New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-26
DELAY rs DANGEROUS TO THE BIG DITCH.

A PANAMA MERCHANT WOULD LIKE TO SEE
THE UNITED srATEs FINISH THE CANAL.
merchant who arrived from Panama on the CITY
Of Para and is now at the Hotel America. gave IT'D
une reporter some information yesterday regarding
the condition Of the canal. He had been In Panama
for more than year and Is intimate friend OF one
OF the resident directors Of the canal company. small
boats he said already run on the Pacific side LOT
about seven miles I'D as far as the Rio Grande and on
the Atlantic side as far as St. Paul or san faoro'
During the last year and a half more effective work
o boen done than in all the years heretofore. The
hills OF mountains Culebra. Pedro Miguel, Paraizo
and Emperador have been cut through or partially
i.yelIed tho most difficult work being finished
The news Of the bankruptcy of the company only
reached Panama on December 10. the day upon winch
I departed Work Immediately abandoned. SHOULD
this continue long II will prove very disastrous Dc
canse rany parts or districts of the canal arc In
state that neoessita3es a prosecution OF the WORK
DELAY will be runous TO what has been dono already
However have read to-day that the men have been
ordered TO hcrn their duties again. shall have
more definite Information the first Of January, when
friends will meet me here. The climate In Panama
is the very werrt and sevcrest under the sun NO
man can stand it long. The strongest men are
forced to quit the place after two years Continued
labor and spend at least six months In Incorporating
All kinds OF laborcrs have been tried. Tho Chinese
Peru and Colombia, together with the natives. can
stand the climate best Diseases of all kinds threaten
them dyscntcry, consumption and yellow fever being
the most fatal Fully Is per cent OF tho deaths oc-
cur from the last named malady. The foreigners do
not pay sufficient attention TO their diet They wish
to live as in their homes, and consequently soon die
from imprudcnce in this respect
Count de Lesseps is very much respected In Pan
anna, and have great confidence In him. Upon
the whole the men have been paid regularly. They
have been well cared for in the little cities built by
the company where theatres, cafes and the Ike
serve for their amusement. But many of the pay
masters and officers in charge are not as honest as
they might be- The company owes large amounts OF
money TO the bankers of Panama which must he paid
before long or trouble OF another kind Will ensue.
We have not gwen up hopes OF the canals COM
pletion however, and have still confidence in the
pushing powers Of De Lesseps. But thing I
would say in conclusion is, that the people Of that
country would be happy II the United States would
take more active part in the work Of the canal To
us II seems shameful, we'll as incomprehensibe,
that the American Government allows French COM
pany to got control OF institution which, when
pleesl will be of incalculable benefit to henri
sphere
Charles Colne the secretary Of the American Com
mittce Of the Panama Canal Company, was asked b.
Tribune reporter yesterday, at his home, No 96
| Hooperst., Brooklyn, in regard TO the truth OF
dispatch from Paris on December 23 10 " The London
News" which quoted In these columns yester.
day The substance of the dispatch was that II had
been stated IN Partisan financial circles that the
American Committee OF the Panama Canal Company
bad offered TO refund to the liquIdators the snm OF
600 600 francs the amount OF commissions recetycd
from the company Mr.. Colne said that the state
ment false, and that the committee did not have
that much money to refund and further that he be
loved that matters would be adjusted in in
q short time.