The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-10
Has ENGLAND GAINED coSTRoLs
An Old Ruuacr Regarding the rsnA
ma Cunal IL Revivcd.


ma Canal Ii Revfved.
NEW YORK. Sept. "A dispatch from
Colon saws: II Is announced here to1ay
that a concession to complete the FanahlA
canal has been given TO England
A disoafcA from Washington SAYS tnls
announcement has create a ssnsstsoh
there. Ofsscials and those closeiy inter
ested in the Nicaraguan canal rroySct
frankly admit that. IL this transferease
bss rnallv beer made. il viii effectually
prevent the United states from control
ing the proposed intsr-oceaIsic canal, ana
render the building az the Nicaragua cs'a>si
useless. At the same time II Is not ssh-
orally believed here that the concession
held by the French company has neen
transferred 20 the government OF Sfe@t
Britain. II Is considered possible that an
English ro,npany has purchased the
rights OF the French company and may
continue the work now in progress, sut
that the British government has assumed
centred OF the protest Il not credited-
The concession originally granted by the
United States Of Colombia 70 De Lesseps
and his syndicate subsequently passed.
into the hands OF smother French conf
many. Notwithstanding aiI the scandals
and difficulties connected with the work.
much Roadway has already been made
A force OF 400 or 1000 men has heen
steadily employed, but the uncertainty OF
final success has proved a perpetual
source Of disbursement. and the con-
cession has for scme time been offered
for sale. The United States and other
steadily employed but the uncertainty %
purchasing II and continuing the work
Experts here express themselves as con-
WINGED that the Isthmian canal. as pro-
jected by the French. is impractioaoie-
The proposal to construct IL by system
of locks Is pronounced unsatisfactory, II
not impossible. II might be possible 10
secure a sufficient supply OF water al the
summit TO operate the locks at certain
seasons Of the year. while during others
the supply would he Inadequate. the canal
thereby being rendered useless at inter-
walls. This obstacle will not be encounter
ed in building the Nicaragua canal. as the
great lakes of the interior VIII furnish
abundant water at all seasons OF the year.
Civil engineers and those familiar with
canal construction are not of the opinion
that an English company VIII meet with
better success than their French pT'edeees-
sors. The only source Of worriment lies
I'm the possibility that the concession mas
passed under the control or the British
government In which event unlimited cap
ital and engineering science might ohviate
existing difficulties. This would prevent
any further efforts towards building the
NicaraCuan canal.
WASHINGTON. Sept. a.-The attention
CT Ssnor Julio Rensifo the representa-
tive of the republic Of Colombia, was
called "a the report that Colombia had
granted a concession 10 England TO COM
pIete the Panama canal. thus transferring
that mammoth enterprise from French to
English hands. Senior Rengifo said ne had
no information from his government on
the subject as the canal project did not
come within the jurisdiction of the repre-
sentative in Washington. At the same
time speaking from an extended acquaint-
ance with canal affairs. Gen. Rengifo ex-
pressed great doubt as 10 the accuracy or
the reports and pointed out a number OF
circumstances showing that Ii wa inn
POSSIBLE that such a concession 10 Eng
land or any other foreign government had
been granted
At the state department no information
has come from the consular officers at
Panama that any change in the canal
concession had occurred Secretary Sher-
man stated that. while he had no official
information on the subject he was con-
WINGED that there was no truth in the re-
port that Great Britain had undertaken 10
complete the canal
England has no desire to embark in
such an undertaking. he said, and had
no such intention Individual subjects Of
that country have Interested themselves in
vast enterprises IN all parts of the world.
but SO far as / know. there are no indica-
tons that they have gone into the Pana-
ma canal scheme
NEW YORK, Sept. "a dispatch from
Colon says: The correspondent can get no
official confirmation OF the report that
the Panama canal franchise has been Sc
cured by a British corporation under the
protection of Great Britain. The report is
at least premature. although English en-
gineers have been inspecting the route
The isthmus was thrilled by the an
nouncement in the Colon Telegram that
the government of Great Britain had Sc
cured the franchise and would control the
waterway. ] am informed from Bogota
the capital of the republic, that the re-
pert is untrue. The canal company has
suspended payment.