New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-18

gain at this vital point foothold SURPRISING I'm
portsnce; but there is small consolation in all Of
this That America will utilize this opportunity
to the fullest nobody doubts
HISTORY OF CANAL MOVEMENT
Ono cannot properly appreciate this canal enter
prise-now headed straight toward oonsurnuat ton
without understanding in outline at least. its his
tory That ground has often been traversed shall
no more than sketch It here. Every school child
knows how Columbus's efforts TO find a western
passage" to Asia failed. His voyages and his
Trials served the one great purpose. however. of
stimulating world interest IN the thing OF which
ne had dreamed Vasco da Cana who sailed from
LISBON In 1897 and reached "Calicut." India, in
1855 having been the first to round the Cape
or Good Hope. returned IN 1899 to prove that COM
munication by water with the Far East was pos
sible 1t was in 1873 that Balboa, from some point
on tho isthmian strip first bcheld the Pacific, and
the scheme 10 cleave the fsthmus dates almost
from that time.
AS early l5So-nearly four centuries ago
Charles OF Portugal directed that a survey be
made for a ship canal this country. That
survey was completed in 1924, but nothing ever
came of it. Spain, during all the years OF her
dominion here. cherished the project and toward
the close OF the seventeenth century Charles III
chartered a company TO build canal through
Nicaragua under a survey begun in 177s by Manuel
GalisteO and completed in 1871. In April. 1874 the
Spanish Cortes actually decreed the construction OF
Won HumboS Setber OF these eors prouced
positive results. and SPANS power TO do anything
Venezuela formed the Republic of Colombia, which
was split in 1881 by the secession of Ecuador and
The United States became factor IN the canal
@ the II 3 when 6 c an for enea
over the Nicaragua route. and France has been
Fre91h enterprise to construct the waterway. The
% %a sEheme tiapsed a few years later. when
Colombia the concession for railroad across the
WI fai ed IN vail I'M
SELF OF II The opening OF the railroad, in 1865,
years The United States was. however, Coming
constantly to realize what it would mean to her
two coasts. and she was constantly calculating Its
In fact It Is TO our own enterprise that the
pa abaa lanai stands now as partially accom-
after the most exhaustive surveys and investiga-
ions, mapped canal route over the line actually
toward securing the necessary rights however
and in May. 1876. Lieutenant l. n B. Wyse Sc
It is that grant; with certain modihcations and
aooltlohs whlch is now IN existence, and which is
and the United States
just about this time Ferdinand de Lesseps won
the title OF the great canal builder by opening
the suez Canal to traffic. This was an achieve
gave to De Lesseps reputation which made It pos
dee Iir p mn SO eSs credit Fran:e
might Suggest sf fIow him IN any enterprise he
engineer became the Original party 1ha s ne ths
great crime which was perpetrated on the isthmus
honest; his conviction on criminal charge was
really SOP thrown 70 OUTRAGED sentiment in
sween him most Gu allowing aduaton
there might have been no other attsnbinr " tba
French undertakng-was the crime Of undue
De Lesseps was completely carried away by the
praset h sh upon him and the story of this
command com 1t and the waterway would appear. In
gave the cue TO all his associates Money cams so
easily and the undertaking was such a simple one
sim the canal Wou IGh 6s o 90 mes t
the time promised F 14
STARTED TOWARD FATAL ENDING.
II undue optimism De Lessepss original
crime a fatal lack Of investigation was his second
and greater offence. for he led Franco into the
thing when the whole enterprise was in an nchoate
state. The great engineer could entertain no nron
osition except that Of level canal The tudg-
men, bs OF 1ne eagneerng congress which he
punt DE -esseps would not have II So and France
who attended that Congress De Ies sgls
wanteo instant action The others pleaded for the
surveys and more searching investigation France
aGcepseG ne Lessepss ideas. and secuted every
right. 'e "'ons ana the others
So the project was started toward a fatal ending.
De Lesseps had before him no accurate surveys
MS estimates OF what would be required were
been turned they were condemned by more con-
seryaaS Se1 men as totally nadeQuate De Lesseps
the work should be completed. naming a time 80
Ynartt
in credulous France little more caution WoeS
have averted the most serious mistake OF ali which
known what its end might be What Followed Was Was
Inevitable. Plans changed Contracts were
made without any Intelligent idea OF the amounts
they involved; the scheme for level canal was
abandoned and a canal with locks was protected
The actual work undertaken and prosecuted in
the loosest manner conceivable. and everywhere
that finally drove the whole undertaking upon the
rocks.
The story OF the French grating" and the wreck
that followed their methods shows that in ali the
French did toward building this canal they did only
was done for them by an American That one thing
was the selection of the route and I'm that they
some changes in it, and when they had completed
their theoretical work OF laying down line for
the canal to follow they Dro9ght tha5 part OF their
brought. They had fixed upon that route which,
of all those projected across Central America,
offers the fewest engineering problems, and is.
therefore easiest. simplest and best. II was when
the workers on theory completed their heir, task and
the actual executors assumed the burden OF re-
sponsibility that the trouble began.
This trouble was that which caused the stoppage
OF work fourteen years ago. which forced the
extended over several years and which resulted
in total inactivity the sthmus. II was the same
trouble which landed Charles d9 Lesseps son OF Ie
great engineer. in prison under criminal SEN
tence. According 10 stories current here: Charies
de Lesseps was The premier aad oomm lne
sion of ) per cent upon every contract mace Dy
the company All accounts-and there are men mere
who were familiar with the ms ana outs OF tne
afrair-agree in placing the larger share OF the
blame upon the shoulders or this man. VINO seems
TO have set the pace Tor ine fbeTs merely followed
where he led and the French quickly developed
the trait of appropriating 10 their own use 80 cents
With the money engineering skill, mecndIIcdI
appliances and labor the French company had at
not in six years as De Lesseps promised theh IN
ten OPENED 10 commerce. as it should have neei