Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-19

To the Editor Of the Globe Republic:
A great majority Of the English and
American newspaper critics would have us
turned out 10 be stupendOuS failure, to
say nothing of its being an mmitigated
fraud. But we see from late issue of the
Pau MAI Gazette that a meeting of the
stockholders of this canal company was re-
Gently held in Paris. at which VI. De Les
sepS presented a report which seems 20 have
thrown another, and il is to be hoped a bet
ter light upon the subject. The salient
points in this elaborate and able report are
about as follows: The net expenditure
from the beginning of the enterprise to the
3Oth of June. 1856. was AL. 200, 900 francs,
and the entire amount of shares and bonds
is 7la. 900. 900 francs. leaving balance of
al. 200. 900 francs. One hundred and fortN-
seven million francs of this balance consists
of uncalled-for inStallmentS of shares,
IS, 900. 900 francs inStailmentS on bonds,
and ST. 900. 600 francs of other assets.
The mortality among the operatives for
the year ending March 3Oth last has
been five and onr-fourth per cent.
which does not exceed the average
mortality in other French public works.
The number of deaths occurring. however,
among the engineers and other chiefs in the
work have exceeded the abOve-named rate.
NJ. De LeSSepS'S report shows that the
difficulties of the enterprise were at inst de
liberately exaggerated, the estimate being
that 5000. 900 metres Of material would
have to be extracted. 1T a cost of |, 200. 900,
OOOf. But experience has shown that the
sides of the canal being less rocky than had
been imagined. might be made more slop-
ing. the total 10 be extracted being thus
raised to ll0, 900. 900 cubic meters. The re-
port points out the mistake of the calcula-
tion. now made by many, as TO the prOba-
bic length of time vet required to complete
the work. In case of the SueZ canal. which
was also engineered by DE LeSSepS.
-. 900. 900 cubic meters had. in all.
to be extracted. The excavation of the
first 25, 1000. coo cubic metres took eight
years. and nearly all the newspapers ana
scientific judges then predicted that the re-
mainder of the work would require al least
twenty years; wht reaS the other 30. 900, 000
metres were extracted in two years. AT
Panama. in like manner. the average month
ly excavation has risen from 10000 metres
in 1882 Ia 2l5. 900 per month in 1858; 6l1.-
900 in 1884; 65S. 600 in 1855, and l,079, 900.
900 in the first half of 1886. This shows
that with a monthly average of 1000. 200
metres i'm 1857 and 5000, 600 in 1SSS and
1889. the entire 11O. 900. 900 metres may be
extracted. and the canal completed by July
l. 1889.
VI. De Lesseps pledges himself in any
case to open the canal for traffic in 1889.
and that il shall not cost more than
was estimated at the Panama congress of
1879. And he states furthermore that il.
meanwhile. unforeseen difficulties and eN-
penSeS arise. decisions and action will Ger
tainly be adopted. enSuTiug the realization
of this pledge. The Sues canal nOtwith-
standing its colossal proportions. and the
bitter hostility of the British people and the
unfriendly criticisms Of the civilized world
generally, was finished and opened for cos
mOpOlitan commerce. by November 1863.
the time fixed in DE LeSSepS' first regular
estimate. made to the canal commission.
fifteen OF sixteen years before. This most
celebrated of all civil engineers. expresses
his conviction, that in one year hence. the
machinery accumulated i'm the canal will
have so asserted its power. that no doubt
will remain. bat that the great channel will
be cut through within the time and cost
originally specified.
II the above calculations be correct, and
who IS so well informed as TO call them in
question. the world need wait long in vain
to see the greatest and most wonderful pub
lie work that has ever been accomplished
on this planet. The interests of commerce
and navigation; and the deStinieS of both
our American continents will be materially
influenced for the better by this new and
short highway between the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans with the popul0us and
wealty nations which crowd their shores.