE'LL
The work of preparation for the actual digging
of the canal has met with great obstacles. The
sOundings in the section between Pedro McGill and
Gorgona believe never would have been made but
for the indomtable euergy Of Mr. Burt, now
general superintendent Of the Panama Railroad,
who transported on mons backs through q before
impossible jungle, the machinery necessary for the
work. In going along the line of the canal one
To-Day the perfect state or preparation and the
utter absence Of anything like a canal at glance.
LII H.
chiefs of sections. Leaning on their spades or
lettering beside the huge excavators are few
scattered men. Everywhere are idle excavators OF
empty cars bearing evidences of long dlsuse. The
songIess birds browse in the shadow Of the drowsy
palms. The handful of sleepy aborcrs doze in the
shade or throw a few shovelfulls of earth to one
side with weary motion. In short, in gong over
the canal route gets the impression that work is
practically stopped and from the best information
to be got at here believe such to be the case The
last revolution here of course, has had something
to do with this state of affairs for when bullets fly
spades drop. But revolutions have their benefits,
too for they afford the canal company reasonable
excuse for giving up the work; and give it up they
must before long or get large amount of new
capital.
The greatest difficulties of construction have not
as yet been grapped with ut all. At Culebra the
summit, where a cut $50 feet deep will be made to
tde-water level, only about fifteen feet have been
excavated The great dam which it is proposed to
build between the hills of Obspo and Santa Cruz
to control the waters of the Chagres has not been
begun. nor has spade been put to all those suces
aud channels which are to be built to carry off the
waters OF the turbulent river in the rainy season.
In fact, the Chagres is such a knotty problem that
there is still some haziness about the method in
which it shall be treated Here at Colon, a vast
amount Of money has been spent on the terre pein,
a spacious platform OF made land with piers, houses
and machine shops, etc, and IN the dredging which
Is still going on. Ohthe mouth OF the Rio Grande
mt Panama one or two large dredges are at work,
for there will be the Pacific entrance of the canal.
On the slopes of Mount AncOn. back Of the City of
Panama the fine hospitals Of the company,
erected at cost so great that the true amount
II difficult to ascertain, but the best authorities
on every section of the canal the company has
erected buildings, many of them large and many of
them elegant. TO real the vast amount Of money
spent In putting up these buildings one must re-
member that n building which would cost $3.50 in
the United states here costs $500 Bearing this
fact in mind. one can see where many OF the mil
lOus spent have gone to- It is also said that a
large amount of money has been spent in the
changing of trliling details, such as the moving Of
building from one side TO the other, the transporta-
ton of an excavation from place whore IL
Idle TO a place where 1t would not be used, and
similar operations
The lsthmus has n reputatiorfff hat extends TO all
parts of the world, and II is with difficulty that
laborers are induced to come here. Nearly all the
laborers the canal DOW are Jamaica negroes
They are avcrse by nature and tradition TO work.
and their natural andinherted productions fos
tered by the climatic influences and the customs of
the country. So they work as lOtus-eaters might
work. drOwsily aud slumberOUsly, with far-away
look in their eyes and dreamy tone to their veiccs
But. whether work OIL the canal Is vigorously pros
ecuted or not salaries must be paid, aud thousand
aud one incidental expenses must be met so, even
now with the work at standstill, the company
pays out daily no less than $4,000. Ii cannot be
IL NNf,nf a. dot aIlg In oil
preparations for possible emergencies have been q
waste of money, The thorough preparation for
the actual work was. no doubt, necessary,
bnt the protector OF the canal evidently
underestimate the obstacles to be overcome The
will be here Ia full force 10 step work now will
leave to be undOne a good deal of what actual work
on tho canal has been accomplished. 1t is rumored
that Lavallee, who when the Suez Canal seemed
ahout to fail took held and carried II to success
full ISSUE is even now forming n syndicate In Paris
TO take hold OF this work. Whoever takes up the
canal now will be able to make his work tell for il
is the actual digging that he will have 60 do
EverythIUg Is ut his hand and the ground ID pre-
pared.
here is prevalent opinion that the Panama
Railroad s owned by the canal company, and that
il has ceased to be an American line As n matter
of fact, the canal company does own large major
itv of the shares of the railroad, but the Panama
Railroad is still and always must remain an Amerl-
can company under penalty of 81, 1000. 1t is
under statute laws of the state of
New-YOrk and all its officers and nearly all its
ployes are American. The man in the moon might
hold the stock but the road would still be American
legally and rs long as6eorge A. Burt Is General
need fear hat it will be- not
only legally bu: actually, Yankee to the last tie
and rail
EGGS AND WATER.