St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-10-11
FERDINAND De LEssEPg.

A great man lies dying in Paris
dying of disappointment and a broken
heart-dying in poverty and disgrace
after long life of comparative luxury
and honorable endeavor; dying amid the
ruins of his hopes and ambitions; dying
amid the curses of those who but few
years ago were loudest in singing songs
of praise in his honor. Count Ferdinand
Marie de Lesseps, just entering upon
his ninetleth year, is prone upon bed
of sickness from which he will never
more arise. No disease rankleS in his
frame or preys upon his vitals. Death
has chosen a more cruel dart. The
mind and heart, not the body, suffer,
and the pain is most poignant.
De Lesseps passed the earlier years of
his manhood in the consular and diplo-
matte service of France. 1t was while
at Alexandra and Cairo that he first
conceived the idea of cutting across the
isthmus of SueZ, thus forming chan
mel Of water communication between
the Mediterranean and the Indian ocean
by way of the he'd sea- thus lessening
the route to India by many thousands
OF miles. His plans were ridiculed by
engineers and flouted by statesmen, yet
he persisted; and finally, IN 1854, he
procured the assent Of the vlceroy of
Egypt, and in England and France
began the work of raising funds TO
carry out the enterprise. 1t was five
years before sufficient capital could be
enlisted. but in 1859 the work was be-
gun. For ten years it progressed under
varying conditions of fortune, and
finally he had the satisfaction of seeing
his work completed. On the 18th of
November, 1869, the first vessel passed
Port Said amid demonstrations of re-
joicing seldom paralleled in the worlds
history. Princes from all the nations
in Europe were present, with all their
brilliant retinues, and all with one &C
claim sang the praises of the matchless
engineer whose genius had planned and
whose energy had executed the stu
.pendous work. Decorations were show
cred upon him by potentates of Europe,
Asia and Africa, and his name and
achievement were upon every tongue.
But De LeSseps was not content with
the honors he had won. Like AleXan-
der, he sighed for more worlds to con-
quer. The long-considered project of
connecting the waters of the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans by means of canal
across the isthmus of Panama attracted
his attention. The obstacles there to be
encountered were greater than those he
had overcome at SueZ, but he believed
the route to be practicable, and the CON-
mercial advantages to be obtained were
almost as great as those which followed
his first great work. He had no diff
Guilty this time in securing financial
support. The political attitude of the
United States debarred him from pro-
curing the aid or cooperation of foreign
governments, but did not interfere with
the action of individuals. In France
the bonds of the Panama Canal COM
pany found ready sale, and work
was prosecuted with great show
Of energy. De Lesseps, however,
could pay but scant personal attention
to the practical work, and he entrusted
its details to others. Extravaganza and
dishonesty soon manifested themselves.
The original capital of the company
was soon swallowed up, and new bonds
were issued. These found ready pur-
chasers, for all the reports from the
isthmus pictured the progress and pros
poets of the canal in roseate colors.
a few millions more were swallowed
up in the great ditch. and another loan
asked. The shareholders became sus-
picious,and sent committee of experts