Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-05-14

: WASHINGTON, May 14.-Mr. Nathan APP
pleton, of Massachusetts,, who has spent
some time in the United States of Colom-
bia, and who is perfectly familiar with the
operations of the projectors of the Panama
Canal, has returned 10 Washington and
Joined his wife at the Hotel Arno. In an
interview with representative OF the
i United Press yesterday, respecting the
Panama and Nicaragua Canal scheme, Mr..
Appleton said he was OF the opinion that
as the Panama people were so far advanced
with their canal, capitalists would hesitate
about suggesting another similar enter
prise, until they are more sure than they
can be present that it would prove finan-
cial success. The interview was as follows:
The United Press:-"Whata are the meth
DDS of operations, progress and prospects OF
completing the Panama canal?'
Mr.. Appleton-"The work is now well
| under way all along the line, with the ex-
ception Of the ten miles at the Pacific end,
which, however, is easy dredging and can
be done in year and half. The slaven
dredges have dug out fifteen miles from
| the Atlantic to Bohia Soldado, where the
place is now being arranged for the first
lock. Besides dredging the canal, they
have also finished many miles of the devia-
| tions or cut, which are too keep the water
of the Chagres river out of the canal itself.
In few months these dredges will have
completed their contract of the canal to
its required depth and width. and also the
cuts. Excayating is going On in all parts
of the canal which will be embraced be-
tween the locks. There are excavations in
abundance Of different patterns with
cranes for lifting up buckets of rock and
dumping the material in dirt cars. These
| and the eIcayators are moved by steam.
| Dynamite is extensively used to loosen the
rock. There are several hundred miles of
track to remove the debris and deposit 1t
way off in the Virgin forests. At the Guile
bra section alone there are seven
forty excavators and locomotives;
six of the locks are now under
way. There are TO be eight of them
| in all, possibly ten. Mr.. DeLesseps pro-
poses to have them removed two by two,
! beginning at the middle ones from the
| earnings of the canal as soon as it is open.
These locks will reduce the work upon the
canal by more than 40 million cubic yards.
Mr. Effel of Paris, who with MIR. Bunan-
Varilla invented them, has agreed to put
| them in for $40, 900. His contract was only
signed last January and he has done much
work since. There seems no reason why
the canal with locks should not be opened
in 1891.
"How does the Panama compare with the
Nicaragua canal in these respects and in
the prospect of adequate financial sup
portr'
There is no doubt but that a lock can
be constructed at Nicaragua. but it will be
| a very costly enterprise. There are TO-
GOV, 900 cubic yards to be dredged or exca-
waited, some at an elevation OF l4O feet
above the LAKE, and it is only a fair calcu-
lation to say that this will cost on the
| average 81 a yard. or say $40 000, 900 in all.
| Then must be added the railroad along the
| line, the locks, the dam of the San Juan
river, the vast amount of plant-the same
in many respects as that at Panama
the habitations for the men, work
shops, hospitals, &C., &C., which will
bring the sum up to 500. GOO, COO. On this
| interest for seven years will be about $50
600 600 more. The Panama canal thus far
has cost 500, ,000, 600, of which one quarter
haf been returned to the stock and bond
| holders for interest. and $20, 200 900 ex-
| pended in the purchase OF the Panama
railroad NJ. DeLesseps will soon be in q
position to obtain about $lOO,OOOOOO more,
which will go far towards completing his
| canal with the locks do not know that
| the Nicarauga enterprise has any money at
| its disposition, except the small amount
put UP for the construction company"
what are the evidences of interest in
| theamatter by different governmentsg
| "All the world is watching with deep
| interest NJ. DeLesseps' last great undertake
| ing, but am not aware that any govern
| ments have taken any action in relation to
| it. The Government of France merely
authorizes the new loan, but has nothing
| further to do about it. Ii has no desire to
| interfere in any way with what is being
done in the American lsthmus, and GER
tainly does not propose to get itself into
hot water. The best guarantee of the abso-
lutte neutrality of the canal is that it passes
| through an independent country, Colum-
| bia, which will jealously see that its rights
! and autonomy are respected. This is the
exact meaning OF the famous Monroe doc
| trine"
How is the health and what are the e1-
periences of Americans engaged or inter.
ested in the work.
The health on the lsthmus for the last
wear has been exceptionally good, with
very few cases Of fever. In fact, the aver
age mortality is not great, all things con-
sidered especially when the condition of
life are so different from these in q tenn
perste zone. ! should say that Ameri-
cans employed on the canal in
various capacities have stood the
test of the climate extremely well.
Mr. Slaven has force OF about 100 men
in all. OF whom, Of course. q good many are
| QCgrOe9, OF OtHcI udbNCs VI SOun-
tries The captains Of his dredges are
mostly Americans. as are also his engineers
and skilled mechanics, with . sprinkling of
white men from other countries.
What is the necessity for Congressional
action, and are there any assurances for ad-
equate and early return"
This question of course is asked about
the Nicaragua canal, as il can have nothing
to do with Panama. In reply, ! would say
that charter given under the auspices of
the National Government would hav= q GER
tain prestige which might enable the COM
pany to obtain many more readily and on
better terms than a State charter or act of
incarceration The first of the two canals
which is opened will have business enough
to pay handsomely on a very large eIpen-
diture Of money, say S40o, 100000 and per-
haps there may be traffic enough to make
them both pay. At any rate il is safe to
calculate upon tonnage of ten million
through the Isthmus in ships and this at s.
q ton would give a revenue of $50. 900. :"
What effect will the canal, have upon
the relations between the United States
and other countries"
"a glance at the globe will best answer
this question. 1t will be seen that the
United States is the one nation that will
derive the greatest benefit from an 18th.
milan canal. With territory stretching
across the continent, We shall have at our
command, through the canal, the trade OF
our Atlantic parts with those of the Pacific,
as well as those of Asia. Austria, and the Is
lands of the Pacific Ocean. From California
! we shall be able to trade direct with our
! Atlantic ports, and also those Of Europe
Then. too we shall have the criSs-cros.
commerce with the East and Western coasts
of South America, and in addition to thi.
we shall have the business of the Republic
of Central America and Southern Mexico
A magnificent commercial future will be
opened to us, for which we might now be
preparing by building first class steam
| ships, or passing the law by which we car
/ procure ships built in other couptIies
There is no time to be lost, il we are to b
ready for the opening of the Panama Canal
In this connection, l can not understand
&La lool 1,f ;.tazaSt I,anr,la ahaxr in thu