The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-11

Libertad, we thought it hardly worth
while to undergo q thirty-mile stage
ride down the mountains, with g. pos
sibility of again missing connections,
and. accordingly, we returned to the
port, and, after the usual formula at
the pier, settled down on the steamer
for the rest of the trip.
At Corinto. the port for Nicaragua,
vessels enter the mouth Of the river
at high tide, and row boats take the
passengers ashore. The town is quite
new and Of little account except as q
port.
At Panama. we anchored beside two
little rocky islands, about two miles
from the town, or four miles by the
channel around the point. Passengers
are here landed by small steamer,
which can reach the dock only during
the higher part Of the tide. At low
tide the ground Is bare for a couple
OF hundred yards out, and we saw the
strange sight Of large vessels lying al
the dock in the sand. The tide ranges
from fourteen to twenty-five feet. We
arrived too late for the tide, and were
routed out at 2 in the morning, and
had to make our way to the hotel as
best we could
Panama is quite a busy place, al
though it is pronounced very dull IN
comparison with the lively times Of the
old company. There are no duties ex-
cept a port charge of 10 per cent on all
goods which stop at the isthmus. Goods
are very cheap, and quite fair stocks
are carried.
We found that we would have to
wait week for a steamer to Vene-
zueia, and expected to have a dull
time, but fortune favored U.S. Dr.
Schiffmann and 1 called on Gen. Wifi
quain, the United States consul gen.
eral, and. naturally, the canal became
a subject Of conversation. He gave US
much valuable information, and kindly
went with us to call On M Belin the
managing director of the canal COM
pany, to get permission to see some
thing Of the work. This gentleman re-
ceived us very kindly. and, when he
found that we were interested in learn
ing what we could Of the condition OF
the undertaking, planned for us to go
In boats over the Panama end that
day, visit the deep cut the next day,
and go in boats over the Colon END
on our way across.
M. Mango, the chief engineer took
us in charge during the afternoon, and
We drove through the hospital GROUNDS,
which are large and finely laid out,
and adorned with various tropical
trees and plants. They are on the
slopes of a large HILL lying between the
contain number Of detached build
ings. We did not enter any of them,
but could look into the various wards
as we passed. and they appeared ex-
ceedingly clean and comfortable The
only signs Of occupancy that we saw
were two or three convalescents walk
ing about the grounds. We understand
that there are very few patients, and
really cannot see why the country
should not be healthy in the dry sea-
son, as it is claimed
Passing around the hill to the works
we entered a large, comfortable row.
boat with four oarSmen, and were pull
ed by tug a mile or two up the Rio
Grande where we entered the canal and
followed it clear out to the anchorage
some five miles, most Of which is in
the bay. We omitted to learn how far
the canal was completed beyond the
point where we entered, but believed
that it is two OR three miles Large
dredges are at work along this line
and the earth is loaded into steamers
and carried out beyond the harbor and
dumped.
A large pier is being constructed
along basin beside the canal Large
iron cylinders are sunk to the bottom
Oh foundations previously prepared in
the rock, and are filled with concrete
Many of these were in place and seem
ed very substantial. 1t is to be hoped
that the pier will be success, as the
cost of Tightening is high and the pro-
cess slow, and on this account much
freight goes around. We heard it re-
ported that the pier would be of little
use on account of the heavy tides, and
| that the work would be abandoned, and
the plan of basin with gates, similar
to those at Liverpool be adopted in
stead. A difference of eighteen feet
every six hours in the Water-leVel would
/ certainly seem to be a serious draw
back to convenient access from a pier
but the company seems to be deter
mined to secure good accommodations
for vessels, and will doubtless succeed
The next day, my father and 1 went
to Culebra, the station for the heavy
cut. We were met by M. Renaudin, the
engineer in charge of this part, and,
taking a ''push-car," manned by two