The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-12
HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT
 TIE PANAMA CANAL

Hvasfinrton. Aug. 12-When the Panama canal is opened to world s commerce next Saturday. it will crown a series of more than a score of inter estirag points in the history of thels- fhm,Is As briefly told they are:
 First crossing of the isthmus: by Bal boa who. on September 26, 1513s mucn to his surprise found himsen gazlns upon the Pacific Ocean after 2S oaSs days journey on foot
 First ships to cross the isthmus; III 151 Balboa and ghis men carried two small ships. pieceneal, across the lsth- mus intending to use them for IuEtheF exploration in the Pacific.
 First settlement of Old Panama. m 1517 to become Known later for time as the richest city in the world
 First regular traffic across Isthmus; The spells of conquest sent paek to spain from Peru, which became so heavy that highways paved with stone were laid for the pack trains l First thought of a canal credited to Savadera, Spanish ehglneer, one or BaIboa,s followers who was about fo forward his plans to King Sshaarles Of Spain when the latter died.
 First surveys for canal n I3Sl py Spanish engineers who deeTned tne p'7 plo7 1ects impossible of accomplishments l.
 First official decision on canal pro- ject by King Phillip IL, in 1620, ad- xersely after referring the matter to the Dominican friars. The 1atter,s de- unable to report intelligently. suggest ed that the project was sacreligious. They quoted from the Bible What God hath joined together let no man put asunder. z Accordingly the proJect was put on the shelf for three centur- ies.
 First British interest in latter part Of 17th century. when the expedition 5 launched by William Paterson. founder of the Bank of England, attempted to found a community on the Isthnaus or Darien. south of the present Panama, with the ultimate intention of estab- fishing a trans-isthnian route. The plan proved an uttef failure. Many other British surveys foIloYed in. later years.
 The German poet Goethe. a hundred years ago. made this remarkable pro sphecy ssIt is absolutely indespensible 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 1874 just 100 wears ago, the Spanish government by decree entered upon the construction of an Isthn1ian canal. but the idea was blocked because the Central American colonies succeeded Tn throwing off the Spanish yoke
 First French interests came in 1s25,1 when President Bolivar of the Repdb- lie of New Granada gave a franchise for a. canal at< Panama to a French man, Baron Thierry, who failed to raise the required capital.
 First action by the United States in 1885, as the result of resoIu tion in- troduced in the Senate by Henry Clay, Charles Riddle was sent by President Jackson to visit the Isthmus and re- port on the various canal routes pro --<S
 First report to the United States governme by Riddle in 1S36, favor ing the Panama route. He had been so struck with it that he returned to the United States without examining the Nicarag1an. Darfen or Tehua1te- pee. routes No action followed.
 First railroad built from 1914 to 1855. more than half as long a time as has been taken to build the present canal. 5 Fever killed so many Thousands that ft was Said a Iaborer was buried under every sleeper on the Panama road. First actual canal building begun in 1878 the Universal Interoceanic ,Canas -srenpany incorporated in Paris by Fer dinand de Lesseps, who had built the S1ez Canal
 First blast on Culebra Hill, now CuIebra Cut, on January 10. 1880. by the De Iesseps Company, in the pres ence of a. distinguished gathering.
 First failure in 1887, the fnpcssi- bfIityS of digging sea-leve1 canal within the estimated 2 years and al the estimated cost of $240. .o00x Q o be came apparent. More than s26e, ,00O,- GOO had already been spent. The company went Into Bankruptcy
 First work on 8 lock canal was taken up by the New Panama Cana company in 1894 which practically ceased operations after five years work.