Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-01-01
FRENCH RULE IN PANAMA.
The rricolor Flag Soon to be Holsted on
the Isthmus.

Capt. Bedford PIN, X. N, recog-
nized authority on Central American
matters, as well known through his
efforts, begun in 1861, to open up
transit across Nicaragua, arrived in
this city from the Isthmus of Panama.,
where he has been making careful
examination of the work done, and to
be done, on the canal. He said that
his trip was not an official one, but
that he was going to Washington to
communicate the result of his observa-
tons to Secretary Frelinghuysen, and
did not care to say too much in regard
to the matter beforehand.
"The French treated me with the
greatest courtesy during my examine
ton of the works." he said, "and as
the success or failure of the canal
scheme involves interests so large, l
would not care to speak of them with
out great consideration. But, leaving
the canal out of sight, things in Pana-
ma are in most excited condition.
Yellow fever is raging in its deadiiest
form; men are taken down and are
dead in a week. They are dying off by
the wholesale. But the people think
they are not dying fast enough, and
those who are alive and well are run
ming q revolution without head or tail
to it, and are killing each other off like
wildcats. The French want to get the
isthmus into their power, and no one
doubts that they will succeed. It's eX-
pected that the trico or flag will be
run up in few days at the fartherest,
and the French protectorate be de-
clared. The people want to separate
Colombia, and are only too glad to en-
courage the plans of the French.
"As for the canal, all that ! can say
is that my original opinion of it, which
expressed in France and elsewhere,
has not changed after the most careful
examination. The plan of cutting the
canal through so as TO have it on
level with the sea seems to me most
preposterous one, as II will be neccs-
sary TO cut through hills hundreds of
feet high, and where as much as eleven
feet of water falls in year. Had 4
system of locks been adopted the plan
could have been carried out, and the
canal might have been in operation at
this date. But even if you admit the
possibility of carrying the plans of NJ.
de Lesseps TO successful issue, ut the
rate at which the work is now carried
on it could certainly not be finished in
side of twenty years, dating from to-
day. That is q long while from the
time set for the completion of the work.
'And then again. the carrying on of
the work has been attended by the
most reckless extravaganza in the OK
penditure of money, and great want of
foresight has been shown. No vessel
can approach within three miles of the
outlet of the canal into the Gulf of
Panama, on account of shoals, and all
passengers and supplies have TO be
towed in on scows at great expense.
There was an admirable opportunity to
make landing for vessels, and had
shat been done at first it would have
saved already more than enough to pay
for its cost, and it will, of course, have
to be done eventually. Then this land
ing would have been invaluable in
another way. Three million francs
have been spent in the construction of
n hospital capable of accommodating
seven hundred yellow-fever patients.
But the hospital is in the midst of the
fever, and the sick men are not much
better off there than outside. If they
could bring some old hulks of vessels
up to shore and load the patients on
them they could take them out to sea
and give them pure air 10 breathe,
which would cure many of them in no
time. Now nearly all die; four thou
sand of the company's workmen have
died already, and the death rate now is
100 per 1000.
Zone thing, though, l must say, to
the credit of the French. They have
overcome almost insurmountable OBJ
stacles in furthering their scheme, and
have shown great ingenuity in finding
workmen and money to supply the
constant want. But there is one fact
which alone is fatal 10 the canal. 1t
would be absolutely useless to sailing
vessels coming from the Panama side.
For eleven months out of the year there
is an absolute calm extending seven
hundred miles out to sea from the en-
trance to the canal, and in order to
pass the isthmus sailing vessels would
have TO be towed that distance, which
is out of the question. Sailing vessels
from that side would not use the canal,
and the loss thus entailed would pre-
vent its paying any dividends. "-New
York sun.