Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-12-01

/ the United States government OF the
/ Panama canal recalls the fact that the
| project of cutting a waterway through
/ the isthmus from ocean to ocean is
much older than most people suppose
| 1t dates, indeed, from 1928, when
| the idea was mooted of constructing
a canal between the Chagres river,
! flowing into the Caribbean sea, and
/ the Grande river, emptying into the
/ Pacific near Panama. Under orders
/ from King Philip H. of Spain, two
| Flemish engineers examined the
route, but the king for political rea
SONS. made up his mind that it would
| be wiser not to press the scheme, and
in the despotic spirit peculiar to his
| dynasty let it be known that any one
| prescriptions enough to revive the
project would come to an untimely
/ end. His successors were clearly OF
the same mind, for little more was
heard of a transisthmian canal until
1926, when Domingo Lopez, a native
Calabrian, made a bid for fame by
mapping route for a canal between
Panama and Portobello.
The following year saw the first
formal expedition looking to the con-
struction of the canal, Gen. Bolivar
sending out a party of engineers. In
1929 these made report in which
they stated that even if canal was
not feasible, railway could easily
be built between Chagres and Panama.
| The seed thus sown fell into fertile
ground, but in the far distant country
of France. In 1843 the French cavern
ment dispatched two noted engineers
Garcia and Courtines-to examine
the isthmus thoroughly. The engi.
neers duly filed long and interest ng
report. but although they found the
canal idea worthy of promotion, no
further steps were taken at the time.
Nine years later the government or
New Granada gave a concession for
the construction of a canal between
Caledonia bay and the gulf of San
Miguel, but nothing came of this.
Then the United States, long alive
to the importance of finding a means
for facilitating interoceanc com
munication, took a hand. In 1864 a
Mr.. Kelly, of New York, surveyed a
route from the gulf of San Bias to the
Chepo, river which would require, as
has been the case in the findings of
Garcia and Courtines, long tunnel
Once more Frances interest was
aroused. and in the following year M
de Puydt, an engineer in the employ
of the French international Colombian
company, announced that he had hit
upon a favorable route from Es
condido to the Gulf of San Migue,
via the Tuira. This line was latel
declared impracticable by Capt. Self
ridge, United States navy, who, In
1901 conducted extensive surveys
of the isthmus without finding on the
cordillera lower level than LOCO
feet. Three years afterwards the
United States government sent Out
two other expeditions. Soon after
there appeared on the scene a French
engineer, Lieutenant Lucien Napoleon
Bonaparte Wyse-who made a survey
for company that had been organ
lied in Paris by Ferdinand de Lesseps
who had achieved worldwide renowr
through promoting and carrying to q
successful conclusion the Suez canal
Wyse's report being favorable, Dc
Lesseps went to work with energy
and in 1878 secured through Wyse q
concession from the Colombian gov
eminent. The following year Paris
was the scene of the Panama cana
congress, which approved De Lesseps
scheme for building a sea level cana
from Colon to Panama. 1t was rep
resented to the congress that the
work could be completed il. twelve
years at cost of S240,00O,000, anC
would yield when completed an an
nual income of S1S,000,000 paying a
dividend of per cent to the share
holders. The next year M. de Lesseps
paid visit to the isthmus and on his
return announced that the cost would
be but S16S,000 900, and that the cana
could be finished by 1887. At once
there was a general rush to get in
on the ground floor" the shares oil
the pompously named Compagnie
Universelle du Canal Interoceanique
de Panama being taken with avidity
by all classes of Frenchmen, who be
lieved that they beheld in the com
pany's glittering promises a highroad
to wealth; hardheaded business men
clerks and toiling peasantry alike
contributing to further the enterprise
Thus was launched what developed
into a scandal that shook France
from boundary to boundary.
The promoters lost no time, build
ing operations being begun in 1881
An immense amount of plant was
shipped to the isthmus, $1,000
laborers were engaged, and, despite
the fact that the engineers had very
incomplete data to guide them, a
bold onslaught was made. Progress
however, was exasperatingly slow
yellow fever combining with the
I obstacles of nature to battle the pro
moters' fondest hopes. Money ran
like water without any appreciable re
suits being obtained. Ugly rumors Of
; wanton extravaganza and ever Of