Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-01-02
THE GREAT PANAMA CANAL.
A Decidedly Entertaining Sketch Of the
Latest Scene Of Americas Pro-
gressive Spirit.

Supt. Grant E. Finch. of Marion,
Iowa. who has for several years beer
leading instructor In the teachers
institutes in this county and is quite
we'll known in Decorah recently made
a trip to Panama, and writes a very
interesting article for the U. l. U.
Coilegian concerning the canal zone,
which we know will be eagerly read.
1t is a. follows:
To loyal American there is on ly
one Isthmus. aud that is the Isthmus
of Panama. and only one Canal, the
Panama Canal. Theodore Roosevelt
is its prophet and Secretary Taft its
high priest. The Panama Canal
changed for me from fancy to reality
ON the afternoon of July last as l
stood at the bow of the s. s. Vir-
ginia and watched the misty, cloud
like coast of the Isthmus gradually
assume definite form under my eager
gaze.
Panama, in twenty-four hour
revolution three years ago. shook off
the rule of Columbia and became an
independent state. If the United
States were compelled to tell all they
knew about this revolution it would
make interesting reading, but who is
there to make us tell? The country
seems surprisingly large. compared
with its appear ance on the map. $50
miles in length and 40 to 100 miles in
width. It's climate is moist and hot.
as it lies within ten degrees Of the
equator, and has the waters of two
oceans to draw from. 1t follows that
vegetation is rank and dense in all
parts. The surface is hilly or noun
tainous for the most part with ex-
tensive marshy tracts along the
numerous streams and the sea coast.
A population Of the usual Spanish
American conglomeration of white,
black and red people, blended in
various shades and percentages. finds
subsistence in agriculture, lumber
ing, i,sinllg and in pursuits connected
in some way withsthe canal or the
railroad Panama is a republic and
it will be interesting to the Collegian
readers to know that the Consul
General of the United States is a
brother of our beloved President
Shanklin of U. I. U. Needless t.,
say, he fills his position creditably
and is splendid fellow to boot. 1t
runs in the blood.
The United States paid the Panama
republic $40, 900. 600 for strip across
the isthmus ten miles wide. including
the French canal. and must further
pay an annual rental of $3.50, 600.
This strip is officially known as the
Canal Zone.
The need of canal to pierce the
isthmus was seen from the first, and
as early as 1898 a Spanish viceroy
made a report on the subject. Since
that time, at intervals. Spanish.
English and Americans have planned
and made surveys looking toward the
construction of such canal. 1t re-
mained for French company, flushed
with success over the digging of the
Suez canal, to undertake the actual
work in 1879. The leading spirit was
de Lesseps, the chief engineer of the
Suez canal. In 1889 the company went
into bankruptcy after spending nearly
800 million dollars in digging one.
third of the canal. This failure was
due to the wet and unhealthful eli
mate, the inefficiency of the laborers
and the dishonesty of the leaders OF
the enterprise. A number of the
chief promoters received prison sen
tences for their crimes. A new
French company was formed to take
up the work. but it did little NOR,
than hold the franchise and care fol
the vast amount of machinery anC
buildings and other property. This
company was glad to turn over every
thing in May, 1904. to the United
States for the sum of $40. 900, 000
Instead Of the French private com
pany, dependent on the sale of shares
of stock, we have the backing of oul
government and the credit of the
United States. The immediate
management of the canal is entrusted
to the Isthmian Canal Commission,
but the ultimate authority over il
rests with the Presidene and Con,
gress.
Congess decided last spring tina
the canal should be of the look typ,
with q summit level of 50 feet, whicl
/ is the amount q ship must be lifte,
and lowered again at the variou
locks in passing through the canal
A board of consulting engineers from
the leading nations Of the world re
ported in favor of n sea-level canal b,
vote of to 8 but the arguments o
| the minority Of the board prevailed
with Congress. Some of these argu
ments were the saving in expense an,
time in construction and the fact tina