Daming 1805

Chapter 314 Construction of the Yinzhou Canal Starts

The Panama Canal was called the "Yinzhou Canal" in Ming Dynasty. After this meeting, the project was officially launched.

Various parties began to contribute people, efforts, and money to this project.

As Huangzhuang, the Panama region has the same status as the Trinity of the Chief Commissioner, the Procuratorate, and the Commander.

An army with all commanders usually has three to five guards.

The Panama region is particularly important, as it is a communication hub between the two oceans and the border with the New Spain-Mexico region.

So there are already five guards garrisoned.

However, these garrisons are regular troops. Although Mexico has a high probability of not daring to move, these troops cannot be easily mobilized.

It is even more impossible to do chores such as "grabbing strong men".

Zhu Dijin took Zhu Jingyuan's order and prepared to call three more guard militias in Xintianfu.

You don't need to prepare everything right away. This time, take a guard to start working, and then slowly fill it up later.

In addition, each Huangzhuang in Xintianfu had to arrange people to be "foremen".

These things are relatively easy to arrange.

The most important thing is money.

Another is the finalization of the construction cost and budget.

Initially, the psychological expectations of the imperial court and Xintianfu were basically in the position of 200 million gold notes, which is [-] million silver notes.

As a result, after the exploration was completed, the minimum budget reported by Wang Jinpeng had already exceeded 200 million gold bills.

Zhu Jingyuan directly chose the highest standard again, and the cost immediately jumped to 1000 million gold bills, equivalent to [-] million silver bills.

It is equivalent to the construction cost of ten [-]-ton capital ships, which is already terrifying in the eyes of others.

The Minister of the Ministry of Households, the Minister of the Ministry of Industry, the Military Aircraft Department, the Cabinet, and even Emperor Zhu Jianyan of the Ming Dynasty.

When this group of people saw the budget report, they were obviously in a daze.

"The construction of the Panama Canal, which is only 1000 kilometers long, actually requires [-] million gold bills?"

"How could it be so high? Nearly half of last year's budget."

"Perhaps the local environment is complicated, and there are also mountains blocking it..."

"The point is that His Royal Highness Prince Dashi means that this is only the first phase of investment..."

The first phase of investment was specially marked by Zhu Jingyuan.

Because Zhu Jingyuan personally feels that the budget of 1000 million gold bills is still not enough.

Historically, the United States initially planned to build the Panama Canal with a cost of 4000 million U.S. dollars, but it finally cost 6000 million U.S. dollars to complete.

The purchasing power of 1910 million U.S. dollars in the 6000s was very close to the 1000 million gold bills of Ming Dynasty today.

But at that time, the United States built the cheapest small-scale lock canal.

What Ming Dynasty wants to build now is the largest direct canal, and the cost will definitely be much higher than the US plan at that time.

Zhu Jingyuan estimated that when the canal was finally completed, the cost would at least double.

Maybe 2000 million gold bills can't beat it.

So Zhu Jingyuan changed Wang Jinpeng's plan for asking for money, and specifically marked that this was only the first phase of investment.

However, Daming was the richest in the past two years, and the revenue of the imperial court and the income of Huangzhuang were all rising.

The total income has reached four times that of Britain in 1914 and ten times that of the United States at that time.

The gross national product of the United Kingdom at that time had already been overtaken by the United States, but its fiscal revenue was still [-] times that of the United States.

The 1000 million gold bills were half of the U.S. finances at that time, but only one-twentieth of Ming's current fiscal revenue.

If the construction period is extended to five years, the annual expenditure will account for exactly one percent of the fiscal revenue.

Daming's current budget is relatively generous, which is the time when it is relatively easy to get money.

Moreover, this kind of engineering construction investment is different from the investment in shipbuilding.

Most of this money will eventually be earned by the people of Daming.

Including construction machinery factories, engineering companies and construction teams, various craftsmen and foremen.

In this process, the imperial court will receive various taxes again.

It can quite extensively promote the circulation of market materials and labor services, and then promote economic development.

It is completely different from the one-shot deal of building warships.

In particular, it can be said that Zhu Jingyuan personally asked for this budget, and Zhu Jingyuan himself also paid for the shares.

This shows that Zhu Jingyuan is very optimistic about this project, or attaches great importance to this project.

In this case, there is no possibility of blocking from all sides.

In the end, the Ming court contributed [-]%, Xintianfu Huangzhuang contributed [-]%, and Dashiguo and Zhu Jingyuan personally contributed [-]%. The three parties shared the construction budget.

