Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-08-15
OPEL INC OF THE
CANAL TO TRAFFIC
OF WHOLE WORLD
The Completion of Work
Brings to Successful Real
izati on the Dream of Four
Centuries.

Washington, Aug. 15.-The opening
of the p nama canal to worlds COM
merce today crowns a series of more
than score of interesting points in
the histd ry of the nations. AS briefly
told they are:
First crossing OF the isthmus: BY
Balboa Who on Sept. 20, 1913, much
to his hrprioe. found himself gazing
upon tho Pacific ocean after 20 days
journey on foot.
First ships to cross the isthmus: In
1914 Balboa and his men carried two
small ships, piecemeal, across the 18TH
mus, int ending to use them for fur
Their exploration in the Pacific.
First settlement of old Panama, in
1917, to become known later for a
time as The richest city in the wcrld.
First Regular traffic across isthmus:
The spoils of conquest sent back to
Spain from Peru, which became so
heavy that highways paved with stone
were laid for the pack trains.
First thought of a canal: Credited
to Savafera, q Spanish engineer. one
of Balbd as followers, who was about
TO forwa I'd his plans to King Charles
v. of Srain when the latter died.
First surveys for canal: In 1881
by Spanish engineers who deemed the
project impossible of accomplishment.
First official decision on canal prof.
ect: By King Phillip IL, in 1920, ad-
versely after referring the matter to
the Dom inican friars. The latter, de-
string to obey the kings orders, but
unable to report intelligently, suggest
! -, y,
They quoted from the Bible: What
God hath joined together, let no man
put asu hder." Accordingly the prof.
ect wal put on the shelf for thr> }
centuries.
First British interest in latter part
of seventeenth century, when the ex-
petition launched by William Pater-
son. fouh der of the Bank of England,
attempted to found community on the
Isthmus Of Darien, south of the pres
ent Panama, with the ultimate inten-
ton of establishing a -isthmian
route. The plan proved an utter fail
ure. Many other British surveys fol-
lowed iH later years.
Prophecy of Goethe.
The c erman poet Goethe, a hundred
years Ago, made this remarkable
prophecy: at is absolutely indispen-
sible thAt the United States effect a
passage from the Mexican gulf to the
Pacific ocean, and I am certain they
will do IT,
First decision to build: In 1914, Just
100 yea rs ago, the Spanish govern
n1ent by decree entered upon the con-
struction Of an isthnian canal, but the
idea wa blocked because of the Cen
trail American colonies succeeded In
throwing off the Spanish yoke.
First French interests came in 1925
when President Bolivar OF the republic
of New Granada gave a franchise for
a canal at Panama to Frenchman
Baron Thierry, who failed to raise the
required capital.
First action by the United States: II
1895, as the result OF resolution in
troduced in the senate by Henry Clay
Charles Biddle was sent by President
Jackson to visit the isthmus and re-
port on the various canal routes pro.
posed
First report to the United State:
government: By Biddle in 1886, favor.
Ing the Panama route. He had beer
so struck with it that he returned t
the United States without examining
the Nicaraguan, Darien or Tehuantepet
routes. No action followed.
First railroad built, from 1S4s t.
1855, more than half as long a time al
has been taken to build the present ca
nal. Fever killed SO many thousand
that it was said laborers was buried
under every sleeper on the Panam;
road.
First actual canal building begun
In 1873 the Universal Interoceanio Ca
nal ouEpany, incorporated in Paris b!