Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-02-24
Tuesday, February "a, 1855.
THE PANAMA CANAL.


The latest report from the Panama canal
region is not at all favorable to the speedy
success of De Lesseps' great scheme, and
there is one problem before the engineers
which may be too much for them. This is
the diversion of the Chagres river. This
river during the dry season is very insi6-
nifcant stream, being about two hundred
feet wide and two feet deep. Its source is
about forty or fifty miles east of the canal,
which it first crosses at Gamboa, few miles
west of the great Culebra cut, and about
two-thirds of the length of the canal
from the Atlantic. At Gamboa the bed of
the river will be about fifty feet above the
bottom of the canal when built, and from
this point to the sea the river winds back
and forth across the canal no less than
twenty nine times. During the wet season
the rainfall on the Isthmus is almost incredi-
BILE to one accustomed only to the COM
paratively light rains of the temperate lati-
tudes. Rain has been known to fall to the
depth of 81 inches in six hours. At such
times the Chagres in few hours rises to a
height of forty feet, and, flooding the coun-
try on either bank, rushes with great vio-
only an immense mass of detritus washed
from the soft earth of the forest, but an i'm
mense amount of debris. It is proposed to
put in the course of the river dam about
one mile long and over two hundred feet
high. Beneath the dam large culvert or
tunnel fifty feet wide will be constructed of
solid masonry, which will be sufficient to
admit the ordinary flow of the river. The
inner end of the tunnel will be fitted with
strong iron doors, by which tle flow of the
river from the upper valley can be entirely
stopped. At the upper edge of the dam, on
the right bank of the river, channel will be
cut, through which the overflow of the dam
lin case it ever becomes fulD will be- carried
around the base of the hill to join the chan
mel cut for the diversion of the lower Cha
gres on the eastern side of the canal. It is
intended to keep the dam always empty.
Immediately after freshet it will be drained
by means of the culvert tunnel
But even if the engineers can manage this
tremendous problem they will still have
other serious difficulties to contend with
The cost of the work may prove too great
even for those who have unbounded faith in
The SCHEME. Inc AluOuuC Ol etflI eAcdVdCeo
up to January 81, 1885, according to the COM
pany's published bulletin, is II, ,000, 900 cubic
meters. The amount of money originally
subscribed was about 800, 0,000, ,000f. IF to
this be added the proceeds of the sale of 387,-
3S7 FIVE hundred franc shares at $685. per
share, we have 729, 1000, ,000f The company's
bulletin for January 1, 1885, shows the bal
ance on hand to be 36s 200, ,0O0f therefore
the money expended is 367 ,0OO,OOOf Sub
tracting So, 900, ,O00f. for excavating II ,000,-
600 cubic meters, we have 312 900, ,000f., the
sum expended for material, machinery and
everything except for the actual excavations.
In addition to this it must be remembered
that interest is generally paid at the rate of
per cent, and, of course, the more time
consumed in building the canal the greater
will be its cost, until, in the event of exces-
sive delays, the amount will be SO great that
the canal can never pay reasonable interest
to the stockholders. It is estimated that the
canal even if it is completed in 1889, accord
ing to promise, will cost about $3.50, 900, 600.
And it is probable that it will not be complet
ed before 1900, and will cost much more than
$3.50, ,OO0,0