New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-19

road practically parallels the entire route Of the
canal. and from it, into each section of the canal
where there are surface excavations spurs. The
rails on these spurs have rusted and until
they will all have to be relad, as Will the cross
ties but the roadbed is in a fair state of preser-
walton, that with correction Of that deteriora-
ton which time has caused steam shovels can go
into the various cuttings and begin with little de-
lay the real task OF constructing the canal.
Adding TO these details Of the preliminary work
done by the French the fact that the line is dotted
with hundreds Of houses which. after disinfection
and the introduction Of sanitary conditions and
regulations, be used to shelter the canal Ia
borers; that there are on the ground immense
stores Of machinery that be turned to account
IL VIII be that the French. with all their
thieving ana general rascalit3, cid work of para
mount Importance This work, even though 1t Is
only one-ifth of the whole, is of a character 100
important to be lightly regarded in measuring the
relative merits Of the Panama and Nicaragua
routes. In Nicaragua there is not in existence one
item OF what have detailed existing at Panama
In Nicaragua we should have TO begin just where
the French began the sthmus more than a
score of years ago. All of that enormous task OF
clearing the jungle and removing the oVer4aSlHs
mould OF decayed vegeta ton-at cost of countless
lives-which the French have already done mere We
should have TO do in Nicaragua. Besides TINS we
should have TO build Nicaragua the railway
feeder and safe harbors either end and denver 10
the work every foot and every pound OF TIMBER
supplies and machinery needed
COST OFFSETS GAIN
II is true that we are to pay the New Panama
Company. present owners Of the concession mere
100000 in hard cash for the FRANCHISE ana an
additional SO 10000 TO the Republic OF Panama ioF
the transfer 10 the United States OF the c0tiCI -
sion: but that s50000Oo0 is a fair estlIhAle u ~
value OF what we shall secure Is most AA4p'' q
tested. The amount to be paid to the FreN1!i .
Germ is the amount fixed By the Walker Souli'ls9'
In return for Il we shall secure, BESIDES lite
French rights on the isthmus. canai ohe-Ait-.
completed that one-ffth representing uie 'HoS
deadly Of all the work TO be done; revenue p-0
5l,oi,g railroad and an almost inestnable amount
Of machinery. The latter we get pTaoIlcAi1y - W"
ont ray-r,ent for the walker Commission refused
10 accord il any value holding that It VIII COST aS
much to overhaul modernize and make 1t service
able il IS worth.
The item OF machinery on the GROUND Is not
small one however. and we shall pToeaoIy us
ro,-ar before we are through with the JOB OF max
ing it servceabIe that in getting It for the expense
Of overhauIirE We have driven gooo pa' ss'iii
with the French owners That part OF TINS ma
cbinerv which now lies in the water OF me eN-
cavated portion Of the sea level sections oI 'Ls
canal will doubtless prove utterly Va4ueIesS' -
has lain IN its resent condition for fourteen years.
settling slowly in the silt that has filed these pof-
tons OF the proposed waterway. rustlhs ana ro''s
until 10 reDar II would be almost in'poSsioIe' VI
this MACHINERY there are lining the canal on either
side Of the !shnus countless oredses monster ma
obfras that originally cost hundreds OF thousands
OF dollars each; steam self-navigauns sco"s ina
came from the yards OF their builders unoer theI
own mower: steam launches and Inspection anu
barrack boats many OF which have been SUNK 70
preserve them In their day these vessels COM
rosed as fine and perfect q floating equipment rs
could be procured-certainly there was more OF II
than could possibly have been required had INC
French plans been wholly intelligent and the man
agement entirely honest
trH- fra iafv
From Colon 20 Panama the land IS literally
numbered with Il; the railroad runs through an
avenue OF frame and corrugated iron magazines
where it is stored. on Cristoba Colon Point there
are millions OF tons OF It that have never been
taken from the crates ana packing cases; along
the line of the canal in the densest parts Of
the jungles. there are acres and acres OF II that
was unloaded from the cars and left to stand idle
and neglected. attempt having been made TO
preserve il beyond coating the exposed bearing
This material includes drainage pipe of the
largest diameter ever rolled, the piles OF when
cover acres in the vicinity OF Colon; hundreds Of
locomotives. Belgian type; pumps and all their
ing derricks; tripods ana all the accessories for
cavating devices thousands OF dumping cars; hulls
and machinery for oTedges and scoWs IN snort, =
suPethuoGs oeElce lndt me NM % q en n
purchase
ADVANTAGES WE SECURE.
This neutrality-suspicious. OF It is less than fifteen
wears old-is far from being available. even after
it's renovation Much of IL Will be found obsolete IN
the light of the recent gigantic strides made IN
mechanical devices Great quantities OF 1t Will.
however be eagerly sought by the contractors who
will do the actual work, for portions Of IL
certainly be used almost good advantage as
tiVes. instance, need only OFeTnaullng TO Dc
made serviceabIe, although they are ANTICIPATED in
style and or a foreign sattefn The dumping cars,
too need only be pulled out OF the tangle OF
reeds and vines in which they are now embedded
to be turned 70 serviceable account Out OF the
masses OF dredging machinery now, on the sTouAu
efficient dredges may be constructed by assembling
unlmpaired ana serviceabe parts: The portable
and stationary engines are ready Tor use, ana the
portable hosting derricks require little save new
cars for platforms.
From this X follows that. besides the saving in
time the United States viii realize from the com
pletion Of one-hfth OF the required Work; there
ryiu be 2 marked saving IN the cash outlay re-
s,IIfing from our ability available parts OF
thfs Immense stock Of machinery over 70 the con-
tractors thereby enabling them to hasten eXecu-
sessed bv the Panama route that influenced the
Walker Commission to prefer thls route over any
Ia mart with all it's properties Tor S4o0o.Oea am
rot trernDing 10 shaw in any detail the superiority
burmese is merely TO present conditions here where
The work is well on the way ana l1cn Ilterlai on
the ground These c9ndltons are f ~ thSSere f !,
a. sirnrIer and will be quicker for Us 10 complete
,,orlt already one-ffth done than 1t would be Tor
Us 10 ~ a. NicaraeIIa With the enterprise here
- its present state. American ingenuity, energy,
1850 and determination complete the canal
hoiesIy - "a Commerce in a shorter time than il
+o, the French to steal 500 eO0soo should we ran
in tbts or should the work invelys an QUAY e9uai
8 sorry lot of canal builders.
SAWS EERRAN AUTHORIZED ARTICLE.