Shortcuts Around the World (B)

Season 2018 / 2019 – Talk 11 B – Shortcuts Around the World (B) – the Suez and Panama Canals 

Please note: Shortcuts Around the World (B) is the second part of the talk by Bruce Oelman.

In Shortcuts Around the World (B) Bruce tells us about the building of the Panama Canal.

He covers the difficulties encountered by the French in their efforts. He also talks about the corruption case that ruined the reputation of Ferdinand de Lesseps. It appears that de Lesseps used innovative money raising techniques for both canals!

The USA bought out the project following the failure of the French efforts. They then brought in people who were capable of delivering the project and preventing the endemic disease issues. The Canal was build by the US Corps of Engineers and opened in 1914.

The presentation used at the talk is too large to load here. I have converted  it into a series of images shown in the gallery below. Please click on one of the images as you listen to the talk and it will open the gallery.

Please note: there is a slight echo on the recording which I cannot remove.

The Farnham U3A site is at Farnham U3A Home Page.

The music Media Magazine used in this podcast is licensed from AKM Music.

© The MrT Podcast Studio and Farnham U3A History Group 2019

Author: Tim D

In the early 1970s Mr Timothy & his Phonograph was a popular mobile disco around Leeds University and Tim was known as MrT. Tim also spent 9 years broadcasting a weekly programme on Hospital Radio in Wakefield. He worked for more than 40 years for large industrial organisations and spent his last 15 years in global commercial management roles. Following retirement he started making podcasts in 2017.