The Panama Canal :: essays research papers

The Panama Canal was one of the greatest triumphs and tragedies of the late nineteenth and early 20th centuries. The tragedy was that the French were just simply likewise far ahead of technology, at that time, to go off or even beat up farther than the very beginning of the Panama Canal. The Americans took over the project later on President Theodore Roosevelts pushing of the Panamanian Revolution. After the Revolution the Americans took control of the provide and continued to build the canalize to what it is today. The Panama Canal is one of the largest canals in the world. It consists of three dams, the Gatun, Pedro Miguel, and Mira Flores. Despite the limit in ship size the canal is still one of the highest traveled waterways in the world. The Panama Canal was constructed in two stages. The first amid 1881 and 1888, was carried out by the French keep company headed by De Lessop. Second, was the defecate by the Americans who eventually completed the canals construction be tween 1904 and 1914. (Cameron 79)The contract for the canals construction was signed on March 12, 1881, and it was agreed the work would be carried out for 512 million French francs. Midway through the edifice of the canal, in 1885, the French company started to run into monetary difficulties and even utilise to the French government to issue lottery bonds. Rumors of these difficulties caused increased interest inside the American government. The abandonment of the scheme at this stage would cause financial ruin for all the investors and a severe blow to the French. It was suggested that the original propose be modified and the lock system should be employed. Eventually, in 1899, Frances attempt at constructing the Panama Canal was seen to be a failure. However, they had excavated a total of 59.75 million cubic meters, which included 14.255 million cubic meters from the Culebra Cut. (Barret 63) This move the peak by 102 meters. The value of work completed by the French was abou t $25 million. When the French departed, they left behind a immense amount of machinery, housing and a hospital. The reasons behind the French failing to complete the project were due to disease carrying mosquitoes and the inadequacy of their machinery. The construction of the canal was recommenced by the Americans in 1904. The first step on the agenda was to improve the criterion of living and ensure ill health would be a involvement of the past.