The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1893-01-11

posure~that much OF IL could not ID
uSed even IL work were resumed on
the PANAMA Canal, which is no longer
classcd among the PROBABILITIES.
Difficulties OF Construction.
What is left OF the canal? The
answer TO this question can he altered
every year, for the condition Of the
work is detcriorating very rapidly.
The cut was to have been from Colon,
on the Atlantic coast, to Panama on
the Pacific coast, distance OF fifty
four miles. SueZ is eighty miles
long, but the obstacles presented at
Panama were UNNECESSARILY greater.
In the Culebra cut and the hills of
Mindi the elevation of the isthmu5
is 300 feet above the level Of the sea,
and the excavation in those places
had to be made through the solid
rock, TOO. And then came the obstl-
Gle of the ChagreS River. which was
practically insurmountable. The
canal crosses and recrosses il.
Were it an ordinary, well-behaved
river ii might be easily managed.
But it is Il wild, maynard, untamed
river, like the people Of the country
through which it flows. A heavy
tropical rain comes, and ii rises fort.y
feet in twelve hours. What to do
with SO much wat'r, for it flows into
the canal IS well, then becomes IS
problem that has veXcd the best en-.
gineerS in the world. The difficulty
has been obviated partly by an in
tricate system of cams and locks.
but no one can say whether it would
have lasted or would have sub1ued
the Chagrcs in its widest moments.
The canal, as originally Intended,
would have been 80 feet deep, from
200 to 250 feet broad at the top, and
about 100 feet broad at the bottom.
On the Atlantic side are IS or 20
miles Of canal, dredgcd to depth Of
Is feet by the American Construction
and Dredging Company, and there are
partial excavations and lines traced
by the French all the way TO Panama.
At. Colon, lying in the water, is Il
huge pile Of grandOithic blocks,
20, 900 in number. They were brought
from the West Indies at Il total cost
of about s cents a block. They were
intended for banking up the canal.
but were dumped off the ships into
the water years ago. and have been
lying there ever since, a monument
to the reckleSsness and corruption Of
the Panama scheme.
The eighteen or twenty miles OF par
italy completed canal will soon be-
come nothing but muddy ditch.
The banks are caving in, and every
time it rains huge masses of earth
are washed into the canal. In few
years the canal. except where cut
through the solid rock, will be filed
up entirely by these heavy washings.
and INCARCERATION will begin to grow
again where the dredging machines
tore ii away
beyond Resurrection.
Remaining on the Isthmus are
many Europeans who still believe
that the work will be resumed. But
this is extremely improbable. Many
calculations have been made as to the
amount Of money it would require to
complete il. None fall under $780,
600, 600. Some run as high as $780,
000, 600, and few go so far as to say
that the canal cannot be built at all
so that it will return fair interest
on the investment. But there is an
other difficulty. The concession from
Colombia. under which the canal was
to be built, expires next February,
and. even if the concession should be
renewed, whence will come the CAPT
tai needed for the prosecution Of the
work? The French people will give
no more, and the capitalists Of other
countries are rather shy OF Panama.
Thus far only the financial loss has
been considered. But there is an
other question that appeals to hui
mainly. Negro laborers are now On
the isthmus prey to disease AT
one time there were 60, 600 negroes at
Colon. They led a careless, merry
life, and saved not one cent from
their earnings When work ceased
they were unable TO return 10 their
homes. and they are still on the 18th
mus less the thousands who have
persisted. Some have become out
laws, and infcst the localities on
either side OF the canal route.
In a short time the route Of the
canal will bc covered with tropical
vegetation, in which wild animals
will make their lairs.