According to the five-year completion plan, the budget for the first year is 200 million gold notes
Due to the huge amount, the imperial court opened a special account at Daming Bank.

Personnel were sent out from the three aspects, and a special supervision team was established to manage and verify the use of the budget.

All the formalities were completed, and when the start-up capital of 100 million gold notes arrived, Zhu Dijin and Wang Jinpeng had already set off for Panama.

During this period, Wang Jinpeng and his fellow craftsmen adjusted the construction plan again according to Zhu Jingyuan's suggestions and reminders.

First build the canal to synchronize roads and railways, build barbed wire to isolate the canal site, and clear trees along the construction route.

Dredging and regulating the Chagres River (Chagres River) along the canal construction route and constructing dams and reservoirs upstream of the river.

Zhu Dijin is the general manager, Wang Jinpeng's plan can of course be discussed with Zhu Dijin before it can be implemented.

So after Wang Jinpeng and the artisan team made plans, they went to Zhu Dijin to explain the situation on the way back to Panama by boat together.

In Zhu Dijin's room, the two sat on both sides of the coffee table.

Zhu Dijin looked at the planning letter sent by Wang Jinpeng, and his expression became slightly startled.

For those plans to build railways, roads, fences, and clear trees, they can be regarded as sharpening their knives and chopping wood.

What made Zhu Dijin feel that it was too much was mainly related to the Chagres River plan.

The Chagres River is a natural river in the Panama Canal area. Although the length is relatively limited, the water volume is not small.

The overall planning of the canal will borrow part of the channel of the Cha River.

There is nothing wrong with dredging and regulating the main channel of the river, which was originally used for the main channel of the canal.

The problem is that Wang Jinpeng planned two large and two small reservoirs, none of which are on the canal route, and the farthest is more than ten kilometers away.

Zhu Dijin immediately raised a question:

"Wang Gong, is there too much work on this reservoir?"

Wang Jinpeng also explained as a matter of course:

"This is actually planned according to His Highness's suggestion.

"The local climate is hot all year round, especially during the rainy season, when the precipitation is extremely high.

"If the river is not treated, the peak of the flood season may rush directly into the construction site.

"In that rainy season, not only would it be impossible to work, but the repaired river would be reworked.

"So it is necessary to dredge the river in advance, and at the same time use the reservoir to control the water source.

"The release of water at an acceptable speed during the construction process allows us to continue construction during the rainy season.

"The key is to be able to keep the river from being washed out by the rain.

"After the completion of the four reservoirs, two of the large reservoirs will be able to generate electricity to supply electricity to the canal project area.

"The two small reservoirs can be abandoned, or used for aquaculture.

"The engineering volume of the reservoirs is not large, especially the two small reservoirs, which are similar to building two sections of dams.

"Comparatively speaking, when dealing with these rivers and water, the lock scheme is more troublesome than this.

"However, during the construction process, these river channels and water sources must also be controlled, and temporary reservoirs must also be built.

"But when it is finally built, it is necessary to connect the entire area and the three reservoirs as one.

"Turn this into a big reservoir for the final channel of the canal."

During the construction of the historical Panama Canal, the reservoir "Lake Gatun" was built.

The canal project culminated in the creation of the "Alajuela Lake" reservoir.

Now Wang Jinpeng's project plan, the ship lock plan is also to build a complete Gatun Lake.

The direct access to the canal will divide it into three parts.

Zhu Dijin felt that Wang Jinpeng's explanation made sense, so he looked through the relevant explanation carefully.

The main reason is to look at the budget allocation, there are indeed no exaggerated figures, and it is impossible to make a lot of money here.

So Zhu Dijin also accepted this statement:

"I understand Wang Gong's meaning. After we start construction, we will first cut down trees, build roads, and build reservoirs. When will the main project of the canal start?"

Wang Jinpeng already knew it in his heart, and said directly without hesitation at this time:
"If there are enough workers, we can basically start working at the same time. The first group of people cut trees, cleared the site, and built fences.

"Followers followed to build railways and roads, and at the same time built reservoirs, and the last follow-up personnel started to build canals.

"But the early workers are obviously not available, and the explosives and various engineering equipment will take time to be in place.

"It is estimated that the construction of the canal will take at least half a year. The key depends on how many workers you can find as soon as possible."

Zhu Dijin suddenly felt the pressure on her body again:

"Then I can only say as soon as possible, let's send all the people from the Panama area in first.

