, 1885-09-08
THE PANAMA CANAL,
The SCHEME PROVING TO Dc A BON
ANA FOR THE CONTRACTORS
observations OF "A Returned CInoInnAtiaa
Tho Army Of Lsech-- Who Find AN
Asylum on the I,thmus Had
Business.

Cincinnati Enqlirer Interview
A former Cincinnat'an, Mr. w. J.
Crosby. has just returned from | anamn.
where he has been since last Septembel
fulfilling u contract for tightening cargoel
ON Incoming ships to The shorr. The
yellow fever has been aud now Is com.
hitting dreadful mvagcs there. and when
his turn came his physician and 0
friend hurried him out OF the country.
Mr.. crosby has been a number Of years
on the isihmus ut one time as an agent of
the acinc steamship company, and his
position gave him opportunities for oh.
SER alton. which he seems to have i'm
proved 10 the fullest extent. THE
history OF the Panama eanal, . said he.
"will be \ record Of fraud almost unpar.
allelcd in the annals OF any nation.
Already Il has cost the sum of II. O. 0O0,
OOn. The projectors havc in addition u
debt of so. 900. O0u. and now they esti-
inaio that to compass its completion 5000.
900 900 additional will be needed. What
have they accomplished Nothing more
than the transportation to tho oh cctive
point Of an unlimited amount of machin-
cry, which is useless and can not even be
converted into old iron. as the rates for
freight away from the isthmus are 30
high as 10 render prodtlcss any such ven
turc.
"The Nicarauga route Is undoubtedly
the best for canal purposes. but II is said
at the same time the longest. The route
selected by the French and German syn
dicatc is the shortest, but II Is fraught
with difficulties which. 1 think, have all
been too lightly considered. even If they
have been considered at all
= or instance. the land lies very high
In places. aud the deepest portion will be
n cut six hundred feet In depth. Now.
thu water surface of the canal will have
TO be 100 feet in width. This will neces-
state a cut Of nearly eighteen hundred
feet In width at the top so you Can easily
imagine tho amount OF dirt 10 be removed.
The canal line follows closely the line of
the anama railroad The contract for
removing the dirt has been let
TO a Dutch and French syndi.
cate for $40, 900. 900. and as yet
the contractors have done nothing. Then
they seem TO have taken no account of
the varying aspects of the spring tides,
OF course they will have to employ an
elaborate system of locks. In the spring
tho tides on the iacific side rise from
twenty five to thirty feet. while on the
gulf coast they are from twelve TO fifteen
Inches These conditions 1 deem of i'm.
portanee. and lastly they are using the
channel of the Chagres river as a starting
point Of the canal on the gulf side. The
Chngres Is a mountain stream, and In
times OF Good !s = terror 10 the inhabitants
\ 0u have heard about a torrent rushing
aud jumping. Well. the breast of q tor.
rent in the Chagres just jumps along.
II comes down like a solid wall. bearing
all before it, They will have TO divert
the entire channel of this stream. The
canal has now been under way four years.
and the channel. when chmpleted. will be
forty seven miles in length.
"The company has erected a great mum.
Der Of houses along the line. aud Just 10
give you an idea Of the manner in which
they conduct their business / will tell YOU
hat in their Office. which is an immense
place. they had at one time over 200
clerks employed II seemed at once a
hospital and an asylum for broken down
relics of French nobility. Each window
Of the office had u small AGONY, and zach
balcony its lolliug frenchman. When
one got tired, aud went within to either
pore over the pages OF a French novel Of
questionable moral purity or the Paris
papers. another Frenceman took his
place. II any one appeared with II bill or
series Of accoun he, rs like rs not. won d
be told TO call again, rs all hands were loo
busy TO pay any attention TO him. To any
man attempting to conscientiously dis
charge hisdut this was discouraging Al
these fellows did was TO draw their
So aries ] understand. however. that the
force has recent been materially de
creased
In addition | can assure you OF one
thing. aud that i. if the Panama canal is
ever completed it will he by American
brain and luck. The way the present
syndicate are engaged it will take 100
years to hnish the work.