The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-07-10

Of the centuries has been realized"
Everyone who writes of the Panama
canal feels bound to use that phrase.
and though It 10 trite. 1t is no less
trus.
Possibly when Balboa flrst stood On
the Peak of Darien" and gazed en-.
tranced at the waters Of what he called
the Southern sea the thought Of cut.
ting through the isthmus came to him.
Certainly, within three years after his
great discovery M in 1916. he had
transported two ships, in pieces. across
from the Atlantic to the Pacific and
there put them together.
It could not have been very much
later that the idea of an isthmian
canal was born, for during the reign
Of Philip II. Of Spain Q556-159S) the
Inquisition declared that any such pro-
ject to alter the face of the earth was
impious, and the Spanish ruler forbade
its further discussion. The ban of the
church was effective for some time.
but in 1899 Scotchman of the name
Of Patterson revived the scheme, es-
tablished a colony on the shores OF
the isthmus and even made crude
survey of the proposed route. Gale
DOMAIN bay, on the north shore of Pan
ANA alone preserves the memory OF
that attempt. French scientists In
1875 advocated Nicaragua canal. fifty
years later the Spanish government or
dered a survey of the Darien route,
and early in the nineteeth century Won
Humboldt declared . canal was prac-
ticable. In 1895. Immediately after
Latin America had freed itself from
Spain, the Central American aud
United States Atlantic and Pacific Ca.
nal company was organized. and one
Of the directors of the concern with
the high-sounding name was Dewitt
Clinton. Various schemes were start
ed and fell through. and in 1885 the
United States senate voted for the
building Of q Nicaragua canal. An ex.
petition was sent to that country and
reported that the canal could be CON
structed at cost Of $26. 100000.
After the Cival war there was much
negotiating by our government FOR
canal concession, but when the Ni0a-
ragua route seemed to be the favortte
the Bogota government became impa-
tent and gave the concession for q
Panama canal to Lecien Napoleon
Bonaparte Wyse, French lieutenant.
He made some maps and organized .
company which sold out to the finan.
ciers with whom Ferdinand de Leseeps
had associated himself.
Albert Edwards in his admirable
book on Panama thus describes the
beginning OF the tragedy Of de Les
seps and his company:
"The digging OF the suez canal was
the accomplishment Of his life. All
his vigor and energy had gone into It.
He came back to Paris literally carried
on the shoulders of his nation. The
government made him 'c0mte' aud
the people called him lie grand Fran.
calls But he fell among thieves. The
old man tumbled blindly into the trap
Of SPECTATORS. who foresaw rich har.
vest in the drawing together OF his
great name and the shady concession
OF Lieutenant Wyse. They set the
stage By summoning the socialists OF
the world to a great cOngress to dts
cuss an Atlantic-Paoiac canal. ~.
though 1t was called scientific cen-
gress. most Of It's 136 members were
spectators and politicians. oaly forty
two were engineers or seosracbecs.
They selected Count do Lesseps. rail
roaded through resolution that the
Panama route was the ealy praotaoa6as
one. aad formed the Universal fnter.
oceanAc Canal company By bs1iag tho
Wyss concession for 1oseo.S>e fraas,
before the bona hds mspbsrs Of The
congress knew what had haaososd aad
In tho face Of mach protest. Tbsrs
can b little doubt thet The ooagrsss
wae packed Ike word onacns. Sas
there = no evfdsaoe tt,At Dc Lsassps
ealtsed that It was.
Tho Company was lesn1t,sd W1th
many banQaets, aoetd s1sscAs b. y
grand FTauoaas, anA champaons with
out end. AID III the time those was0
were On tho instds vsrs pNiag H.
mAsast from both Gods. ssp6sns ~
stoc1a taubalng down ~ sesos q tho
bonfpe "a naoufAotared reDost thak
t1e U1leed ataeas wss asa4n wsxino
Tho Hnosoe Doctrine. shoott1g thsm
upsgAin With . nnisulotekion from the
pre1llda slt's massass to ths eeset dat
We wsee enthusiastic h fseU u the
French sntsrptsse. 4 sossssr exhttt.
doasoe ooascieooeless fsaance hes 81
dom bsea seen"
Old - Lesseps, however. was IN
earnest. He sent over engineers who
discovered that Wyss's maps were In
accurate and that yellow fever was
deadly. Then Ia Deoember. 1879, tbs
count himself, With his vito and thfse
children, arrived from France. After
receptions and speech-mAking n Colon
he crossed to Panama, and there. on
January ]. 1880. the formai opening ios
the canal was performed WITH slab