The Penn's Grove record., 1914-04-17
THE GREAT PANAMA CANAL
Americas Greatest Achievement and
Great Possibilities

adjoining country. After tfae views
pleasing musical entertainment was give
by Misses K~athyrne Stiles, Ethel Balm
ger and Vera Franklyn, of SaSem, an'
Mrs. Ralph Harris, of Penns GROVE.
MIR. Ramsey spoke in part rs follows:
The Panama canal is the realization o
dreams for centuries. From tine tim
that Columbus first viewed the isfhmu
which united two continents and Bslbo'
first crossed it in 1913 and viewed TIN
Pacific Ocean, the great possibilities OF !
so mile canal which would make a shoEt
er route for navigators than the Ions
, journey which Magellan made first in
1919 around the end of South America.
1t early became the thorofare by which
Spanish adventures under Pizarro in
1926 found the rich gold and silver mines
in Peru which enriched Spain and ali
Europe, with their spoils of conquest.
The Jesuit order of monks first planted
the cross and the Church among the
Incas and slave ships from Africa took
the Negros to aid them in procuring i'll
gotten gains and to fasten the chains Of
slavery upon them. At the risk OF
death from yellow and malaria fevers the
tropical swamps were invaded by the
lust for adventure and wealth.
In 184S the isthmus again became the
short cut highway to the gold fields OF
California, to avoid the long journey
around Cape Horn or the perilous journey
across the continent amidst hostile In
dian tribes. 10 quicken the journey a
railroad was built across the isthmus in
l85O-55, but at a great sacrifice of life,
because Froude, the historian, said it
was the most unhealthy plague spot OH
earth. 1t has been said there was a life
sacrificed for every tie under the rails.
The first great endeavor for a deep-sea
highway was begun when Humboldt,
the scientist, surveyed the isthmus and
declared it a possibility by nine routes.
In 1924 Aaron Palmer, of New York,
formed a syndicate and obtained a per-
init from the Central American Govern
ment, but it failed like several other
spasms of enthusiasm, made by the Eng
lish, Scotch, Dutch and French people,
because of failure to get money, from
easily gulled persons or from govern
ments.
Since 1866 there were agitations in
Congress for the government to under
take this gigantic project to unite the two
oceans by a great ditch which would bring
all nations into cloaer commercial rela-
tons. Naval officers were given in
charge Of a survey and also later in 1876,
but no work was done. DeLesseps, the
French builder OF the Suez canal, obtain
ed a grant from the Columbian govern
ment, and spent millions in an endeavor
to cut a sea-level canal to be % feet deep
at a cost of 1872, 900, 600, during the '7Os.
The enterprise of the French company
spurred Americans to form a company to
to build a canal across Nicaragua. They
got President Hayes to declare in a mes
sage to Congress that can inter-ocean
canal by any route should be controlled
by the United States, and consent should
not be allowed any European power"
DeLesseps then formed an American
Company, subsidized newspapers, got
business men interested and smashed
the Nicaragua project. The French at
tempt to build the Panama canal was the
first practical effort to accomplish some
thing toward a realization OF dreams of
centuries. 1t is also noteworthy as the
biggest case of graft in history. 1t has
been estimated that the French spent a
dollar for every minute of time from the
time the first shovel OF earth was turned
up to the time that American brain and
Drawn started work. For the $40, DOC, 600
given by our government tor the French
endeavor, all that was received was sur
veys and plans never executed, the
ridiculous rotting palaces erected by graft
ing directors and tons OF useless machin-
cry rusted to uselessness.
The real beginning of our present canal
was i'll 1897 when Congress appropriated
5000, 600 for investigation. Admiral
John G. Walker reported the Panama
project more feasible than the Nicaragua
route. The scheme Of the politicians of
Colnuoh;a 70 rooo;va ,nora than To-, vii
lions for the right of way, led to the
formation of the Republic of Panama
with the assistance of U. 8. Marines.
Now Uncle Sam has a perpetual right for
five miles on each side OF the canal.
While Colon, OH the Atlantic coast, and
Panama, on the Pacific coast, are free
they are under the sanitary control of the
United States forever. 1t was the sani-
tary and engineering skill of Generals
Goethals and Gorgas which brought the
greatest engineering project in the worlds
history to the consumate realization oil
the dreams of centuries.
They have again proved the fact that
American virility and skill is equal to
any task which it is possible for maj to
achieve, with unlimited capital. Amer
leans can feel proud of the honor Of hav.
ing joined the stormy Atlantic and the
quiet Pacific with a waterway, which
draws all the world closer together in
commercial and friendly interests.
All this great enterprise cost 1920, O00,-
0C0 UP to last October and will total
$400, 000, 900 when completed. No Amer
lean begrudges the dollars which were
wisely and honestly spent. We built it
not for other nations, but primarily for
the benefit of the American people.
Great Britain has had an eager eye
and itching palm from the time when a
monopoly was put on Virginia shipping,
to the present. The Canadian Pacific
Railroad Company, e%nvious of the ad-