The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-02-20
TUE PANAMA, SWINDLH.

'hd AANhAANp lNHhs
Do Lesssps Sinks $3.50, 900 of oths
Peoples AIOnsy-IIOwt the Cash Went,
PANAMA, Feb. l5.-A railroad mar
who has watched with deep interest tn,
progress Of the work on the De Lessepl
canal says that S25O,OOOOOO has beer
sunk in the vast hole, and that iurthel
work has been practically abandoned
there being no question that the nam
moth project has proved to be q disas
trous failure, Only few small gangs Of
laborers are making any pretense Of
continuing work, And 1t is conceded
that these will, inside Of a few weeks,
Join their idle companions, The last
important desertion was February /,
when the contractor on the San Pueblo
cut discharged his 1900 men and an
nounced that he would not need them
again,
AT one time as many as 90, 900 negroes,
mostly from Jamaica, were employed on
the canal, From time TO time men were
discharged. They became turbulent as
the unemployed increased in numbers,
and the Columbian Government found II
necessary to place on duty large guard
OF soldiers and have the line Of tho Pan
anna railroad patrolled to prevent out
breaks. The negroes were paid small
wages and, being shiitless, saved moth,
ing, 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 dis
charged were penniless. American,
FrenCh.and English men'of-war arc at
anchor In the bay Of Colon ready to pro.
tect the citizens Of theirrespective coun.
tries II necessary. Not only on the canal
but also on the railroad 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 tho force has been
discharged and those still at work are
threatened with q reduction OF wages.
When the Compagne Universelle
Trans-Atlantique began work in 1880 1t
gave out no contracts, but prepared to
dig the canal itself, and uuder the liberal
guidance Of Count do Lesseps made ann
pile provision for such comforts as were
possible in that section. Towns, hospi.
tails aud other modern improvements
were introduced. AtColon, the French
quarter Is laid out like park aud i'm
proved like an European villa. DE Les
seps built, at the company's expense, a
residence for himself and another for his
son at cost OF S250,000, The fresCoing
OF De Lesseps pere's house was said TO
have cost $4,000 and everything else
was on q corresponding basis, and yet
neither house has ever been occupied.
The hospital at Panama cost 81, 900, 900
and other preparations for the comfort
ofthe Panama company's employees were
on IN equal scale. Within the past two
years the streets Of Colon, which were
previously almost OF the consistency OF
mortar, have been macadamized, and
the principal street has substantial
board pavement. Before these improve
ments were made the only wheeled vehi-
Gle In the city was the carriage provided
for the hospital nurses, but now cabs
abound. All along the proposed line Of
the canal money has been lavished for
the comfort and oven luxury Of the COM
pany's officers, all OF whom lived while
the bubble tloated, like princes. This
extravaganza had counterpart in the
way money was thrown away on the
work OF canal digging until three or four
years ago, when contracting began. Al
together there is very little to show for
the vast outlay OF $3.50, 900, 900, which Is
said 10 be the amount sunk.
On the basis Of previous expenditures
1t is estimated that 81 900, 100000 would
be required to finish tho canal.
Asan evidence ofthe mannerin which
money was squaudered Il Is stated that
expensive engines and other valuable
machinery taken there from Belgium
and France were dumped upon the COM
mons and not even covered up or other
wise protected from the elements. Much
of this machinery was never used, but
still lies where II was unloaded. Some
OF the machinery has been overgrown
with rank weeds, which abound in this
section. -
De Lesseps, when inaugurating his
work, announced that the canal would
be thrown open to the public in 1880,
but this year will be memorable only
Us marking tho abandonment OF the
enterprise, probably never to be resumed.
Everybody Is intensly nervous and all
who can do so are preparing TO leave.
The merchants are closing up their bus.
iness rs rapidly as possible aud many Of
them arc awaiting news from the United
States with view OF going to Nicarauga,
as they have fifth in that canal project.
Some Of the canal contractors are said
to have been badly caught by the col
lapse OF tho scheme, and some OF them
have gone 10 France hoping TO secure at
least a portion OF the money due them.
Tho American Dredging Company is
among the concerns reported not To-
have been paid In full and It's represen-
tatives have gone 10 Paris. Americans
have suffered to q considerable extent
by the cessation OF work, as all OF the
railroad employees and the Dredging
Company's workmen are frem that
country. Tho canal .company's EN-.
ploye's, except the laborers, all Of whom
arc negroes, arc as rule from France,
and they are grumbling loudly about
unpaid salaries.
As an evidence Of the complete col
lapse Of Panama's bright prospects II 10
mentioned that while the government
OF Columbia, which Is moro thrifty In
such matters than the United States,
last year sold the gambling privileges to
q man named Garcia for $l00, 900 COlum-
blan CurrenCy--about $4,000 In gold.
This year no bid WIS made therefor and
an effort is being made TO collect q rev.
enuc by arresting individual gamblers,
Three railroad men were fined $50 each
for gambling, All are agreed that the
gravest disorders will arise when work
"a finally discontinued.