The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-08-20
PANAMA CANAL CUT.
SLOW PROGRESS or THE WORK AND
AN UNFAvoRABLe PROSPECT.
MIR. Menooal'a Survey Disoloses Some
Startling Faots-Tho Few Excavations
wnl Hardly Pass "Canai" Muster.
Washington - National News

pfOcoeu W NluHhukuh lOI Nhp PulppDo VI
revising estimates for tho construction OF
tho Ncarauguan Interocoanic canal In
compliance with his orders he had occasion
10 cross tho hthmus OF Panama, during
which ho devoted his Ontlro time 10 an In
apectlon OF tho work on tho Panama canal
Mr. Menocal has just finished his official ro-
port 30 tho secretary OF tho navy, The FOL.
lowing abstract has boon mado from that
report and contains its principal features, on
tho condition OF the Panama canal rs deter
mined by careful observations made on the
limo OF tho work In the month Of January
and the latter part OF May last while Mr..
Menocal was on his way 10 aud from Mica
raugua In charge OF the surveying party'
! The result OF Mr., Monocals survey Ia that
ho finds that work has been attacked only on
twonty-throo out Of tho soyenty-llyo kilo'
meters comprising the canal proper, and tho
dredging In the bay OF Panama, leaving If
/ ty-two kllomotors or 10 por cont, OF tho
whole distance as yet untouched, In tho
latter part Of May operations had been par
TALLY or totally suspended NJ Seyaral points
whore work had boon previously done 10 q
greater or loaa oxtent Mr. Monooal con
oludcsi
"Whllo 10 would bo impossible TO arrive
, at tho oxact amount OF excavation done at
tho several points along tho limo without
| careful measurements, which l was not able
| 10 do, detailed examination OF tho dilfor'
ent works and tho information furnished by
responsible contractors load me 10 tho con-
cluSion that s,0OO00O cubic motors laa liberal
estimate OF tho cube removed up 10 tho lat
! Of May, Tho company reports q total cube
/ Of 100000 motors Tho total amount OF
excavation reported by tho officers OF tho
company as required for tho completion OF
tho canal Is l650JlO)) cubic motors,
According to my estimate tho work
dono represents, therefore, loia than
0 por cent, OF tho total eubo 10 hl removed
aud, accepting tho figures Of tlo company
AZ correct, tho proportion will stu bo loss
than por cont. OF tho whole But thus far
tho excavations hav0 boon confined 10 tho
surface, and dredging IN soft motorlnl TO a
soft depth, and Ia, above porIonlngoi do not,
therefore, represent tho proportional cost OF
tho worl, DONE which boloyo cOn not bo
ostimatol nj moro than . OF ~ por cont
respectively, OF tho total cost OF excavation
alone. There nrO other works demanding
largo expenditures and Involving the succoea
Of tho whole scheme, which have not yot
boon attacked,
at "a now concodol by all familiar with
tho conditions Of tho canal, that, unless Tho
Chagrea rlyor Ia no Olroctually controlled
that Ia wators may uudOr every possible
contingency bo kept away from tho canal,
this work will bo In constant danger OF total
destruction by ono OF Ia froshota, Tho pro
moters OF tho canal have proposed tho con.
atruction OF q dam from ono hundred and
flfty 30 ono hundred and seventy foot high
across tho valley OF the stream, aud not
moro than q, 800 foet distant from tho canal
forty-ayo feot below, by which tho froahota
OF tho river arc expected 10 DO stored In n
roaoryor formed In tho valley OF tho stream
10 DO gradually conveyed 10 tho aoa by n
subsidiary channel. Soundinga at tho alto
OF tho dam show no rock NJ great depth,
which adds another difficulty In tho eKoout
Ing OF such work Tho dam N estimated
10 bo about n milo long, aud tho hydroslatc
pressure at Ia basc, At canal Lowell, will bc
l2, 200 pounds or moro p,r square FOOT The
plans aro II yet dociiil upon,
"Tho ra,t efforts O, tho company have
boon directed 70 u reduction OF tho abrupt
elevations, tho cutting down Of hillsldoa aud
dredging In the Colon mud Gatun sections,
II n limo bo drawn on tho profile Of Go canal
ionlng the basis Of the Isolated elevations,
L may bc mlcly stated that, with the OK
coptlon Of tho dredging and some inslgni0
cant exonynl Ions, across eolno OF tho riyoI
bands bpllW ,hlt limo, whprn tho heavy work
~ concentrated, nothing whatever has
hwn accomplished,
UWithul, access 10 tho books OF tho com
,,nny it would bo difficult 10 arrive with any
doaroo OF precision Nv tdN amount of money
already spout ON the canal IL Ia wcllknowl
however, thn1 the prosont obligations OF The
company Including thp 90 per cont on The
original aharos unoOllOd for, amount X
biS8, ,788, 700, aud that ON these securities Oh,
company has raised In cash elil,SIh00O
bearing nm annual interest Of SJ,t08, 1856,
''Boadca tho amount OF cash above statoC
tho company has t90, 900, 900 ~ available 10
sources In tho uncallod 90 per cent, OF Oh,
capital stock-moking q possible total o
tlai, 1910, 900 OF cash receipts,
"of this amount tho company has spont Il
tho canal aud Panama rallrord up 10 May |
not loss than sl00,0OO,00O, .
''Tho last estimated cost OF the canal mad
by M. do Lossops footed up 10 tlan,oOO,Ooo
OF which amount not lcas than ilvo'slttha hn,
alrondy been spont IN tho location and clear
Ing tho line OF tho canal, the plant and worl
OF installation not yet completed, and th
removal OF from six 10 nine per cont OF th
, total cube Of excavation, latoly reported :,
, DO l8b, ,0OO, 900 cubic inches, but which
. likely 10 be increased 10 ibO,0OO,OOO cubi
. inches. There remains, therefore, but 80,
I 100000 OF that estimate OF cost; for tho n
: moyal OF say ninoty.two per cont OF th
total cube OF excavation, comprising Oh
; most expensive portions OF that kind Q
0 work, aud for tho works required for th
1 control of tho Mvor Chagres and NJ Paunm
{ aud AspIuwall, estimated by the ngineer
: Of tho company al tsi 900, 600
, I'M. do Lesseps has repeatedly stated tha
, tho Panama canal presented less diillcultIc
, Of construction than that OF Huos, II seonl
o fair 10 infer, therefore, that he cannot tal,
o exception 10 any criticism that may bo ad
yanced on tho management OF the panem
canal, Under tho present mlauanage cement
and with tho most important problei
n involving the practicabIlity Of the canal yc
D unaolyed, Il would be impossible to estimal
! az the present tmo, with any degree Of al
a Proclamation, tho probable ultimate cost .
b tho canal, However, taking the most tavoI
! able view of tho situation, aud almittin
Il that the river Chayres can be conLrolle
= as proposed, aud for the amount estimated
= and that the msmonagement waste an
y extravaganza prevailing from the noeI
ton Of the scheme 10 Tho extent of bringin
the whole affair 10 the border OF dIsgrec
ful bankruptcy DO thoroughly corrected,
= may DO safely stated that the canal cannt
y be completed for loss than saT5,O0l, ,0OO Q,
: elusive OF interest on capital, commission
n n ETC., In addition 10 what has already bee
= spent or n total cash for the actual cost Z
:, the works Of s87b,0OJ0O0 Now. TO rei'
this sum Of money aud the annual cash II
.tHi.t .t lta .tbt.l tt.