The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-01-27
THE CANAL A HARD TASK
DIFFICULTIES THAT MUST BE
MET TO PIERCE THE 18TH.
MUS.

Labor Is Expensive and Must be I'm.
port3d-Natives Too Proud to Do
the Work-Chlnamen Cannot Stand
CIimate--West Indian Negroes the
Best.
M. Emile Pernot, French civil en-
gineer, arrived here from Colon, Pana-
ma, on his way to his home in Quebec.
M. Pernot was one of the engineers
who helped the Panama railroad, as
he also did the Suez canal, being en-
ployed for four years at the latter un-
| dertaking. In an interview M. Pernot
spoke of the difficulties that our en-
gineers will have TO contend with In
constructing the Panama canal.
Now that the canal Is really to be
built" he said, 'one of the first things
yop will have to look to will be the Sc
curing the right kind of labor. That
may seen ridiculously easy thing to
get ct first thought, but when you
come to consider the terrible nature of
the climate at the isthmus you will
see where the difficulty may arise In
| getting the right class of men-that
Is, men strong physically to withstand
| the climatic conditions.
"To secure such men much higher
wages will have to be paid them than
they make here at home. That Is an
important matter for your government
| To consider, because wages will be
the chief source on expense In the con-
| struction CT the canal. II men were
| hired just as they come along regard
less of their physical fitness. an enor-
nous death rate may be expected
among them. Such n thing, however,
could be materially lessened II the
men were to be first put through a
physical examination as to their abili-
| tv to combat a lever-ridden country.
Ycu see. most of the labor will have
TO be imported from this country, be-
cause If you were to employ native la
Dor 1t is doubtful II the canal would
ever be completed.
Neither the Colombians nor the
Isthmians will settle down TO pick and
shovel. They have a keen dislike to
laborer's work and consider them
selves lar above such menial tasks.
Politics and revolutions are their
forte. Nevertheless they are experts
at handling their machetes and clear
ing bush and jungle, and for these
J pun poses only they would be useful.
Cinnamon are equally unsatisfactory,
IL not mere so. They are not only
very expensive to hire at the isthmus,
but thenr habits and customs preclude
them from hard and rough work.
THE number that succumbed dur
ing the construction of the Panama
railroad is almost incredible. 1t is a
saying at the isthmus that every rail-
way sleeper covers the dead body Of
a Chinaman.' From what | saw I
don't think the estimate is over much
exaggerated.
"The West Indian negro is the only
laborer that would be fit for the heavy
work of digging the canal. He is han
dy with the pick and shovel and is
proof against yellow fever which is
the chief curse of the isthmus. He
would, of course, have to be paid the
same wage as the white laborer, and
also kept separated in order to prevent
racial disturbances.
aside from the labor question" M.
Pernot continued, there will be many
almost insurmountable engineering
difficulties to contend with.
"The work of the Suez offered no
such momentous obstacles as does the
Panama undertaking. For instance,
in the cutting of the Suez canal there
were no marked differences in the
levels of the Mediterranean and the
Red Seas, nor great variations in the
rise and fall of their tides.
"With the Panama canal 1t Is just
the other way as the Pacific tides vary
in their rise and fall from Is to 22 feet.
In order, therefore, to compete with
that difficulty breakwaters OF great
strength and size will have to be
thrown up. At the Atlantic terminus
100, ground must be reclaimed from
tho sea to allow buildings, quays
wharves. and other necessary conven-
fences to be built. Then again, at Pana-
ma and Colon the depth of the water
at both termini is shallow, and in
many places tho bottom is composed
All such distractions have to be blast
ed and dredgod.
"The canal az the Panama terminus
will also have to be extended to the
islands of Naos and Flamenco, a dis
tance of between three and four miles
from the Rio Grande. the proposed
mouth of the canal. OF course, all
these difficulties will be overcome, and
the waterway, when finished, will be
a glorious triumph for American en-.
gineering skill"
OF the condition of affairs at the
isthmus NJ. Pernot said that when he
left Colon the people were wild with
enthusiasm at gaining their indepen'
dence.
"It has always been a wonder to
me-" he said, why the Panamaians did
not revolt long ago. They are better
able to govern themselves than the