The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-02-19


following Information concerning Pan
anna and the great canal-Ed. Ban
nerl
Area-The extreme length of Pan
anna Is about 4S0 miles and its width
from g 10 10 miles. The total area
Is about sl.570 square miles
POpulatiOn-The population is
about 3S0.0O0. The inhabitants are
largely of mixed race.
Surface-The surface is generally
mountainous: the mountain system is
made up of loosely connected ridges
and spurs under various names. The
most westerly OF these ranges. the
ChiriQui mountains, has a mean eleva-
tiOn OF 65O0 feet. The principal peaks
are At. Chiriqui. 1925 feet, and Mt
Blanco. l1,74O feet. Farther east the
mountain system receives the name
Of Neragua mountains, OF which the
principal peaks are Mt. Santiago
S275 feet. and Mt. Tuta, 5000 feet
Several short ranges project toward
the Caribbean shores and south to the
Pacific. Midway between the east
em and western extremities of the
country the mountain system is bro
ken by the Culebra Pass. about 800
feet above the sea. East of the Gu
Zebra Pass the mountains gradually
increase in elevation, eliminating in
the Darien mountains, in which one
or two peaks reach, an altitude of
5000 feet
Internal Communications Pan
anna Railroad. owned and operated by
the United States, is AZ ID miles long,
and connects the cities of Colon and
Panama. This is the only railway on
the isthmus. and at present is the
only means OF transportation for both
passengers and freight between the
coasts. There are practically no high
ways In the country except crude
roads and trails in the vicinity of the
larger towns.
Canal Routes-Transit facilities
across the Isthmus of Panama have
been a question of moment since the
planting Of Spanish colonies in the
western hemisphere. The scheme of
an inter-Oceanic canal was suggested
a. early as 1920. Surveys and explor-
aiions were made after 1923 to de-
termine the feasibility of such a ca
nal. In the process OF time all routes,
save two. those of Panama and Nicar-
aqua. were eliminated.
French Enterprises-In 1872 and
1873 complete surveys of both routes
were made by the United States,
which seemed to prove the superior
advantage Of the Panama route. Be-
fore decisive action had been taken
by the United States a Frenchman,
named Wyse, secured from the Co
iombian government a concession for
building an inter-oceanic canal Arm
ed with this concession he secured
the cooperation of Ferdinand de Les
Eeps. Through the latters invitation
an international scientific congress
met at Paris. May. 1879. A Panama
Canal Company was formed with Fer
dinand de Lesseps at the head, and
the Wyse concession was purchased.
De Lesseps visited the isthmus, an
nounced the canal practicable, and
an international technical commit
tee ecimated the cost at $l69, 200, 900.
Shares were rapidly taken in France
and the work of construction began
IN October, 1881. II was to be a sea
level canal having a depth of 29.5
feet. a bottom width of % feet, and
a length OF about az miles. Later the
company was forced 90 admit that a
sea-level canal could not be built in
the time specified, with the money
available. and plans for a lock canal
were substituted. The French COM
pany abandoned work for want of
funds i'm March. 1889, having sunk it
is said SOC. 100000. having thus far
finished only twelve miles.
United States and Colombia Treaty
Soon after the close of the Span
ish-American war the United States
announced it's intentions to build the
canal On January 4. 1902, the French
company offered its rights and prop
erty on the isthmus for s4O.OOO.O OO .
On January %. 1903. a treaty was
signed between the United States and
Colombia. the United States to re-
ceive lease Of necessary strip of land |
for 100 years. renewable at the pleas 1
ure OF the United States. This treaty !
was afterwards rejected by the Co 1
lombian congress.
Republic Of Panama Treaty-Later 1
the Republic Of Panama was estab- 4
hshed and canal treaty between the /
United States and Panama. signed I