Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, SEPT. 2, 1902. The Isthmian Canal.

Manawatu Herald, 2 September 1902, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, SEPT. 2, 1902. The Isthmian Canal.

President Roosevelt has announced that the Isthmian Canal would soon be commenced. It would be exceedingly good news to this colony if it were true. Since the year 1879 we have been fed on the hope of getting a short waterway to England via the isthmus of Panama, but have from time to time been disappointed. The task is a Herculean one and the attempt to provide a canal across the isthmus and over a range of hills 278 feet high was only owing to the great reputation the late M. de Lesseps secured by the success of the Suez Canal. The story of the work is most regrettable reading and the final, the difficulty of securing funds which gave an opening to dishonest agents, ended the career of the clever engineer in ?, cloud of disgrace. The Petmrw. we; •- I. 1 !** ‘ivk -i-iiu wq 1 :;-; We-,v

stopped ten years later for lack of funds, at which date nearly sixty millions of pounds had been spent A new company was formed in Paris in 1894 and is supposed to ho stil working, that is to say they are keeping their concession open as Jong as they can, it expiring in 1901. We have been informed, by the cables that a United States authority cannot advise that State to purchase the company’s property, (which had been decided they would do at a price, of course considerable less than the cost, if the company would sell) unless the Fiench government would give a guarantee against loss, the authority believing the title to the route was not good. This canal was to be of a total length of 4G£ miles, with a depth of 80 feet, and a width at bottom of 72 feet and at the surface of the water 121 feet. As we have already said sixty millions have already been spent and a large amount of work done, and the work at Boca, the Pacific terminus is completed. It is however calculated that a further expenditure of twenty millions is needed and ten years time to complete the work.

The United States had under consideration not only the Panama canal but also the Nicaraguan canal, which was started in 1890 by a company which however collapsed in 1899. A new company securing the concession came similarly to grief in 1900 and ail concessions were revoked. Now what of the canal was made is nearly all filled up and the machinery is lying scattered about in all directions.

A glance at the map will show any one what an advantage a waterway across this narrow neck of land between North and South America would be to all dwellers in the South Pacific, and the action taken by the United States will be watched with the greatest of interest.