The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1888-12-27
THE PANAMA CANAL.
NOTABLE CAREEROF nj. DE LESSEPS,
THE FRENCHMAN.

The Suez Canal Great Success, While
the Panama Has Been a Failure, Al
ready Costing Hundreds of Millions of
Dollars, and Yet in Its Incipiency.
from the New York Tribunel
With the resignation of NJ. Ferdinand de
Lesseps and the other officers OF the MORT
bund Panama Canal Company new era
must begin in the work of securing inter-
oceanic transit for ships through the Amer
lean isthmus. Practically, too. the active
career of M. de Lesseps comes to an end-a
career long and active beyond ordinary
mortal compass, and full of such pictur-
esqueness as is seldom to be observed out
side the pages of romantic fiction.
His father, Count Matthew de Lesseps, was
born at Bayonne, and as he was equally
well acquainted with the Spanish and
French languages, was sent by Napoleon I.
to accompany Lucien Bonaparte, his first
ambassador to the court of Spain. While
in Spain the elder De Lesseps made the ac-
States consul to Malaga, who first intro
duced him to the family OF Senior Grevigny,
notable OF Andalusia. This noble Span
lard had two fair daughters, with one of
whom Mr.. kirkpatrick was already in love,
and it did not take the Count long to fall in
love with the other. The Scotch American
Consul and the Frenchman became broth
ersin- law, and while the son of the latter
was to become Ferdinand, Duke of Suez"
the daughter of the former became Count
ess of Montijo and mother of Eugenie af-
terward Empress of France. The elder De
Lesseps in 1903 represented the French Re-
public in Egypt. Bonaparte instructed him
to pick out from among the leaders of the
Turkish troops man of energy and ability
who could be proposed at Constantinople
for the hitherto nominal dignity of Pasha
OF Cairo. NJ. oe Lesseps pitched on Me-
hemet Ali. the illiterate commander of a
corps of bashi- baz ouks, and advised his
protege as to a short method of dealing
with the mamelukes, who were the oppress-
ors OF the Egyptians and the enemies of
France. Mehemet, who might have been
one OF Carlyles heroes. put the counsels
into practice at the massacre of the citadel,
which Kinglake so dramatically described
in "Eothen." 1t was when M. Ferdinand de
Lesseps was himself French Consul General
in Egypt that he became intimate with Me-
hemet Ais youngest son, his future patron
and partner.
Ferdinand de Lesseps was born at YER
sallles Nov. 10, 1905, and, alter acquiring
thorough diplomatic education by travelling
about in company with his father, entered
the consular service himself and held the
post of Consul at Barcelona, Cairo, and
Alexandria, becoming Consul General at the
Egyptian capital, ana receiving the cross of
the Legion Of Honor for his heroism and
devotion during the plague. In 1913 he was
made French Minister at Madrid, and the
following year was sent to Rome to effect
negotiations between the popular govern
ment and the French army. Owing to his
too favorable opinion of the popular move
ment in Italy he was recalled in disgrace.
Mohammed Said, son OF Mehemet Ali. had
now succeeded to the Viceroyalty at Cairo,
and he invited the son of his iathers friend
go to Egypt as his guest The idea of the
Suez Canal then took possession of De Les
sepS' mind. and Said became his first con-
vert. The Sultan and the English bitterly
opposed the scheme, but the company was
formed in 1854 with a capital of $4,000 900.
The work was begun in 1858, was pressed
with yigor and enthusiasm. and the canal
was opened with imposing ceremonies Nov.
II, 1069-the same year in which the Union
and Central Pacific railroads were connect
ed at Promontory, in Utah. Being her kins-
man, De Lesseps had the sympathy and
active interest of the Empress Eugene In
this great enterprise. and it was largely
through her patronage that he was enabled
to carry it to successful conclusion.
The Suez Canal passes through a low,
sandy plain. and is ABOUT 100 miles long. By
constant dredging an average depth of
tWenty-slx feet of water is maintained. and
ships pass in and out at either end without
the hindrance Of locks. The business of the
canal has steadily increased, In 1885 no
less than 1924 vessels passed through it;
the gross receipts were $4,000 800; the
shareholders were paid dividend of 17.O8
per cent. after the sinking fund had been
provided for; and the tonnage of steam and
sailing vessels that passed through amount
ed to 1886, All tons.
The idea of cutting through the Cordil-
leras and providing a waterway from the
Atlantic to the Pacific at Darien originated
with the Spanish conquerors, but their
plans lay for 200 years buried in mustv and
hi oIM o6rd Tbo
of modern science revived the idea, and
when NJ. de LeSSeps assembled his famous
congress in the Low Countries in May. 1879.
a variety of competing schemes were sub
mitted to it, The choice was finally mar
rowed to the project of the canal through
Nicaragua and that of the Panama route.
The Nicaraguan line had its advantages and
was the cheaper of the two by $S,OO00OO, as
it was calculated to cost only $l60, 900 900.
But it was much the longer. both in time
and distance; it would be difficult and ex-
pensive to keep in check the luxuri-
number of ships would be limited by the
locks, and the gigantic stone works
would be liable at any moment to be
shaken by the Central American earth
quakes SO the congress recommended the
piercing of the Panama Isthmus by an over
whelming ma ority. A few Of the members
abstained from voting, and M. de Lesseps
points out that the abstainers and the small
dissentient min GRITTY were mainly made up
of Central American delegates, so that the
decision may be said to have been practical
ly unanimous. The route to be adopted had
been surveyed and recommended by two
French naval officers, MN. Wyse and Eeclus.
The congress finally resolved, by seventy
eight votes against eight, twelve abstaining
that the canal, at the sea-level, without any
locks, should be made from the Bay of
Limon to the Bay of Panama: all the COM
mittees agreed in favor of this resolution.
Other recommendations of the congress
have been followed by the company which
M. de LesSeps formed to execute the work,
styled La Compagnie Universelle du Canal
Interoceanique de Panama"
In July, 1879, M. Ferdinand de Lesseps
concluded an arrangement with NJ. Bona
parte Wyse and his associates for the pur-
chase Of a concession granted to the latter
by the Government of the Colombian Re-
public for a canal across the Isthmus of
Panama. On the 23d of that month NJ. de
Lesseps published his first prospectus, in
vting subscriptions for 100000 shares of
500 each, giving a capital of SS0.00J,0 900.
The shares were not taken up. but in No.
vember. 1880. a second prospectus was
issued for 100000 shares, and upward
of 100000 shares were then applied
for by 102,230 subscribers. The COM
pany was thus constituted with a capital
of $60,00O.O 600 in 6OO.O00 500 shares, which
have been paid in full. and the company has
con 4racted six loans mostly bearing per