Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-19

enough money will be raised to COM
plete the work, but If not 1t will prob
ably be given up or sold. The estimates
of amount required to complete the
work range all the way from $4,000, 900
upward, and 1t 10 probable that $780,
100000 is somewhere near the proper
figure.
COULD UNCLE SAM BUY OUT
FRANCE?
From what gather here from a var
lefty of inside sources l believe that
the French are tired and sick of the job
and that within n short time they VIII
either drop II or what is more probable.
take in some other nation or corporation
outside of France to help them. The
directors In charge, l am told, re-
Gently said that IL the French chose
to give it up he had parties In n. Y.
and Chicago who were ready to put
UP the money to complete it.Francc has
no faith whatever In the Nicaragua
canal scheme as a national undertaking
ON the part OF the United states She
believes IL is all matter Of political
buncombe, and IL our present commits
sion should really do anything and
Congress should follow with legislation,
there will be IA change at once at Pana-
ma.
THE VIEWS OF AN AMERICAN EN-
GINEER.
one of the most sensible takers as
to canal matters among the men have
met here is Mr.. II. @. Ward, the civil
engineer and roadmaster of the Pana-
ma railroad He said to me last night:
'The canal presents no problems, H.
nancIal or mechanical, that cannot be
overcome. The trouble Is that the ma
chinery they have here is old and de-
fcctive according to modern methods.
II will do the work, but in the most
| expensive ways. There have been many
new inventions since the canal was be-
gun and tens OF millions of dollars were
spent for these machines. The Chicago
engineers said II was only question
| of good machines and good work. and
| If ] had TO finish the canal myself
| should first find big hole and bury
all the machinery they are now using
| In ii and start anew. | believe It
would be cheaper in the end. We now
| have dredges that win scoop up rocks
| such as those quarried for building
| houses like dirt, and with the right
tools work can be done at low
| cost"
How much will 1t cost to finish the
cnnal?"
at is all guesswork. but ! believe
| that S150.000000 would make n sea-
| level canal here. and I thing sea-
| level canal would be far better than
| any lock system. If the French would
| give up the Panama canal l should
| like to see Americans buy It and run
| 1t, It is certainly the shortest and. ]
| believe. the cheapest place on the
| isthmus for canal. and here YOU can
tell just about what 1t would cost
The French have paid the expenses OF
| the experiments: they have done q
| great deal of work, and sooner or later
l believe there Will be a canal here"
| MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ROTTING
AWAY.
Mr.. Wards remark about the an
tiquated machinery of the canal Is
founded on some very bitter facts
| Machinery which cost millions upon
millions is now lying along the line OF
the canal, rotting and rusting. There
are expensive dredges which cost for
tunes now utterly worthless. Enough
car wheels to equip a trunk line OF
railroad are scattered from one end OF
the isthmus to the other, and the rot
ten trucks, II their pieces could be put
together, would make a train half wa,