The Washington times., 1904-06-12

tell or understand the tribula-
4 lions Of the Panama Canal.
1t has had enough of them.
From the very first woe has
been mixed up with the mortar of its
endeavor, and there has been a series
of shocks all along the line. If the
future history of the enterprise is
changed in fact or detail IT will be
surprise to those who have watched
and understood the history of the past.
The great excitement which followed
the downfall of the old Panama Canal
Company can be explained only by the
universal character of the enterprise.
the distinction of the man who directed
1t, and the Importance OF the interests
involved
That downfall, however, was so unfor-
tunate as to be subservient to political
passion Hence. the attention of the
public was turned aside from the work
itself ExaFSoration, ignorance, and
also bad raith finally destroyed conf
dence in the future of an enterprise
which the excessive optimism and. we
must add. the errors Of Mr.. de Lesseps
had seriously jeopardized.
A little reflection and dispassionate
reasoning will convince anyone that the
construction of an interoceanic canal is,
all proportions being observed, an in
dustrial affair like any other /. order
to be properly planned and regularly
carried out, 81 had to be previously
studied with care in all it's details.
The solution to be adopted should not
have been based upon preconceived
ideas. however iattering they appear
ed. but upon serious and practical OBJ
servation Of the facts. Such a method
was especially necessary for a work of
such magnitude, difficulty. and perplex-
1tv.
Now. the real cause OF the downfall
OF the old Panama Company was the
lack Of the serious studies which should
have preceded its organization. In view
Of the results that would have been Sc
cured by such studies. in view Of the
enormous amount of work to be per-
formed and the proDortionate expense
20 be incurred, we may believe that
the enterprise would have been from
the outset, based upon a plan arc d.
rected according 70 a program different
from those which were adopted BY NJ.
&c Lesseps. II was only under the pres
sure OF circumstances that NJ. de Les
seps decided to modify his original plan.
II was, however. too late and success
had become. for him. impossible.
The Canals Inception.
The International Congress OF Surveys
for an Interoceanic Canal held its ses-
sions at Paris from May Is TO %. 1879.
The lS5 members who composed II were
divided up into five large commissions
whose titles were the following: O1
statistics, % economical and CONNER
cial questions, CD navigation, 90 tech
meal questions, 90 ways and means.
NJ. Levasseur, member Of the fnsti-
tute. was. at the same time. president
and reporter of the commission OF sta
tistics. which made the following pre-
dictions concerning the traffic of ;he
canal:
I'm ten years 0n 1880. before which,
time the canal will in all probability
not be opened 10 traffic. 600 tons M
least will probably represent the com
mercial movement OF the two oceans.
and about 100000 tons will represent
that fraction OF the commercial move
ment between the East and Europe
which, as IL seems, may be diverted
from the route now followed. in order
TO take that Of the American isthmus;
10000 tons In the aggregate"
NJ. Levasseur took care to forestaII
any voluntarily optimistic or erroneous
Interpretation OF his conclusions. He
called attention 70 the fact that they
did not mean that 7.25c.OO0 tons would
necessarily take the route OF the canal
within year from It's opening. or even
IN the years following What ne desired
20 ascertain and establish was the ca
pacity Of the double reservoir by which
the canal was to be supplied. Offering
20 navigation incontestabIe advantages
over the rival route through the CONT
nent or to the south OF the American
continent
NJ. de Lesseps was, afterward. much
more positive. He did not hesitate to
consider the estimates made by NJ.
Levasseur as representing the certain
traffic Of the canal as soon as It should
be put into operation.
The Fourth commission. which was
specially charged with the technical ex-
animation OF the various routes. had NJ
Daubree. member Of the institute. for
its president, and VOisin Bey formerly
director general Of the work on the Suez
Canal. for It's reporter. 1t carefully ex-
amine6 all the plans that were sub
mitted to 1t. Unfortunately, those plans