"The work of logging and installing barbed wire does not require any complicated technology or large machinery, and someone can do it..."

When Zhu Dijin said this, she seemed to realize something:
"No, don't wait for me to go back, you can start working over there now.

"I'm going to the telegraph room right now, and radio over there, and tell the Menu there to go log now
"Start recruiting people to work now, as long as the local Yin people can get three silver notes, they should be 'willing' to cut down trees and dig soil.

"I'm not going back to Panama City, I'm going directly with the Xintianfu militia to arrest people around Mahu.

"The meaning of Uncle Dashi is obviously to clean up that area first."

When Zhu Dijin had an idea, he acted immediately, and wrote a copy with Wang Jinpeng to arrange to send it to Panama.

Before Daming took over Panama, there were about 20 people there.

Among them, there are about 2 Taixi people, and about 5 people are the mixed descendants of Taixi people and Yin people.

The number of pure aboriginal Yin people is about 8, and there are more than 5 Mo slaves and free Mo people in the end.

After Daming took over, most of the Taixi people had already left, basically going directly to the northern Mexico region.

Many Taixi people didn't want to leave, but they were driven away by Ming soldiers.

In a place like Brazil, it would not be easy for Thais and Westerners to go to Thais or Mexico, so we gave them a choice.

But Panama is right next to Mexico, and it is impossible for Da Ming to allow them to stay easily.

At that time, the mixed-race Yin people living in the city and the Yin people who believed in God either voluntarily followed the Taixi people to Mexico, or they were also driven away by the officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty and the Taixi people.

The people of Yin belonged to the most fringe of the Ming ethnic group, and those who had mixed with the blood of Taixi people were even more unacceptable.

As for those who believe in God, they cannot stay. It is very difficult or even impossible to wash them back.

The main reason is that the officials of Ming Dynasty and the managers of Huangzhuang do not want to spend energy in this direction.

Now there are still [-] to [-] Yin people left in the local area, and they are basically relatively "wild" and have not been domesticated by the Taixi people before.

When the Taixi people left, they also took most of the Mexican slaves with them.

During the frenzy of the Mexican slave trade in the United States, these Mexican slaves were sold to the United States.

But there are still more than 2 Mexican slaves left in the local area.

It was mainly the slaves of the master who were confiscated if the number exceeded the standard, and the Mo people who had originally obtained all their freedom.

After the Ming people took over the area, the males of these Mo people were purified, and the females were also controlled separately.

Immediately after Daming took over the Panama region, it began to immigrate from the mainland, Northern Yinzhou, and Southern Yinzhou to the local area.

In addition to the Ming garrison of the five guards, there are almost [-] Ming civilians in the area.

Counting 2 to 20 Yin people and more than [-] Mo people, the total resident population is about [-] to [-], plus soldiers in the early [-]s.

Therefore, the canal project plan made by Wang Jinpeng calculated the maximum construction period of 15 people, which was calculated according to the local population.

When Zhu Dijin and Wang Jinpeng went to Xintianfu to meet Zhu Jingyuan, of course they didn't take the entire management and design team with them.

After the news of Zhu Dijin and Wang Jinpeng reached Panama City, the rest of the local management and design teams took action immediately.

Hired the Ming workers who had been surveying the environment together, and took the remaining Mo slaves to log on the canal route.

The direct purpose of the Ming Dynasty's immigration to Panama was to dig a canal and at the same time occupy the land of Panama with its own people.

Before the official start of the canal, after these immigrants arrived in Panama, they did a lot of infrastructure construction there.

Build more residential areas and warehouses, prepare to accommodate more workers, and store more supplies.

During the survey of the canal route, some immigrants followed to help.

Before the survey tasks of the craftsmen are completed, of course everyone does not know how the canal will be opened.

However, almost everyone knows where the canal will be built.

The canal has been conceived for more than 200 years, and the ideal location has of course been figured out long ago.

Wang Jinpeng's survey is to confirm the details of the route, the local soil layer, altitude, water body information, and calculate the engineering quantity.

On both sides of the mountain range in the central region of the isthmus of Panama, there is the Chagres River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean, and the Rio Grande, which flows to the Pacific Ocean.

The closest point between the upper tributaries of the two rivers is less than five kilometers.

As long as these five kilometers are dug through, the smallest canal will be built theoretically.

But to allow large ships to pass, it has to be dug deep and wide, more than 20 meters down and hundreds of meters to the sides.

But the two rivers set the course of the canal, and early work on the project could be carried out along the rivers.

(End of this chapter)