Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-01
Construction of the Canal.

| Construction of the Canal.
In his letter of instruction to the
members of the Isthmian canal COM
mission. Presiden. Roosevelt clearly
stated the magnitude of the task en-
trusted to their hands. You represent
the whole country" he said. land
neither section nor party. l have not
sought to lind out the politics OF a
single one of you, and indeed have not
| the slightest idea what your political
, affiliations are" 1t is characteristic
of President Roosevelt that he clearly
! recognized the fact that work of this
magnitude and permanent Importance
to the civilized world should be from
the start upon plane sufficiently high
to be beyond the reach of partisan
politics. The members of the COM
mission are none Of them politicians.
. They are men who have been selected
because of their conspicuous fitness for
| the gigantic task, the execution of
which has been entrusted to them, as
, representatives, of the American peo-
' pie.
From the start to finish the test of
employment in this work will be per-
sonal capacity and fitness. Every de-
vice known to modern engineering
, skill. which can facilitate the progress
of the work or minimize it's cost, will
be employed. 1t will be an object les
tcrprisc of the American people in
overcoming obstacles of nature. This
| lesson will be all the more conspicuous
| because of the calamitous failure in
tho work. which was made by the De
| Lcssens organization. AT the time that
| organization was formed, DeLcsseps
| himself was regarded as Il great au
| thority upon canal construction, but as
has often happened in human history.
it was reputation which had little
basis in fact. He had. it is true. Or
EaniZcd a company which had success
fully constructed Il level canal, through
a level neck of land between the Red
Sea ard the Mediterranean. This work
involved no great engineering prob
lens. and called for no engineering
, skill of the highest character. When.
however. DtLesseps and his followers
undertook to construct Il canal between
Colon and Panama connecting the At
lantic with the Pacific they were i'm
meiiatciy confronted by vast and COM
plicated engineering problems which
were beyond their power to solve.
At the present time the canal strip
from ocean to ocean bears melancholy
testimony Of their utter incapacty to
properly perform the work before them
and their inability to apply the science
of Il progressive age to the great nat
ural obstacles that must be overcome
before the world could have the benefit
of this much needed Waterway 1t is
this gigantic task that the Walker
commission is to deal with. 1t is one
/ that involves the practical working out
of these same engineering problems
, enormous and intricate as they will be
/ Indeed. before any further work of
construction can be undertaken. the
commission will have to initiate and
push through a gigantic work of sani-
tation along the whole course of the
! mr. u-l,i
ditions reasonably healthful for the
vast army of labor to be employed
there. Questions of drainage and water
supply. and the prompt and efficient
removal of garbage; of proper hospitals
and sanitary houses. must all be
worked out to successful conclusion
before the work OF digging the canal it.
self can be seriously inaugurated.
More than that, provision will be
made Cor the proper care of the ma
Chinery that will be used Machinery
to the original value of millions of dol
lars. purchased by the DeLesseps
company, now lies rusty and worthless.
all a!ong the line OF the canal. The
American commissioners will wear out
their machinery. and it will be their
fault if they permit it to rust out. Suc!,
things, however. do not often occur
under American management. and the
high character Of the members Of the
canal commission is the best guarantee
of the fdithfulness and the efficiency
with which their work will be done