The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1895-01-03
WAS DE LESSEPS A FAILUREt

Recently there was death that singu-
larry attracted but little attention and
scarcely any comment. At one time the
name of the deceased occupied one OF the
highest positions Of honor, not alone in
his own country, but throughout the civil
lized world. A gigantic failure, not un.
tinged with accusations Of corruption,
has, however, caused investigation, and
many assert that his high reputation was
not only not merited but that he was
colossal fraud. The man was De Lesspes,
whose failure emancipated the entire
financial world from great delusion and
smashed the idel Of The French people,
who buried $500 900, 900 in the blind ditch
of Panama.
Since the year 1919, about which time
DE Lesseps began to revive the idea of re-
constructing fhe Suez canal, connecting
the Red sea with the Mediterranean, his
name, up to q few years ago, was
prominently before the world as a sue
cessful engineer. The expression "re-
vive the idea' of Susz canal is used be-
cause the canal had been constructed six
hundred years before the birth OF Christ,
and operated for fourteen hundred years.
In the ninth century, when progress was
dead and commerce and navigation Ian
guished, the Suez canal fell into disuse
and the sands OF the Egyptian dessert
blotted it out as navigable channel
from the map of the ancient world. The
birth Of the idea of its reconstruction is
attributed to the first Napoleon, but to
Mahomet Said Pasha must be accorded
the honor OF the first practical modern
aid. To his assistance he invited the
French engineer, gave him and his COM
pany concessions of lands, money, credit
and the enforced labor OF his Egyptian
fellahs.
The work was begun In 1860, and ten
years later the sandy peninsula of Egypt
was severed by a navigable stream
through which the largest vessels were en-
abled to pass. The canal cost $l00, 00O,-
900 and was . success. That it was
great feat of engineering is now ques-
toned, considering the age in which it
was built and the physical geography Of
the country through which it passes.
The two seas were at the same level !;
there were no mountains to tunnel; no
harbors save inexpensive breskwaters,
and most of the work was done by unpaid
labor. Why it should have cost hum
dred millions Of dollars is difficult to ex-
plain. 1t was the excavation of a sand
drift that lay in the commercial highway
intercepting intercourse between the
richest kingdom OF Europe and the
richest colonial empire OF Asia. 1t was
numbered by no difficulties; most OF the
soil was removed by dredges; its course
was through shallow lakes and inexpen-
sive sand cutting, and with its original
building, when the world was young and
trading voyages rare, there can be no
comparison. 1t was constructed in an
age OF money, commercial activity and
enterprise; it was necessity suggested
by steam and made profitable because it's
practicabilty was demonstrated by screw
propellers. Other and more difficult en-
gineering works had preceded it, and it is
not to be compared with latter-day
achievements. Why De Lesseps should
have won such applause for scheme be
did not originate and aided mainly as
bond placer and Spectator, it is difficult
to conceive, aud when this success EN-
boldened him to undertake a real engi-
neering exploit he demonstrated his utter
incapacity, il it may not be called by
stronger term.