Washington sentinel., 1901-06-01
CANAL HISTORY
Oceans were Connected as Early
as 17SS.

The proposition for an isthmiar
canal, to connect the Atlantic anC
Pacific Oceans, is by no mean:
new. ItnoL even originated in the
nineteenth century. 1t had birth
long before the age of railroads
and preceded the adoption OF steam
power on the water. The Edin.
burPh KeVie7O OF January, 1900,
spoke OF il as "the mightiest event
in favor Of the peaceful intercourse
OF nations which the physical cir
Gums 'ances of the globe presents
to the enterprise oil man." But at
that date the discussion ofthe canal
was lar advanced. In 1857 Jeffer-
son, then 5gr Minister to France,
in a letter to Mr.. William Car.
michael at Madrid, said: "I have
been told that cutting through the
Isthmus of Panama, which the
world has so often wished and sup
posed practicable, has at times
been thought Of by the Govern
ment Of Spain, and that they pro.
ceeded once so far as to have
survey and examination made Of
the ground; but that the result was
either impracticability or too great
difficulty"
Again, in 1888, Jefferson wrote:
with respect to the Isthmus oil
Panama, ! am assured by BurgoIn
that a survey was made; tFAt
canal was practicable, and that the
idea was suppressed for political
reasons altogether, He has seen
and mi utely examined the report,
This report seems to me vast de-
sideratum for reasons practical
and philosophical"
Humboldt, in his Political Es-
say on the Kingdom OF New
Spain" enumerated FIVE different
routes for the canal. The first is
within the limits of Mexico, from
the Bay OF Tehuantepec on the
Pacific to the Bay of Campeachy
on the Cult, following the rivers
Chimalapa and Huasacualco,
whose navigable waters appi oach
to within twenty miles OF each
other. The second was the Mica
ragua route by the San Juan River
and Lake Nicaragua. The third
wsss tSyt tie IslIimas Of Panama. re-
quiring a canal only thirty miles
long, and was most favored by
Humboldt.
The fourth was by the river At.
ratio, which, with its tributary, the
Napipi, is navigable t. within
eighteen miles OF the Bay OF Cupica
on the Paclt1c.
The fifth was by the same river
Atrato and its tributary, the Quito.
The waters OF the latter approach
near to stream called the San
Juan, emptYing into the Pacific.
Between the two Isa small rayine
called De la Raspadura. Hum
boldt says that a monk OF great
enterprise, cure OF the village OF
Novita, employed his parishoners
to dig small canal in that ravine,
through which, and by the rivers,
canoes loaded with cacao pass
from sea to sea, and that this COM
munication between the oceans
was in operation in 1888, and was
unknown in Europe!
After their separation from Spain
the Central American Govern
ments began Immediately to con-
slider an isthmian canal. Septem-
Der IS. 1894, the English house oi
Barclay & Co., representing a COM
pany composed OF American mer-
chants, made proposals to Central
America for the constru ,tion Of a
canal by the San Juan and Lake
Nicaragua. This proposition seeml
to have aborted, but in June, 1896,
Charles de Beneski, representing
American capitalists. made a con
tract for a canal by that route
The contract set forth that the
canal should admit merchant ships
of the largest class and be open tc
all nations on equal terms. Pos.
sessed Of the contract, Mr.. Palmer
executed a deed oftrust to De Wit
Clinton, Stephen Van Rensselaer,
c. D. Golden, Philip Hone anc
Lynde Catlin, by which they wer,
made commissioners TO superin
tend the organization OF the Gen
trail American and United State
Atlantic and Pacific Canal Com
pany." A financial crisis, an,
political disturbances on the 18th
mus, killed that project.
Next a Dutch company wa
formed under the patronage OF tb
King Of Holland. General Yer
veer was sent by the King to Cen
trail America. This project wa
| Ja(.aeaJ ht, The Rafr,;,,, ~,.,y>1,t;>,