Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-16
Ferdinand 5 Failure.
Like His Successes, It Is a Very
Great One.
VAST SUMS SUNK BY DE LEssEPs

Into Woris-The Great Ditch Has Swal-
lowed Up $3.50. 600. 900 and Is Now Prac-
tically Abandoned-Cash Poured Out
Like Water. and with Lavish Extrava-
gance.
PANAMA, Feb. ia railroad man who
has watched with deep interest the progress
Of the work on the Do Lesseps canal says
that $3.50, 900 900 has been sunk In the vast
hole, and that further work has practically
been abandoned, there being no question
taat the mammoth project has proved a dis
sstrous failure. Only few small gangs of
laborers are making any pretense at continu-
Ing the work. And 1t is conceded that these
will, inside Of few weeks, Join their idle
companions The last important desertion
was Feb. l, when the contractor on the San
Pueblo cut discharged his 1000 men and an
nounced that he would not need them again.
At one time as many as $1,000 negroes,
mostly from Jamaica, were employed on the
canal. From time to time men were dis
charged They became turbulent as the un.
employed increased in numbers, and the
Colombian government found it necessary to
place on duty large guard of soldiers, and
have the line of the Panama railroad pa.
tolled to prevent outbreaks. The negroes
we're paid small wages and, being shiftl-ss
saved nothing They drew their money in
small sums, and when they happened to have
more than was necessary to buy rum they
rode out the surplus on the railroad trains
and consequently when discharged were pen.
niless American, French and English men
of-war are at anchor in the bay Of Colon ready
to protect the citizens Of their respective
countries if necessary. Not only on the canal
but also on the railroad a large number OF
men have been thrown out of work. When
canal building was being pushed there were
four passenger trains run on the railroad, but
now two are more than sufficient, and half Of
the force has been discharged and those
still at work are threatened with a reduction
of wages.
When the Compagne Universele Trans
Atlantique began work in 1880 it gave out nc
contracts, but prepared to dig the canal itself,
and under the liberal guidance of Count de
Lesseps made ample provision for such COM
forts as were possible in that section. Towns
hospitals and other modern Improvements
weer introduced. AT Colon the French quar-.
ter is laid out like park and improved like a
European villa De Lesseps built, at the
company's expense, residence for himself
and another for his son at a cost of $3.50, 600
The fescoing Of De Lesseps pere's house
was said to have cost $50, 900 and every.
thing else was on a corresponding basis,
and Yet neither house has ever been
occupied. The hospital at Panama cost
81 100000 and other preparations for
the comfort of the canal company's EN-
ployes were on an equal scale. Within the
last two years the streets Of Colon, which
were previously almost of the consistency OF
mortar, have been macadamiZed, and the
principal street has a substantial board pave
ment Before these improvements were
made the only wheeled vehicle in the city was
the carriage provided for the hospital nurses
but now cabs abound All along the pro
posed line of the canal money has been Law
ished for the comfort and even luxury of the
company's officers, all of whom lived, while
the bubble hoated, like princes. This ex-
travagance had a counterpart in the way
money was thrown away on the work OF
canal digging until three or four years ago
when contracting began. Altogether there is
very little to show for the vast outlay OF
$50, 0O0, 600, which is said to be the amount
sunk
The only water-course actually developed
by the work Is from Colon to Bohio, dis
lance of thirteen miles This work wa:
chiefly through marshes and was done by al
American dredging company. The only hare
work was at Mendes, where for a distance OF
800 or 400 yards blasting was Necessary OWNS
to the rock obstructing the way. This sec
ton is a comparatively small fraction of the
entire work projected, as the other thirty
four or thirty-flve miles of the canal wer,
surveyed over mountains, some of then
bristiing with rock On the Culeda cut con
siderable work was done, but it was not any
where nearly finished, and elsewhere very
little was accomplished On the basis o,
previous expenditures it is estimated tha
81, 600, 900 900 would be required to finish tn,
canal
As an evidence of the manner in which
money was squandered 1t is stated that ex
pensive engines and other valuable machinery
taken there from Belgium and France wer,
dumped upon the commons and not even GOV
cred up or otherwise protected from the ele
ments, Much Of the machinery was neve
used, but still lies where it was unloaded
Some of the machinery has been overgrowr
with rank weeks, which abound in this sec
ton.
De Lesseps, when inaugurating bis work
announced that the canal would he thrown
open to the public in 1889, but this year vii
be memorable only as marking the abandon
ment Of the enterprise, probably never to b
resumed Everybody is intensely nervous
and all who can do 50 are preparing to leave
The merchants are closing up their bushes
as rapidly as possible, and many of them ar
awaiting news from the United States with
view of going to Nicaraga, as they hav,
faith in that canal project.
Some Of the canal contractors are said {.
have been badly caught by the collapse of tn
scheme, and some Of them have gone {.
France hoping to secure at least a portion o
the money due them. The American Dredg
ing company il among the concerns reportec
not to have been paid in full, and its repre-
sentatives have gone to Paris. American
have suffered to a considerable extent by tn
cessation of work, as all Of the railroad EN-
ployes and the dredging company's workmel
are from that country. The canal company
employees, except the laborers, all of whom
are negroes, are as a rule from France, an,
they are grumbling loudly about unpaid sal
aries
As an evidence Of the complete collapse o
Panama's bright prospects 1t is mentione'
that while the government of Colombia
which is more thrifty in such matters tina,
the United States, last year sold the gam
bling privileges to a man named Garcia TO
400 900 Colombian currency-about $40, 90
in gold-this year no bid was made thereto
and an effort is being made to collect
revenue by arresting individual gamblers
Three railroad men were fined $50 each 70
gambling. All are agreed that the graves
disorders will arise when work is finally dis
continued
Gladstone has arrived at Cannes, en- rout
home to England
SPOKE POR AMERICAN SHIPPING.
A Delegation of the shippers League Call
ON Harrison and Goes Away Pleased.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Feb. 16.-A commit