The morning call., 1892-03-15
There is clearly not the smallest hope that

There is clearly not the smallest hope that
the Panama Canal will ever be completed
Nobody knowing the facts OF the situation
would risk one cent in tie enterprise. 1t
was begun with foolish miscalculatlon Of
what was required. and foolishness, il not
worse, has been visible throughout the oper-
atoms. An English admiral in an English
magazine presents n dismal picture of the
works. What has been effected by an ex-
penditure of $3.50. COOS 600 is practically moth
ing for further engineering is at a stand
still and everything is going to ruin, al is
inevitable in such a climate. with a rainfall
of sometimes an inch an hour in the wet
season. Originally the estimate for q canal
without locks was 100000 900. and as De
Lesseps had successfully completed the
Suez Canal in face of the most sinister prog
nosticatiOns it was confidently believed by
gullible French investors that he could not
be wrong /. is now estimated that to COM
plete canal with locks Sl75, 200 addi-
tiOnal would be required. But there is not
the smallest certainty that even this esti-
mate is not far below the mark, for with an
expenditure of nearly double the amount
only oRe-ffth of the necessary work has
been done.
De Lesseps was completely in error as to
the climatic conditions, and bis engineering
survey could have been Of little more prac-
tical value than the vivid Imagination Of
Jules Verne would have solved In his
studio at Amiens. In addition De Lesseps
had not at Panama the enforced labor with
which he did such wonders In Egypt But
for cheap labor he might not have succeed
ed with the Suez Canal. The French have
| already lost too much money to be further
| tempted to make useless sacrifices. and it
| may be concluded that in few years the
| vestiges of this abortive scheme will be
| hidden under the rank vegetation of the
| isthmus. The failure of DE Lessons
| project gives the promoters of the
| Nicaragua undertaking the needed stimu-
| lus to push their work ahead. The traffic
would for a long time to come hardly suf-
| fee for two canals, but IL will be highly re-
| munerative Tor one waterway constructed
/ at moderate expense, and there Is good
| reason to believe il can be done at
| Nicaragua. At the same time a lesson In
caution has been afforded by the financi al
| disaster in the other case.
We hope nothing more will be beard OF
the demoniacal invention just brought to
perfection by French officer. He has de-
signed rife which will throw a stream of
! viirol a distance of seventy meters, and he
mercifully suggests that it should only be
used to subdue savages. 1t would never do
| to employ this terrible weapon In civilized
/ warfare. That would be unchristiaD. But
| how IL would be christian 10 employ ii
| against savages may be left TO casuists to
| decide. To the non-Yarlike nature 1t Is
| simply deviiish, and quite on footing of
untorgivable barbarity with the use OF ex-
plosive bullets or the spread of diseases to
| conquer an enemy. IL the chemist were al
| lowed free hand he could make war too
| horribly fatal for cities aud armies to be In
| dulged In under any circumstances. 1t is
only by giving the soldier fair chance for