The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-02-10
[sneclal Cnrresnonllenca.i


OF railway which forms the present con-
Meeting link between the Atlantic and
the Pacific rode today in a special train.
The starting point was Aspinwall, the
terminus Panama. The time consumed
was one hour and thirty minutes, the
distance forty-seven miles The fare
was s.. mention this circumstance as
showing the steady march Of improve
ment even at the isthmus. Two or
three years ago the time taken in cross
ing was over three hours, the fare
was $50. and tho service quite
ordinary. If not dangerous Even at this
rate Of speed and passage, the railway
was considered OF an extraordinary
character For that matter, it certainly
is. Although less than fifty miles in
length. il cost to build over seventy mill
IONS Of dollars, and for every tie laid
down tits said "a human life was lost. This
Is scarcely an exaggerated statement. In
fact the mortality during tho building of
the Panama railway was greater than
during the construction Of that section OF
the canal now finished aud which has
been appalling, men dying like dies in
the frost. Upon the bones Of an army
Of workingmen great business enter
prise has been constructed.
The gross earnings Of this little rail
way during the year Just closed has been
over Si.0O0.0OO Notwithstanding the
reduction in faro and freight it pays over
% per cent. dividends. and Col. Rives
father Of the author Of "The Quick and
The Dead'l, the general manager, told
your correspondent that, even when the
canal isoompIeted, as he feels sure ii will
De. the road will be self supporting 10y its
local business. and also pay a steady
profit on the enormous cost 1t is man
,ged by American skill: has American
nginecrs, conductors and clerks, but is
jwned by foreign capital. The Panama
railway is certainly unique in the rail
way history Of the world. It is chartered
inder the laws OF the state Of New York,
md is power here is much greater than
he prevailing Government-the United
states Of Colombia, Of which Panama is
4 part. -
one hears nothing but gossip, specula-
ion and positive statement about the
anal or the isthmus. 1t health, wealth
nd almost existence to the people, and
hey are Of course supremacy interested
n its welfare But you grow very weary
# the constant iteration. with the Their
nomcter boiling forever up around the
100 mark Still, life has its compensa-
ions, for the question Is never asked
iere, as II hot enough for you:" No
nc knows precisely what Is going to
aDDon 10 the canal Tho American con.
ul feels sure that failure and abandon
lcnt will be It's final and almost imme-
iato outcome; the resident director
encral informs me that there will be no
Interruption Of the work, and that it will
@ completed by French enterprise and
rench money within two years. l
Dent lhis morning on the flagship Tren-
Ell. now lying in the bay Of Panama,
ad was told by Admiral Kimberly that
10 bubble had burst, and the
anal, which at present was "merely
scratch on the surface Of the
thmus," would DO speedily aban-
oncd. II is plain that the American
1nsu and the American admiral are in
nical 50 the scheme, as Is every Ameri-
n here; but when | suggested to the
lmiral and the consul the possibility Of
Icir being antagonistic, they denied 1t
,outly, saying America didn't care a
opDer about the canal one way or the
Their Perhaps she doesn't Outside Of
ur,own people the sentiment in favor OF
me vast enterprise il universal. When
he outlook in Paris was most blue, the
7renchmcn here displayed a Mark Tapley
.Dirit and were Jolly under extremely IN
! adorable circumstances. Today most
Encouraging reports have come from the
trench capital; the money, it IS said,
will surely be forthcoming, and NJ.
4 Iacquicn stated officially this evening
hat there was no longer any possibility
( failure. The canal, YOU know, has
.lrcady cost the French people three
hundred millions of dollars. One hun
red million more is asked to com
| lle,e it. -
have spent three days on the canal,
mt not being blessed with technical skill
cannot inteliigentiy AMI clearly write
f the precise condition Of affairs. /
ave at this moment a confused idea Of
measurements. sea levels, deyiations,
meters. etc, which lead to nowhere IN
particular, but | have a profound i'm
iression based upon sincere If super
jciai view and examination, that the ex-
.agations are much more than "a scratch
lpon the surface Of the isthfnus.' An
,normous amount Of labor has been ex-
pended, and although here and there at
Obispee and Colebra were seen evidences
II sinful waste, the work accomplished
! il tremendous. To see scores Of fine loco
motives with the rank tropical vegeta
ton growing out Of the smokestacks,
and dozens of unused and expensive
machines abandoned suggests vast
losses and reckless management some
where. while the fine bouleyards and
beautiful homes the managers have
erected all over the isthmus for their
personal comfort tell where much Of
tho poor French peasants money has
gone. And yet, Notwithstanding ali
these things, the Panama canal Is well on
to the end and how it can be abandoned
at this stage Of the game cannot see.
The French nation as a nation can
hardly afford t. let the scheme end in
disaster. ss
We Americans take il as matter OF
course that the French government will
not violate our beloved Monroe doctrine
by taking official part in the great
scheme. OF course it would never DO to
have a foreign power appear on the
American continent, and the eagle
screams in agony at the very thought.
But really one can imagine France as
not overwhelmed with fear at the pos
sible consequences. Diplomacy will
probably prevent any rupture, and the
chamber OF deputies at Paris may not
appear openly OF the scene, but While the