THE PANAMA CANAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 218, 15 September 1888, Page 5

THE PANAMA CANAL.

Dr. Wolfred Kelson, who recently visited the Isthmus of Panama, •vvas'interviewed at Washington on August IC'th' touching the work of the canal. He reported a deplorable arid discouraging condition of affairs. The statement of I)e Lesseps that the canal will be opened in 1890 is treated With ppen ridicßleby the contractors.: In the:rhouri-tains-:ab Oalebra; on the foot'excavation^ they are moving«into the cut at the rate'p* i 18 inches per month, and to reach the level: of the look ot the canal they must go "down: •another 180 feet ■ The whtJe enterprise, -he-. cording to Nelson, is a botctifrom end to end,; having assumed the-position: of a piece of unislußhing jobbery colossal in its jpropprtipnsi The two largest-contractoKs lately stopped workj, &s'\ the CanalCompanyhas no money for them. De Lesseps, in stating that' the canal will bs. opened :in; 1890, stated what he knows "to be impossible., To-day the fixed charge against the Company is ■ over $10,000^000 per annnm; "with perhaps a fifth of the work done on the surface •at that. There :isf:$30;000,000 worth of machinery on the isthmus, twothirds useless and rusting^"Many of the contractors'have dropped worki■and a number are now suing for breach of contract. ■