PANAMA SHIP CANAL.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 509, 17 April 1880, Page 3

PANAMA SHIP CANAL.

The report of an International Scientific Commission of Engineers for verification of the survey of the Panama Canal was presented to M. Do Lesseps. It is signed by J. Dirks and by all the members of the Commission. They unanimously agree that the cutting of the canal by the route which Do Lesseps has proposed it entirely feasible. It is recommended in the report that an artificial lake should be made in the valley of the Upper Chargrcs, together with a large dam with sluices, to be built at Cruces, near Malachin. The reservoir will hold 1.000,000,000 of cubic meters or much more than the whole quantity of water that fell during the great freshet of last November The canal will be protected and drained slowly by the channel which is to he built, partly by using the river, which is on the northern side of the canal and runs parallel with it. The report also proposes that a great pier, i’ooo meters in length, should be built at the Bay of Colon or Aspinwall, so as to protect shipping from the gales which prevail there dining a great part of the year. The total expense of (he work is estimated by the Commission at 170.000,000 dnls.” A Herald cable from Colon says ;—" The engineers employed by De Lesseps to survey Lire site of the proposed canal and estimate the probable eO't. of it. have to-day issued their report. They unanimously favour a level canal. They e-timaie the cost at S+H.ooo.oooloh. De Lesseps will now publLh a circular inviting American subscriptions to the value of half that amount. The work is to occupy eight years. De Lcssips had a quiet reception on his arrival in New York. Railway men in Washington say he will offer (lie presidency of the isthmus Canal Company to General Grant, and that he expects, under the lever of that offer, to secure placing in the St.fd.cs onehalf of his proposed capital stock. In his interview with the President he (Hayes) says the great engineer was "given plainly to understand that the States must have preponderating influence on any canal cut. Do Lesseps was disappointed with his interview, and merely said the canal was a business and not a political proposition. Alluding to the preponderating influence, the Standard remarks that this is something about which England will have a word to say. Neither at Panama nor Suez must any Power interfere with commerce.