New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-21
IN BUILDING THE CANAL.
From French Experience This Cowas-
fri MAJ Learn What to AUOid.

IN
iTyIi, avoid doing. That the contractors. super
- snspectors and administrators under the
-,.,s states viii not steal S20ooO0ooo, as did the
T-,,ch goes without saying, but where work is
q .,,cb MAGNITUDE II Is valuable 20 know just
here lie the opportunities for graft" from which
- own country Is by no means free. Knowing
w. Il will be possible TO avoid the work Of the
sr,ers" some OF whom viii inevitably appear in
connection with the enterprise under the Oui'eu
c.ates's direction
ry,ct tins country shall not. did the original
r,rench projectors plunge into the actual task OF
construction with only hazy ideas OF the real
yoouut Of work to be done is certain. The plans
viii have been definitely formulated, down to the
les, detailed requirement. before contract is let
~ spadeful OF earth turned The French wasted
countless millions without securing any substantial
-etur.s by starting to build sea level canal ana
,ben abandoning that scheme for a lock system
o.hsr millions were wasted IN projecting the lock
.tsru FOR x was proposed at first that the
cbagrss River should be diverted. and simple
sv.teu OF locks installed. This plan was changed.
,be third alteration involving enormous outlay
N favor OF a combined sea level, artificial lake
snd lock system canal. Money sunk most
recklezsly II trying arrive ct intelligent plan
for constructing the waterway. and even when me
French finally settled upon scheme they chose
the most expensive and tedious Of all the plans con-
sderec
THE FRENCH PLAN IS GENERAL
This final plan contemplated a work Of infinitely
greater magnitude than is now proposed, for from
the ,ne this country began TO consider the project
from the practical engineering standpoint activity
has been IN the direction OF simplihcation. The
French project. after nxed determination hao
been reached provided for sea level channel from
Colon 10 Bohio at which latter point there should
be a monster dam. with locks. forming an artificial
lake extending to Bias obispo. distance OF about
fourteen miles At Bas Obtspo there was 10 De
another dam, with locks, forming level reaching
20 Peraiso six miles away on the western slope
OF the Corenieras Mountains At Paradise were to
be other locks. opening the way 70 a lower leNeA
which was 70 end at Pedro Miguel TWO niles ois-
+ent where there was TO be another set OF locks
end n stil lower level extending one mile TO MIRA
flores where. with another set OF locks the sea
level section the Pacific side would begin.
This meant the construction Of i've lock Dams
md canal with six distinct levels, and would have
required Eve locking operations TO pass ship from
ocean AS necessary auxiliary, 10 loF-
nish water supply for the Bias obispo-FaIaiso'
Parsiso-Peoro Miguel and Pedro higuel-AllrAHoTes
levels Il was proposed to build supply canal TO
the eastward, tapping the Chagres River at Alhe-
.uela miles away IN the higher ranges OF the
Coroilleras Mountains. with storage reservoirs 10
insure full supply Of water for those Levels curing
the dry season This plan reduced the amount OF
cutting required Culebra as under II ships would
have passed through the mountains artifcial gorge
on the highest Of all levels-the bas onispo-
F9araiso-but this advantage was more than onset
nv the enormous cost OF constructing the lock dams
at Bas obispo, Paradise and Pedro Miguel. and OF
the auxiliary canal and storage reservoir TO Alhs-
5uela-
FARCE ENACTED By DE LEssEP5.
IT would, however have been possible for the
original French company TO complete the lock
canal for the amount Of money actually thrown
into the enterprise had that plan been adopted at
the beginning and the work prosecuted earnestly
and honestly. This though. is exactly what was
not done. Years were wasted and millions or dol
lars flung away and the French company
the verge Of bankruptcy when IL finally decided
upon that plan It was then too late for it to
achieve any definite results France was agog
with the tales OF corruption in connection with
the work; De Lessepss credit irretrievably
shattered. and the end OF the string had been
reached These facts did not feaze the French
engineer. however. for Just when crushing disaster
was breeding he made uiumphai trip to the 18TH
mus occupied his pelatal residence on Cr1stobal
Colon Point for one week. unveiled the Columbus
statue which the Empress Eugene had presented
20 the company. and IN grsndiloquent speech de-
clared the canal open to navigation.
AT that moment the canal was open Bohio-
open as e narrow. shallow ditch. The thing the
French had begun in earnest ended right there
having progressed through monumental tragedy
prohigate waste and Inaitless crtminality to the
farce OF De Iesseps standing at one end OF a
ditch and declaring a ship canal open to COM
rnerce. The great French engineer returned 10 his
native country to be almost Immediately carried
down under the crash Of the whole enterprise
10 be tried and sentenced penal serv:tude for
his psrtcipancy in the gigantic crime which had
been perpetrated. II IS hardly necessary TO say
that the United States VIII never blunder as did
that gang Of Frenchmen: that when Il begins work
Il viii know exactly what IS TO be done. and that
when the canal shall be declared open It Will be
open IN fact, that ships may pass directly
through it. saving 1900 miles a voyage from
Colon TO Panama-cities that lie only forty-seven
miles spart
ACTUAL CRIMES COMMITTED.
But grave as was the error Of Indebtedness and
indecisicn committed by the original French COM
pany. II pales before the enormity Of the crimes
committed by those who actually in charge OF
the work One might write book on this subject
alone. but few details viii suffice to show the IN
blushing rascality practised here. From the mo-
Tlent those 10 the isthmus 20 superintend the
construction OF the canal arrived until the final
crash came there a perfect saturnalia OF
graft" aided and abetted by the crowd who kept
headquarters OF the company open in Paris and
who were ready for their share to pay rascaItys
demands. There stealing outright; there was
stealing by means Of the purchase Of superfiuous
machinery; there was stealing by means OF the
awarding % contracts at eZorbitant prices; there
was stealing by the extcrtion Of commissions on
every contract awarded; there stealing IN the
purchase OF the most minor supphes-there was In
short, stealing every turn and upon every hand.
Inri II may be said that there was not tool
broesht TO the isthmus a yard Of work done
along the canal route that represented entire hon
esiy.
At the northern END OF the waterway the evidence
OF stealing begins at Cristobal Colon Point To
DUNG oreakwater 10 protect the entrance OF the
oa1sI the French built small paradise-e thousand
ieet OUT into Lrnon Bay and several hundred feet
VIDE Money was lavished there with appalling
Feck4essnesS. Instead OF building this breakwater
WIN CRIBS mats and T1prap, is commonly done
me French used stone cubes three feet on either
lace Instead OF going to the great stone stretches
ADoUt Bohlo. easily accessible from the railroad
ana opening quarries for stone the French award
Cd contracts for its manufacture out OF concrete
ThD