THE PANAMA CANAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1924, 21 August 1888, Page 3

THE PANAMA CANAL

4. correspondent of the " Southland Times" who takes an Interest m the oubjaot writes ;— ln past years it has been the fashion for American welters and engineers to derldo De Lessepa' great Panama canal scheme. A change 5a oom ing over oar ooasics la this matter, a«?d " Harpec'a We kly '' of a recent issue takes credit that a part of the grea 1 undertaking is being done by Amorioin o n'raotors and American maahlnerv. Englishmen, too, who have been somewhat donbtfal about it, or at beat indifferent, now feel a ma oh greater interest m the connection , of the two great ooeans. The proprietors of the Illustrated London News oommißrioned their chief artist, Mr Melton Prior, to visit Panama, en route to the Melbonroe Exhibition, and m the issue of 16th June are his first of descriptive sketches and Illustrations of the gigantio work, which there appears to be now no doubt at all that it will ba completed at a comparatively early day, and at a uniform level from the Atlantic to the Pacifio, notwithstanding ' that some of the hills through which the ohannel will be cnt are over 500 feet high, and that the course of the river Ohagres has to be altered and a new ohannel cat for it. Saoh an undertaking as this is one of the marvels of the osntury, and could only be achieved by indomitable confidence aud energy each as few othera besides aDe Leaaeps poaaeßS. The mono? recently raised by loan la France is aald to bB sufficient to complete the undertaking, De Lesaeps hopes the canal will be open for navigation m 1890. or 1891; others estimate the time at 1893 ; but that it will be available for traffic between Europe and New Zealand within a reasonably abort time ia undoubted, and Its effjotr on the future progress of this colony will be very great, bringing it, as it will, within a 28 or leaa dayis' voyage of E a gland,