THE PANAMA CANAL PROJECT.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1744, 22 September 1879, Page 3

THE PANAMA CANAL PROJECT.

The "Daily News" tells us that M. Lessops, the famous engineer who did what the Pharaohs could not do, and pierced the Isthmus of Suez, is making a characteristic tour in France. He is visiting the great commercial cities to interest people in the new scheme for constructing a canal across the Isthmus of Panama. The French are a domestic people, and M. Lesseps, who knows what he is about, is carrying with him his little daughter, Tototte- Mdlle. Tototte accompanies her famous father to the public meetings, and appears in the box of the sous-prefet. When Tototte waxes drowsy, M. Lesseps points to her, and says, " That little girl will fire the first mine when we come to quarry the canal." Then Tototte wakens, and the dense multitude cheers her. Thus, as far as domestic affections can cast a ray over any commercial project, the Panama Canal scheme is doing pretty well. By way of exhausting the personal interest of the affair it may be observed that M. Lesseps, though seventy years of age, is as hearty as a much younger man. " Le Globe," which devotes an illustrated and enthusiastic supplement to the new scheme, says that M. Lesseps can walk from the Rue Clary to the Institute in a quarter of an hour. M. Lesseps also wears his hat slightly cocked, which gives him an energetic air, and he is proud of his athletic performances. These details are perhaps given to the world because some critics, while they hold that M. Lesseps himself, if he lived long enough, could put the canal through, doubt whether he has a prospect of many years of life. It is therefore useful to know that he eats little, drinks less, smokes three cigars a day, and is fond of fruit. To ascertain the very truth about the future canal and the plans of M. Lesseps is less easy. At its narrowest, where the present railroad runs, the isthmus is little more than forty-seven miles in width. Nothing could be more tempting to the engineer than the narrowness of this strip of hill-land which divides two seaß. In 1528 it was proposed to open a canal between the rivers Chagres and Grande, which fall into the Pacifia near Panama. The route by the Trinidad and Caimito was also suggested as practicable. Two Flemish engineers examined this line for Philip 11., but with no hopeful result. In the present century the isthmus has been explored again and again. In 1843, at the instance of Humboldt, the French Government sent out engineers, who reported

in favor of the possibility of making a canal. Tunnels formed part of the scheme ; but we imagine that M. Lessepa will probably not hare recourse to tunnels. Since 1843 various "concessions" of the right to pierce the isthmus have been made to various persona and companies. The promoters of M. Lesaeps' scheme will pernapa have aa much trouble with the claims of their predecessors, and of jealous Governments, as with rockß and rivera.