The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-08
The Ensineer's Career.

Ferdinand Marie Lesseps was born in
Versailles. France. Nov. IL, 1895. He
ceived his early education in Paris, but
finished 1t with his father. consular agent,
and lived with him in Philadelphia in 1879
1872, where he acquired, as he said. at
dinner given to him in that city in 1850, the
qualities Of pluck and tenacity. He was
French consular agent at Lisbon in 1857,
when he received appointment in the
Division of Commerce. In 1928 he was at
tached to the consulate at Tunis, and three
years later became vice consul at Alexan-
dria and consul at Cairo. where he re-
mained until 1888, when he was sent to Rot
terdam, afterward to Malaga and to Bar
celona. After the downfall of Louis
Philippe he was appointed minister to
Spain, and afterward to Rome. After 1850
he devoted his energies to the opening of
conceived during his sojourn in Egypt.
While on visit in Egypt, in 1854, he dis
closed the project to Said Pasha, who in
vited him to draw up memorial on the
subject. which was done, with full details.
Said Pasha issued frman sanctioning the
enterprise in 1854 granted a letter of con-
ber of shares. and after many ditficuties
Lesseps formed a company in Paris in 1858.
Work was begun in the spring of 1889 and
the completed canal was formally opened
Nov. IL, 1862 Lesseps then directed his at
senton TO the Sahara desert, proposing TO
flood a portion OF II, and afterward offered
a plan for a railway through Asia.
Beginning with 1873 Lesseps concentrated
his energies on the construction OF a canal
across the Isthmus of Panama. In the fol-
lowing year the project was vigorously ad-
vocated in the French financial press and
at the meeting of the congress of the
Geographical Sciences. held in Paris in 1875,
Lesseps formally proposed to cut a canal
across the isthmus. In the following year
s2ocoo, to make the preliminary surveys.
He visited Germany, England and Belgium
to secure support from financiers. and, in
ment the exclusive privilege of construct
ing canal between the two oceans through
Colombian territory. He returned to Paris
and opened a subscription for a company
with a capital of sl2O ZOO, 900, which proved a
failure. He then. came to the United
States, where s he visited 1 the principal i cit
congress OF engineers to meet in Paris and
discuss the merits of the proposed routes.
again began a subscription for company
with a capital of 100000 900. which was
successful. The company. was definitely
constituted on Jan. 81, 1881, and work be-
gun in October of that year The work
was conducted in the most wasteful and
extravagant manner, and was continued
until 1882 When $2o0.OOO,000 had been ex-
pended for which there was very little TO
show.
The French government had become in
terested in the scheme. and as a result OF
the collapse a commission was sent out to
investigate. The commission reported that
1t would cost S342,ooo;oo0 to complete the
appointment of a receiver. The inquiries
set on foot resulted in q scandal OF national
proportions, in which members OF the gov
ernment were involved. "A series of trials
followed, resulting in the conviction OF Les
seps and his son and several other celebri-
ties. The failure of the Panama scheme
prostrated the elder Lesseps. and, though
he was convicted in the courts, he was
never permitted to know that he had been
tried. and the sentence as to him was Re-
mitted. His son Charles and the others
found guilty served portions of their terms
of imprisonment. but all are now at liberty.
Neither his own countrymen nor intelligent
men in other lands believed that the elder
Lesseps personally profited by the complete
collapse OF the great scheme of which he
was the originator and the central figure.
Interesting "reminiscences.
The San Francisco Chronicle OF May 13
last contained an Interesting letter from
Howard Paul. which related a number OF
onoodofoo of accons IN AZ NJ po,,I oatd.