Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1897 — AFTER PANAMA CANAL [ARTICLE]

AFTER PANAMA CANAL

ENGLAND WOULD LIKE TO CONTROL IT. Consol General Gudger’s Report on the Condition of the Enterprise and the Probable Cost of Finishing It— Russia Must Want to Fight. The Isthmus Waterway. Consul General Gudger at Panama has made a report to the State Department at Washington on the condition of the Panama canal. He says it is whispered that England is doing all in her power to obtain control of the canal. France may not push the work forward, but some other nation or some other company will surely do sq if those in charge forfeit their rights. The canal when completed will extend from Colon on the Atlantic to Panama on the Pacific, fifty-four miles. All along the route are sheds full of new and costly machinery. It is estimated the latter cost $100,000,000, and that there has been expended on the canal a total of $275,000,000. A conservative estimnte is that the canal is about one-third finished, but with the new machinery on hand it is said the remainder of the work can be completed for $150,000,000. The report is that a force adequate to finish the project in from seven to ten years will be put to work. During the next sixty days a committee is to investigate'the progress of affairs and an effort will be made to get more money to continue operations. The canal is practically completed from Colon to Bajeo, fourteen miles, but this is the least expensive part. The great difficulty is in passing the Calabria ridge. The width of the canal will be ICO feet at the top and 72 feet at the bottom, except through the ridge, it will be 78 feet wide at the top and 29 feet at he bottom.

Russia’s Significant Purchases. The report that the Russian Government is buying large quantities of army supplies in the" United States has been verified at San Francisco. Cable messages from Vladivostock asking that merchants bid on large lots are frequently received. Dodge, Sweeney & Co of San Franpisco received a Vladivostock cable to figure on 1,200 tons of supplies. Travelers arriving from Asia report that the garrison at Vladivostock lias been largely re-enforced by the arrival of troops on steamers and sailing vessels from the Black Sea. The concentration of Russian troops at that point and the haste that Japan is making to increase her power on the sea lends some of the merchants to predict that the impending conflict between Russia and Japan may. open as ehrly as next summer. The recent heavy orders for army supplies to be forwarded to Vladivostock are regarded as significant of important movements in the orient. It is believed that the completion of the Transsibcrinn Railroad, with its terminus at Vladivostock, will largely increase the trade of San Francisco, and there is talk of establishing a line of steamers to that place, touching at Alaskan ports. A loenl subsidy of $3,000 a month has already been subscribed for an Alaskan line.