The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-04-10

NEW NOBK-March 30.-The Herald
this morning publishes the following |
special from Panama: From data fur
nished by the technical commission
employed on the survey of the Pana-
ma canal, to arrive at the most feas-
ible and financially practical plan for |
its 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
81 metres above sea level. Though the
elevation of "a metres is adopted as
starting point for the proposed work,
it is not to be considered as unchange-
able. The company will endeaNor,
either during its investigation or while
work is in progress, to lower as far as
possible the channel at the divide be-
low the elevation of "a metres, should
the condition for eXcavating the large
cutting 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 Pa
cfic end would, 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 chan
mel to the above mentioned elevation
of "a metres would be As metres on
the Atlantic side and would reach 46
metres on the Pacific side.
"The rise will be provided for by
five locks on each slope. The maxi
mum lift of each lock has been put
up at ten metres, and this is one of
the considerations that have deter
mined the elevation of the bottom
summit level not higher than 81
metres.
On the Atlantic slope are two sue
cessive locks at the Kilomatrc point,
twenty-four Boz Soldado, and
three successive locks at Obispo. On
the Pacific slope are one .ock at Mira
flores, 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 o. the canal. a
very favorable site for the erection of
this retaining dam is found at AHA
iuela. 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
7 ing vessels. They will be in pairs of
clear length of 200 metres and a
width of % metres for one and Is
metres for the other. In the vicinity
of the high and low locks will be var
ious 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 | evel, which in
cludes the great cutting about seven
kilometres in length, the normal
= width of the canal will be 25 metres
at the bottom and so at the water line
at the two ends of the channel
near the locks there will be the build.
? ing of dams attached to the locks, to
\ close the channels, small lakes form.
ing anchorages and waiting basins fol
" the vessels. Toward the middle of the
" " channels, small lakes forming anchor
ages and waiting basins for the yes
sells. Toward the middle of the chan
ned a basin will be constructed to pas.
* vessels.
at is proposed to give the entrance
e of the Pacific side a width at the bot
tom of 80 metres, with long slopes o
) to l on account of the swampy ma
|, ture of the grounds. Under these con
- ditions vessels could pass one anothe
throughout the entire length of tn,
channel.
"The above described plan will re
quire change in location of the Pan
anna railway in the portion between
Bohio and Mirahores for distance o
"a about 40 kilometres. Tbs change il
location will be made to the east o
h the canal so as to avoid the railwa,
crossing the canal"