Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-18
Facts About the Panama Canal.

Facts About the Panama Canal.
The most reliable reports of the progress
of the work on the Panama canal have
been furnished by naval officers of this
country.
Within the past few months two reports
have been furnished to the Navy Depart
ment. One of them was prepared by
Lieut.. Francis WinslOw and the other by
Lieut.. r. II. Mclean.
These reports are very long, and go into
details fully. AS is well known, the line
of the canal is divided into sections, and
work on each section is being prosecuted
under different contractors. The reports
Of Lieuts. Winslow and Mclean deal with
each section, the work accomplished, the
engineering difficulties that have been
overcome and those yet to be overcome.
The engineers in charge of the work es-
innate that the number of cubic meters OF
earth that had been excavated up to Feb.
l was II 100000, and the number remain
ing to be excavated at that date was ILL.,
100000. The average number of men en-
ployed is $4,000. The pay of the lab0rers
is from 70 cents to 81 20 per day in gold.
There had been spent up to Feb. 1, $74,-
100000, and it was understood that at that
time there was on hand $4,000 600. Lieut..
Mclean estimates that even if the
canal is completed in 1888, as Nj. de Les
seps now promises, its cost cannot be less
than 1910 100000, and his opinion is that
it will not be less than $S5O,0OO, 900.
1t is evident, therefore, that if Lieut..
McLean's estimates are anywhere near
correct an immense amount of money,
over and above that now on hand, must
be raised from some source.
The plan tor raising the additional
amount that will be needed is to partially
complete a section of the canal and
announce its opening. 1t is hoped that
such an announcement will have the
effect of so increasing confidence in the
enterprise as to make it easy to secure
another loan.
1t seems to be agreed that on the solu-
ton of the problem of the control of the
Chagres river depends the success of the
canal. Doubts are expressed by Lieut..
Winslow whether any definite plan for
the great dam proposed for the Chagres
has been decided upon, and yet it hardly
seems probable that so vital matter
would be left undetermined while millions
of dollars were being expended on an I'M
( dertaking the success Of which depended
almost wholly upon 1t.
A dam has been decided upon, but that
is all The plan of it has got to be de-
termined. Lieut.. Mclean says that at
Gamboa nature favors the construction
of dam.
Two large hills-Obispo and Santa Cruz
about a mile apart, stand at the foot of
the valley drained by the river, and just
above where the river crosses the line of
the canal. These two hills and others,
the French engineers say, are to be con-
nected by large embankments mile long
and 205 feet high. Beneath the dam. at
the water level of the Chagres, a solid
masonry tunnel or culVert fifty feet wide
will be constructed, with chute gates of
iron. BY closing these the flow of water
from the upper valley can be temporarily
stopped. BY opening them the water can
be drawn off and carried away through
| channels parallel to the canal.
In the dry season the Chagres is an in
significant stream. 1t is about 200 feet
wide and not more than two deep. rain
storm makes it a torrent. The rainfall is
almost incredible. 1t is as much as four
or five inches in very few hours. The
! Chagres has been known to rise 40 feet in
a comparatively short time. Neither of
the American officers thinks it probable
that the canal Will be completed in 1888.
Indeed their figures indicate that with
everything favorable it will not be CON-
| pleted in less than ten years.