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Panama Canal: the year of the official opening of the facility and its historical significance

From time immemorial, mankind is trying to rebuild the natural conditions of the Earth in order to obtain any benefits. One such case of restructuring is the Panama Canal, the year of the official opening of this facility was marked by an event that affected the development of all navigation in this part of the world, despite the negative aspects of construction.

Panama Canal

This artificially created water body is in Central America. The channel serves as a connection between the borders of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The length of the isthmus at the deep water level is about 82 km, and the width is 150 m, while the ships pass through the gateway three times, then enter the artificial Gatun Lake. Further, after passing a few more steps and Miraflores (a natural water reservoir), the cars exit into the bay. All this way is the Panama Canal, the year of its official opening is the one thousand nine hundred and twentieth.

The construction of this facility was of great importance for the development of economic ties between the countries of Central America, as well as for the sphere of navigation. The channel allows to pass such huge vessels, as container carriers and tankers, thus it is saved more than 10 000 km of a way. The wiring works are carried out by a special service, the time spent for the whole segment is on the average about 9 hours.

Great construction

The Panama Canal, the year of its official opening, marked the realization of the ideas of many minds of the 19th century, began its history at the end of 1882, when its construction began. Led by a great French engineer - Count Ferdinant de Lesseps, who at that time had experience in successfully laying the Suez Canal.

The company on laying the waterway was discussed at the International Congress in 1879 in France, after which it received a concession from the Colombian government for a period of 99 years. This activity was carried out on the basis of subscriber loans, with the price of one share being 500 francs.

As historians note, Earl F. de Lesseps was a skilled diplomat and speaker, but his last creation - the Panama Canal (the official opening year mentioned above) - had a lamentable outcome for him, perhaps because of the underreporting of the original cost of the project. To attract a large number of investors, the engineer presented figures that were almost halved, which, naturally, could not but affect the success of the promotion of the work.

Panama Scam

After the enthusiastic start of the project, the manager had to go through many unpleasant moments. Money was critically lacking, since the first loan did not raise a third of the planned funds. Working hands were not in abundance, in addition to unsanitary conditions and the raging epidemic of malaria, typhus and dysentery carried people away. The hope was weak, and if someone asked him the question: "Call the year of the official opening of the Panama Canal?" - surely the engineer could not give an answer.

The Lesseps family tried to remedy the situation, and the project was changed at the insistence of the engineer F. Byano-Varille, who suggested the use of locks. The famous builder A. Eifel was also called, but after only 8 years, only two-fifths of the work was done. To continue the project, loans were issued that did not require permission from the authorities, but the government of T. Roosevelt and the Chamber of Deputies did not approve this financial operation.

Subsequently, in 1892, a scandal broke out on a world scale, and the leaders of the construction of the Isthmus were convicted. Count F. de Lesseps was released from imprisonment in view of old age, and his son - the younger Lesseps, the minister, several managers and A. Eifel were sentenced to different terms.

The year of the official opening of the Panama Canal was an excuse for the name of Lesseps, his name was cleared of the stigma of fraud. Time proved that this great man had unselfish goals and principles.

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