The record-union., 1897-03-17
A Waterway to Unite the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans.
Provides for Canal With Five Locks,
in Order to Meet the Variance of
Sea Levels During High and Low
Tides, the Water for Which Canal
River.

NEW YORK, March 1.-THE Her
ald' this morning published the follow
ing special from Panama: From data
furnished by the Technical Commission
employed on the survey of the Panama
Canal, to arrive at the most feasible
and financially practical plan for it's
construction, a report has been made
by the directors, showing the plan of
work for the present. In part it says:
THE profile of the lock canal will be
as follows: The elevation of the sum-
nit level, bottom of channel, will be
thirtyfOur meters above mean sea
level Though the elevation OF thirty
four meters is adopted as a starting
point for the proposed work, it is not to
be considered as Interchangeable. The
company will endeavor, either during
its investigation or while work is in
progress, to lower as far as possible the
channel at the divide below the eleva-
ton of thirty-four meters, should the
condition for excavating the large cut
ting which will constitute the divide be
found favorable.
THE harbor channel at the Atlantic
end would be about mean sea level, the
tide being of no account at that point.
The harbor channel at the Pacific end
will, on the contrary, vary between the
elevation of high tide and the elevation
of low tide. The total rise from the
bottom of the sea channel to the above
mentioned elevation of thirty-four me-
terS would be forty-three meters on the
Atlantic side and would reach forty
six meters on the Pacific side.
The rise will be provided for by five
locks on each slope. The maximum lift
of each lock has been put at ten me-
tiers, and this is one of the considera-
lions that have determined the eleva-
ton of the bottom summit level not
higher than thirty-four meters
"On the Atlantic slope are two sue
cessive locks at the kilometric point
twenty-four at Bohio Solado, and three
successive locks at Obispo On the Pa
cific slope are one lock at Miradores,
two successive locks at Pedro Miguel
and two successive locks at Paraiso
THE water supply for the canal will
be taken from the Chagres river by
means of a dam to be erected at a
higher point, and from there carried
to the summit-level canal; a very ia
vora BILE site for the erection of this re-
tanning dam is found at Alhajuela. The
water will be carried either by metal
conduits under pressure, by open
bitches or by combination Of the two
systems.
THE locks will be built sufficiently
large to accommodate the largest trad
ing vessels. They will be in pairs of a
clear length of 200 meters and a width
Of twenty-five meters for one and eigh-
teen meters for the other. In the vi
entity of the high and low locks will be
various docks for the vessels, so as to
facilitate their movements as they pass
in and out, and to allow them to pass
among those waiting at the docks.
AT the summit level, which includes
the great cutting about seven kilome-
tiers in length, the normal width of the
canal will be twenty-five meters at the
bottom and fifty at the water line.
cat the two ends of the channel near
the docks there will be by the building
the channels, smalls lakes forming an
chorages and waiting basins for the
vessels. Toward the middle of the
channel basin will be constructed to
pass vessels
1t Is proposed TO give the entrance
channel of the Pacific side a width at
the bottom of thirty meters, with long
slopes of five to one on account of the
swampy nature of the grounds. Tn
der these conditions vessels could pass
one another throughout the entire
length of the channel.
THE above-described plan will re-
quire a change in location of the Pa
mama railway in the portion between
BohiO and Mirafores for a distance of
about forty kilometers. This change in
location will be made to the east Of the
canal so as to avoid the railway cross
ing the canal
TIE company has at work now more
than 5000 men, distributed along the
line and one of the directors has Just
returned from Jamaica. where he has
been to arrange to bring several thou
sand laborers here to push the work