Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-23

beyond the borders OF Texas 1T Is not to
the interest Of France, said Napoleon III,
in his letter to General Forey that Ameri-
cans should grasp the whole of the Gulf Of
Mexico and rule thence the Antilles as we'll
as South America, and be the sole dispensers
Of the products Of the New World" Such
was the tone of the French press, until the
final collapse of the Mexican Empire The
French nation, however, has never lost sight
Of the importance of establishing itself at
some geographical point through which the
currents of commerce must flow between the
two oceans. Therein lay the secret of the
appearance of the late M. de I.esseps, the
great French civil engineer, at the Isthmus
OF Panama, at the head of a French com.
pany with a prepouderance of French capi-
tai and a charter granted by the Republic of
Colombia TO construct a ship canal across
that narrow strip Of land which will unite
the two oceans. Although its inception was
urged as great tiuteruatoualand "fraternal"
enterprise, il was from the 6rst thoroughly
French and designed for the promotion Of
French interests alone aud It's affairs we're
managed by French officials. The seuti-
ment Of the press of France was pretty much
the same as in 1904, when the establishment
of Maximilliau as the Emperor of Mexico
was proclaimed. It announced with great
eclat the prestige to be gained by France in
Central America by the extension of its
commerce and the organization Of great aud
prosperous colonies in Central America.
The French enterprise came to grief BY
reason Of the dishonesty of the managers
of the Panama Canal Thousands Of French
men were swindled and the great DE Les
seps died in his old age unconscious of the
sentence passed upon himself and coll
leagues by the French courts.
II is fair to presume that France has had
enough of her ambitious attempts to secure
an interest on this continent equal to that
enjoyed by England in Canada and the
islands following our coast line The day
is not far distant when England will also
6ud il to her advantage, or, at least, peace
of mind, to retire, as France has done, from
this continent
We believe and proclaim that the North
American continent should, and of right
ought to, belong to the United States, and
that all the gates upon surrounding seas
should be under our coutrol Ia war as we'll
as peace In other words, that Central
America, which contains the gate 70 the
Pacific, should be a dependency of the
United States. This same spirit OF patriot
ism moved Daniel Webster, in an eloquent
portrayal of the destiny of our country, to
use Homer's beautiful description of the
border of the shield Of Achilles.
Now the broad shield complete. the artist
crowned
With his last hand, aud poured the ocean
round
In living silver seemed the waves to roll,
And beat the buckler's verge. and bound
the whole"
The agitation of the construction Of a
ship canal through some portion of Cen.
tral America dates back almost to the dis
covery. Columbus in his last voyage vain
ly sought the secret strait, which was
then believed to unite the two oceans.
1879 Charles v. enjoined Cortez 70
search thoroughly for the strait into the
Indian ocean" That great explorer under.
stood the importance Of his masters order
In referring to the probable discovery he
says, 1T would render the King of Spain
master Of so many kingdoms that he might
consider himself Lord of the world"
1898. Antonio GaIvo proposed a scheme
to Charles V. for opening up route be-
tween the two oceans.
1851. The Spanish historian, Gomara,
indicated to Charles, then also Emperor Of
Germany, four lines for trans continental
canal, viz: at Darien, Nicaragua, Panama
aud Tehuautepec. He said, There are
difficulties in the way but, +" he added
there are likewise hands let only the
resolve be formed to make the passage and
il can be made. IF inclination be not
wanting there will be no want Of means.
The Indies, TO which passage is to be made
will supply the means. To King Of Spain
with all the wealth Of the Indies at his
command. when the object is the spice
trade, that which s possible is also easy. :"
Selecting the Nicaragua route from Grey
town on the Atlantic side through the terri
tory Of Nicaragua to Brito on the Pacific
side the canal will be r73H miles In length
The section from the Atlantic to the San
Juan river dam, Is a canal proper. 40 miles
long, aud containing FIVE locks with a lift
Of ~ feet each by means of which ships
reach the summit level Of navigation
From San Juan a dam is constructed a
favorable location, with rock abutments
having been selected. The dam is made Of
cut stone, is 2,5oo feet long and 20 feet high,
and elevating the river above 1t to a height
five feet below the level of Lake Nicaragua
The distance from the dam to the lake being
S2H miles. the fall is a little less than one
inch per mile, carrying the water, at ordi-
nary lake level, two and half feet above
the crest Of the dam. The river San Juan,
is improved aud Strengthened before the
dam Is completed, aud thus transformed
into an estuary, or extension Of the lake
The area of the lake is about 900 square
miles or about the size of Lake Erie, but
deeper.
The Pacific division, from the lake 20 the
Pacific ocean, has cut of only forty feet
depth above lake level. and like the At
iautic division, II is fitted with Eve locks to
overcome the level Of the lake above the
ocean.
The canal is to be cut % feet deep, the
locks 500 feet long. IS feet wide, and go feet
deep, with iron gates moved with steam
| power, which will also be used in moyinz
sailing ships through the locks Steam
ships will Of course use their own power
These locks are fitted with two lateral
] openings of FIVE feet diameter on each aide