The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-04-04

Culebra. The railroad at this point is 239
feet 6 inches above sea level. Beyond
Culebra the canal reaches the bed of the
Grande River, which it follows to the
Pacific. terminating in the bay of Panama.
A large basin was to be constructed here
for the accommodation of vessels, and as
the rise and fall OF the tide in the Pacific is
twenty feet tide-gate would be necessary
to control the excess of this tide over that
in the Atlantic at Colon.
The work of construction was in charge
of G. Blanchet and about forty engineers,
superintendents, clerks and others. In
Vulnerable difficulties and tremendous OBJ
staces met the workmen at every step.
The Chagres River was considered an ad-
vantage in the first surveys and no provision
had been made to get rid of it. The canal
needed water and the river was thought to
be just the thing. After work on the canal
was commenced it was found that the
Chagres drains an immense terrtory-a
district Of some 1900 square miles-and when
heavy tropical rains fall it sweeps down
with Hood that mandates the whole valley,
and sweeps away any obstruction in its
course In 1888 the Chagres rose at San
Pablo forty-four feet in four hours.
To surmount this difficulty it was pro-
posed to build an immense dam three
y.
1900 feet wide at its base near MatachIn TO
impound the overflow of the Chagres.
The great cut at Culebra also presented
almost insurmountable difficulties. The
estimates OH the cut Of nearly $50 feet in
depth at this point were based on the
assumption that the greater portion of the
material to be removed was solid rock.
Much of it, however, is loose earth, though
parts of the rock are so hard as to wrench
loose the diamond-pOinted drills. Immense
beds of quicksand were also found near the
Atlantic terminus Of the canal, and inno-
shallow coverings for ledges of rock and
coral formations difficult to remove. Then
severe stolms proved that expensive basins
would be necessary at both termini.
The climate proved to he great draw
back. Yellow fever sweeps off the whites,
and pernicious fevers, due to the mias-
matte atmosphere, kill both blacks and
whites. The highest official death-rate
recorded was in November, 1884 During
that month 653 officers and men were
buried. Over S2,000,000 has been spent in
the erection of hospitals, and they are
nearly filled at all times of the year.
The cost of the canal in lives has been
truly frightful In July, 1884, a new ceme-
terry was opened at Panama. Two years
later another cemetery was opened, as the
old ones were all filled. In April, 1856 the
last grave bore the number $3.50. Aside
from this several hundreds of the middle
and better class were buried in the stone
vaults, and the Chinese and Hebrew ceme-
teries received their quota. When the Pan
anna Railroad was built it was said that
every sleeper marked death. The deadly
climate has not improved since then.
All of the original estimates have proved
to be fallacious. The estimates originally
placed the total excavation necessary at
100000 cubic meters, but by the time
work was commenced the estimate was
n iSad tn * coo ono Cnbia In
1885. the engineers in charge admitted that
fully 12Q, ,000, GOO cubic meters would have to
be excavated. and the actual amount is
probably not less than 150,000,000 or 200,-
100000 cubic meters.
Although tue most approved apparatus
has been employed in making the excaya-
tions the amount of work accomplished has
been small, when the time that has elapsed.
the number OF men engaged and the amount
OF money spent is considered. From 1900
to 1900 workmen have been employed and
large steam dredges, excavators, elevators,
locomotives and machinery of every kind
have been utilized, but only about 35 600. 600
or 20, ,000,0 600 cubic meters out of a total of at
least 100, COO cubic meters have been ex-
cavated.
The financial history of tho undertaking
is very remarkable and sad one for the
unfortunate investors. In July, 1879. De
Lesseps purchased the Colombian cOnces-
sion OF Lieutenant Wyse and on the 23d of
the month issued a. prospectus calling for
SUBSCRIPTIONS for S0O, 600 shares of the Pam
anna Canal stock, of par value of 500 francs
or 500 each. The project was not yet suf-
hciently gloritied to attract subscribers and
the shares were not taken. When the sec
ond prospectus. calling for 100000 shares at
900 francs per share, was issued in 1880, up
ward of 1,20O, 900 shares were applied for by
1O2, ,230 subscribers. So sure was De Lesseps
that the remainder of the $40, 0,000, ,OO0 at
which he estimated the total cost of the
work, would be forthcoming when wanted,
that he refused to increase at that
time the issue of stock. So the COM
pany started in with capital of 500 600, 900.
The stockholders were to receive per cent
interest on their stock from the date of sub
scription. Unlooked-for and unprovided-
for obstacles soon forced De Lesseps' COM
pany to call for additional funds. In
September, 1882, an issue of $4,000, 900
worth of per cent canal bonds was doated
at discount of 1911 per cent The follow
ing year S60.000,000 worth Of per cents
went &C 43 per cent discount and in 1854 an