The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-04-03

when the Nicaragua Canal route
was being discussed by the people of
the United States the principal OBJ
lection to it was that it would have
10 be a lock canal, since it would be
necessary 10 raise ships up TO the
level Of Lake Nicaragua, which Is a
natural bOoy OF water about 100 Feet
about the sea, and without any fur
ther expense than that of raising
ships up 10 il. and afterwards let
ting them down TO sea level again
would furnish a ready-made water
way for at least One-half the dis
lance over the crossing.
Now, after such an outcry against
the raising and lowering of ships
over the Isthmus, there is a wild de-
mand for a lock canal over the Pana-
ma route when it is not only per
fectly practicable for a sea-level
channel, but that very practicability
was the chief cause why the Nicara-
qua route was abandoned ana the
Panama crossing adopted
From the very first there was such
a powerful opposition TO any Ameri-
can isthnIian canal that no route
would ever have been chosen but for
the irrepressible energy and deter
minatiOn of President Roosevelt that
there should be such a canal.
II was believed by those opposing
the canal that II would be more diff
cult 10 build such a canal at Pana-
ma than in Nicaragua. and realizing
that the president was arousing the
entire country in favor Of the enter
prise, it was agreed that The Pana-
ma route should be chosen, under the
confident expectation that the deadly
climate and the engineering prob
lens could be relied upon to delay
and postpone the construction for a
long period. il not forever, aad 50
the Panama Isthmus was made the
scene of action, the president being
doubtless wholly ignorant of the hos
tile influences that were forcing him
to such a destination.
The secret but potential influences
that have been opposing the presi-
dent appear to have been entirely
successful in delaying and prevent
ing the work. Twice the entire bust
ness and engineering administration
has been changed. and yet practical
~ nothing has been cone in the way
o: construction, and worse than that,
no plan or specifications for the
canal itself, and ~ method Of pro
cedure for carrying on the work
have been agreed on. Up to this
moment no human being is able to
say whether the constructions WI
be so carried on as that ships will
have to climb over the mountain, cr
be able to steam through on an even
keel from ocean to ocean.
II is a remarkable fact that the
two administrative and executive
commissions that have successfully
had charge Of the enterprise have
not been able to secure any agree
ment upon any point Of importance,
and the only harmony reached by
any of the several. organizations con-
cerned with the Investigation of con-
dition upon which 10 formulate a
plan and method. was by the Board
OF Consulting Engineers. composed
or some Of the most eminent Amer
lean and foreign engineering scien-
lists That Board made two most
important recommendations for their
only function was advisory. These
we're that all considerations Of real
utility and true economy required q
sea-level canal, and that the work
should be done by contract
1t Is not strange that the general
cutlery is against a sea-level cutting
and against the contract system, be-