Evening journal., 1913-10-24
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
An Old Surveyors Panama
Canal Prediction
BY Holland.

General Edward Wellman Serrer.
when past eighty years OF age, was
much occupied both as civil engineer
and as a business man with plans which
he had FORMULATED for the construction
Of q tide-watcr canal across the lower
lsthmus OF Panama within territory
owned by the Republic Of Columbia His
great reputation as an engineer and his
achievements in planning and construct
ing some of the greatest engineering
works in the United States, including
the first suspension bridge over tho Ma
CARA rapids. caused men of capital to
give him respectable hearing. He
knew, however, that he would meet
with political opposition even though he
secured the capital necessary for the
construction of this isthmus canal which
was 90 be without locks.
In an afternoon spent with General
Scrrell he took pains so explain to me
the scientific and economic reasons why
the canal which he advocated would be
better than the one which the United
states WIS hl lNdl llht nuliuiHr ''i''7
the lsthmus of Panama.
asked General Scrrcll how he be.
came interested in the Panama Canal
proposition.
II suppose you think" he replied
"that il is somewhat strange that q
man Of my time OF life should give any
thought to = proposition OF such magui-
tldc as the construction ot thc canal
across the isthmn. But ! will explain
Il 10 YOU on two grounds first it i'
my belief that man should keep al
work a- long as his faculties are lnim
paired provided he can find mental
work which is healthfully stimulating
have never been in better health ply.
sically or ncutally than ! have since
took up This canal proposition.
"But there is another reason why
have becn especially interested in ANY
plan which had for lis purpose the open.
ing of navigahlc waterways for ships OF
nnv draft from the Atlantic 10 the Pa
cinc across the islhmus. ! know that
country well and I knew II nearly sixty
years ago AZ the time Mr.. Aspiuwpll
and other mrn of capital IN lsiS. DO
oidcd 10 build railroad across the Pan
anna i-ihmus 50 that there could be
auick communication with California.
whore gold had iu-t heen discovered. I
was asked IL 7 would Join the engineer
ing corps. which was to make. q survey.
had 1T that time becn only two or
three years qua lied a. AN engineer
Tito proposition appcaled TO me. u
was to hc the first railroad construction
n hr tropics az least in the imerican
hemisphere and I think anywhere in
ihe world u was novel undertaking
We were told by Mr.. Aspiuwall that ne
wanted TO make the shor est survey
po--ihle
"Wcll ,ye went 10 the Panama 18TH
mus II was a perlous undertaking
There werc malarial fever. ponsonou-
iusccis and scrprnts- ugly Indians and
frigmlul climate When We had got
about half through our survey ! said
ono day to my oompanions' ihnt th'
time would como when this railroa'
weuld he thing of the past for rs ccr
tain as tlic sun tose n ship canal wonl,
he cni across tho Panama isthmus an,
that J was certain that 7 know exactly
where tho survey for ihis canal woul'
he. ! added that ! hoped would liv
long enough To take part in tho survey
so that could say that ! heiped ru
the railroad line across the isthmus anc
! helped survey the route for The canal
"Woll." continued General Serrcll "l
have not had share in the survey
which the French engineers made foi
the Pruama Canal But 7 did later par
ticipate in the survey for c9nal soutl
of the Panama Canal. or rather cast. foi
the isthmus turns cast and vest -
that ! have part Of my wish gratifed
] presume IL had not taken part in tb'
survey for the Panama railroad sixty
years ago 7 should have given yerv III
tie though 10 the construction of th,
shop canal across tho isthmusr
Copyright. 1918, by +. y. Edwardsl
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will toll o
"Thc Engineer Who Put the Famou
49,. p.-stt...,