<P> He was convinced that a sea - level canal, dug through the mountainous spine of Central America, could be completed at least as easily as the Suez Canal . The engineering congress estimated the project's cost at $214 million; on February 14, 1880, an engineering commission revised the estimate to $168.6 million . De Lesseps reduced this estimate twice, with no apparent justification: on February 20 to $131.6 million and on March 1 to $120 million . The congress estimated seven or eight years as the time required to complete the canal; de Lesseps reduced this estimate to six years (the Suez Canal required ten). </P> <P> The proposed sea - level canal would have a uniform depth of 9 meters (29.5 ft), a bottom width of 22 meters (72.2 ft) and a width at water level of about 27.5 meters (90.2 ft); the excavation estimate was 120,000,000 m (157,000,000 cu yd). A dam was proposed at Gamboa to control flooding of the Chagres River, with channels to drain water away from the canal . However, the Gamboa dam was later found impracticable and the Chagres River problem was left unsolved . </P> <P> Construction of the canal began on January 1, 1881, with digging at Culebra beginning on January 22 . A large labor force was assembled, numbering about 40,000 in 1888 (nine - tenths of whom were afro - Caribbean workers from the West Indies). Although the project attracted good, well - paid French engineers, retaining them was difficult due to disease . The death toll from 1881 to 1889 was estimated at over 22,000, of whom as many as 5,000 were French citizens . </P> <P> By 1885 it had become clear to many that a sea - level canal was impractical, and an elevated canal with locks was preferable; de Lesseps resisted, and a lock canal plan was not adopted until October 1887 . By this time increasing mortality rates, as well as financial and engineering problems coupled with frequent floods and mudslides, indicated that the project was in serious trouble . Work continued under the new plan until May 15, 1889, when the company went bankrupt and the project was suspended . After eight years the canal was about two - fifths completed, and about $234.8 million had been spent . </P>

When did the french start the panama canal