The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-01
THE PANAMA CANAL JOB.
A Very Much Greater and More Costly
One than Lesseps First Estimated.
Facts and Figures That Go to Show the Flu
tility and Possible Collapse of the Scheme
The New York Election.
of the Indianapolis Journal

The picture is an allegory, typifying the polit-
ical situation. A fog prevails at both head
quarters Whether Hill or Davenport will be
elected next Tuesday is, at this moment an I'M
solved problem The outlook has changed lit
tie in week; there may be other changes in
store for the next five days.
On the one hand, good many thousand Ger
mans, who ordinarily vote the Democratic tick
ct, will this fall not only cut it, but will vote
straight for Davenport Thousands of the
County Democracy and other enemies of Tam
many Hall, will refuse to vote the general ticket
at all.
On the other hand, Hill has made shrewd if
undignified, bid for the vote of the professional
'1aboring men," and to his eager promise to sign
every bill they wish to have him, they are re-
turning a most friendly response. If the
Knights are sufficiently united, this feeling may,
during the few remaining days, take the form of
systematic boycottng of the Republican can
didate. And some of the old animosities (Conk-
ling-Blaine) have sprung up again, making it
certain that a good many Of the partisans of
Lord Roscoe will insist upon regarding Daven-
port as in some way protege of the Plumed
Knight
There is some indication here OF two things
first, that the general trend of feeling is Repub-
lican, and that Davenport will be elected if Re
publicans generally turn out; second, that Re-
publicans, especially in the country, are inclined
to overestimate their strength, and that they
may not 60 to the polls. If the sick Republican
ism of the Empire State leans upon the Buckeye
crutch, it will not 'get there"
At the Democratic headquarters last evening
Secretary Backus figured that Hill would show
4S, 0C0 majority in this city and $4,000 in Kings,
Queens and Suffolk goingup to the Harlem river
with $4,000 majority. I think he may get 49,,
600 majority in this city and $4,000 on Long
Island This might elect him. but don't think
it would. My figures are larger than those con-
ceded at Republican headquarters. General
Carr showed me yesterday his estimates, which
elect the Republican ticket by about 20, 900. The
result seems to be close to turn on the
question whether the rustics, stirred up by
Logan and Foraker, will think it worth while to
turn out and vote, and possible rainy day.
THE PANAMA CANAL FAILURE.
A book was published yesterday, by the Serb
ners, on the above subject which throws
light upon what promises shortly to exhibit to
the world the most stupendous financial wreck
and disaster Of this century If one-half of
what the book says of De Lessepss scheme is
true, then France and the other nations that
have invested 1925, DOC, 900 in Panama canal
are the victims of exploiterer and adventurer
who has had no parallel in history unless it be
that notorious author of the South sea bubble,
and Of Gallo misery. John Law.
A few years ago the words ''Nuevo Mundo'
made one of the most conspicuous signs on the
Times building, Park Row. The-Nuevo Mundo
a6i ted W Dr cd md ha6 la
circulation in Spanish American countries.
When Dom Pedro was here, he took offense at
the paper, and on returning home he procured
the adoption of special tariff taxing Nuevo
Mundo out of Brazil This was serious blow,
and DR.. Rodriguez stopped his paper, and let 60
of the $40, 900 yearly revenue which he had
hitherto derived from it, The editor of the
World sent him with De Lesseps to Panama.
He made a serious study of the project from its
inception. He reported, from time 20 time, to
the World, and now he ombodies all of his find
ings, up to September, 1885, in this volume.
1t is an extraordinary showing. Ever since
De Lesseps, last spring. found out that his orig
inal estimate of the cost of the canal was four
times too small, and appealed in vain to the
French government TO permit him to raise $780,,
100000 more by lottery, suspicion as to the
solvency of the mighty scheme has been grow
ing, and the public is now ready for these latest
developments.
Charges of reckless favoritism are made by
Rodriguez against De Lesseps and of gross cor
fund in his interest but of these allegations there
seems to be proof. But the things that are
proved are almost as serio us: for they go very
far toward demonstrating that the canal into
which $l00 COO 900 has already been sunk will
never be finished.
One of the first navigators on this continent,
Balboa as early as 1913, proposed "a canal to
wed the oceans" and ten years laterfCortez. then
master Of Mexico, advised his emperor, Charles
V, to cut the continents apart, and even sent one
KNIGHTS. SandOyal "a n Rut
Charles was otherwise engaged. During the
next three centuries numerous canals were in
vented, and more than once the Spanish Cortes
resolved to undertake the job.
All these centuries there was swell authen-
ticateG" yarn afoat in the world that there really
existed secret canal between the two seas, in
which, hidden under tropical foliage, the Indians
padded from ocean to ocean. But at last the
surreptitious canal went to join the Lost City
Of Honduras" in the land Of myths.
In 1870 our government. finding the isthmus
virtually terra incognita, ordered series of
explorations and surveys, tho result of which
was to bring knowledge of that important neck
of land to the civilized world. While this was
going on, lieutenant in the French navy named
Wyse obtained concession from the Republic
OF Colombia for the Panama canal In order to
raise the money, he put at the head of it
DeLesseps, fresh from his Suez victory
Then DeLesseps tried to raise money to go
ahead, but was defeated by the inquistiveness
of the public who asked him if he knew any
thing ABOUT the projected route and found that
he did not. To overcome this difficulty an expe-
dition was fitted out to survey the isthmus-not
to study the most feasible route, but to study
the route for which they had q concession
The chief exploration was not much more than
picnic among the mountains, lasting eighteen
days, during which they claimed to find out all
about the engineering conditions required by
line forty -seven miles long, from sea to sea- and
crossing the rocky Andes and vaulting tor
rent which sometimes rises fifty feet in twenty
four hours! 1t was iinsy preparation indeed
and France was not satisfied De Lesseps called
congress" to meet all objections mostly
packed with his friends and adherents, and it
Ammen, Cyrus w. Field and Commodore Sell
fridge opposing him refusing to participate
This congress" found that a Panama canal
could be constructed If the Chagres could be
managed. and if the cube of earth and rock to