The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-10

OF excavation on that proposed passage
way was commenced In 1881, and, ATTIC
the expenditure of s52000.000. f24,Ooo,
I 900 of which had gone into the capaciou
pockets of promoters, politicians ant
/ grasping engineers and contractors, tn
impracticability of sea-level canal Xix
that at Suez was demonstrated. De Les
seps and his colleagues were compelled
to abandon the project and to suffer II
1 the scandals their failure revealed. NJ
| Effel, the designer of the great tower tina
/ bears his name was called to the rescue
! He Immediately reversed the plans of d.
Iesseps abandoning the sea-level idei
for a series of locks Some work was at
tempted but ceased again in March, 1889
owing to lack OF funds The cost Of the
almost hopeless enterprise Is shown by
the figures OF the liquidator Total ex.
penses at Panama, e3l, 330,9S7 total ex
penses in Paris corruption fund includ-
ed), s15,62S.066; purchase of Panama
railway shares, e3,730,727; payments tc
the Civil Society of Obligations for the
lottery scheme e1,290,5S7; payment u
the Colombian government, G9S,203; total
s5207s,520. Many proposals for resumine
the work have been put forward since
1889. the plan generally considered being
for canal with locks to be fed with ar
tifcial lakes or reservoirs, in order to
avoid as far as possible the deep cut
ting through the divide.
The plan of Captain Eads for a ship
railway across the Isthmus of Tehuan-
tepec was brilliant one. nothing less
than to take vessels bodily from one
ocean to the other on a fourfold steel
track drawn by a quartet of locomotives.
The line was to be 154 miles long, from
Salina Cruz on the Pacific 10 Barra on the
Gulf OF Mexico. Its cost was estimated
at $1S,750,O00. Eads' scheme died with
him. in the face Of the renewed interest
In the Nicaragua canal project due to the
abandonment of the plan of De LIE. seps
and the plain temper of the French people
to have no more to do with interocel mic
canal projects, for a time at least.
Long prior 10 this mood of the French
people it had become the settled opinion
OF the greater part of the world at large
that the United States must get back of
Inc Nicaragua plan 70 make it certain
" but the opposition of De Lessons and
Eads had raised just enough obstacles to
make prompt action by this government
entirely cut of the question. as witness
the fate of the Rosecrans bill. There were
citizens of the United States, however. who
uid not despair and through their efforts
tne provisional Canal society had been
merged INTO corporation under the
resignation of the Maritime Canal COM
pdny OF Nicaragua and negotiations for
capital were carried on outside of the at
tempt to secure aid from congress. The
nesonailons resulted In the formation of
syndicate of capitalists, who. with the
operation of Generals Grant and Mo
Iieilan, agreed to undertake the construc-
iion OF the canal. The failure of the bank
ing hrm of Grant e. Ward. however nre-
Fented the business being carried r.
conclusion and before other arranrements
could be made the concession lapseI
secretaries Of State Blaine and Fre,- |
lnghuysen, had, in their official capsoities
enlIeiy without reference to any corpor. |
atioh, heen Preparing the way for moro
dehnite and positive interest on the mari |
VI the United States government In n |
Nicaragua canal As consequences Mr.
q Il rennshuysen was engaged. even hefore
me expiration OF the Maritime Canal con,
pany concession, in paving the wav for
treaty between the two governments
Win reference to the construction ~
ranal by the United States government a.
'eii He had made such nrogress nat
ne state paper known as the FreIIng-
luysen -lavala treaty was agreed IN and
,upinitted 10 the senate in December 1894 I
ina most noteworthy conditions ~ ~
treaty were: Vi me
me canal was to be built nv M.
o ~ states and to be owned Jointly
~ .he United States and Nicaragua tn
states was to protect perne,uaIIv