The morning call., 1891-03-15

mended itself at once. Only fourteen years
after the death of Columbus and ten years
after Balboa had proclaimed himself Gov
ernOr Of Antigua, deYout SDanlaTd named
Angel Saveedra made plan for construct
ing canal from the mouth Of the Chagres
River to a point near the site of old Pan
anna. This was in 1920. COrteZ found time
enough betw en- his schemes of conquest and
pJllage to propose the same idea in seyera!
forms In 174O GalvaO suggested four differ
ent routes, while Bolivar, President of Co
lumbia, and Garella, French engineer each
presented to the Ministry Of their respective
countries a well-deyised plan for an artificial
canal. This was before De LeSSeps con-
ceived the project of nayigable channel
across Suez. Thus it is easily seen that the
Panama Canal scheme is not new and not
original with De Lesseps.
Although a hundred engineers have devised
a way to pierce the continent at Darlen, IN
each instance most satisfactory to himself,
vet every effort thus far made to realize
Columbus dream OF a secret strait has ended
in failure.
Nature seems to have conspired against
the enterprise in various ways. Besides the
first important item of a deadly climate, III
which no Caucasian can hope to exist
beyond few miserable months OF languor
and gradual decline, even under favorable
circumstances, there are other obstacles
equally formidable. Vast areas of BOTTOM
less swamp" comprise the coast line of
DaIisn and Panama. The tropical quagmre
is the breeding place of innumcrable poison
GUS reptiles and insects as we'll as fever
germs. There are also treacher0us quick
sands upon which no solid foundation can
be placed even for q few hours, and Soapy
sliding deposits of earth that defy every
effort to secure them. Limitations occur
annually and the rainfall at such times is SO
sudden and enormous that one day Will suffice
to metamorphose an insignificant stream in-
TO an amazUnian current, sweeping every
thing before It. An impossible mountain
barrier also exists.
improved machinery necessary for such a
vast undertaking, greater than any ever be-
fore attempted by man, must be manu-
featured thousands Of miles distant, and
when finally in position must be operated
by skilled artisans, difficult TO procure and
still more difficult to retain. Provisions,
tools, Workmen and materials must be trans
ported from abroad at great expense. Ex-
Iensive hospitals, like those attending an
army in time of war. must be maintained
and a CORDS of efficient nurses and physi-
clans be employed to minister to the victims
of climate. Powerful dredging machines
and costly breakw waters are. required TO re-
lievp In some measure, the perllOus defects
of harbLrs at each terminus, so that the
capital sum necessary TO meet these exigen-
cieS, besides advance the actual work OF
construction, is almost fabulous. Alter DE
Iesseps had employed an average OF 10000
laborers during six years and expended
S200,O0O.000 III money and incurred 0bliga-
lions 10 .he extent of S450,000,000 more,
he had only constructed the feasi-
BILE 0ne-third of the canal, leaving
the impossible two-thirds as an everlasting
monuments of his reckless miseaculatiOn.
A prominent French newspaper repeatedly
declared him to be "madly infatuated with