The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-02-17
THE NEW PANAMA CANAL
THE GREAT UNDERTAKING STILL
TO THE FORE.
A New Company is working on 1t
With Every Prospect of Success in
a Few Years.

There is great difference between
the new Panama canal as it actually is
and the Panama canal as it exists in
the public mind, says the Scientific
American. 1t would be difficult to
find another great undertaking about
whose present status there is SO much
general ignorance or positive misin-
formation as there is concerning the
artificial waterway with which Ferdi-
nand de Lesseps attempted to join the
waters of the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans.
In October, 1894, a new company was
formed for the purpose of completing
the canal. 1t was organized with
cash capital of $13,000,000 and with a
view to giving it a commanding posi-
ton in the financial world, the stock
was purchased by several of the lead
ing financial institutions of France,
the whole $13,O00,000 being actually
paid in. The new company was ofiici-
ally recognized and it's titles, etc, duly
confirmed by the Colombian govern
ment.
The new company decided at the out
set to abandon De Lesseps' eNtrava-
CANT idea of a sea level canal and to
substitute a system of locks This de-
cision opened up the question of a
sufficient supply of water to compen-
safe for losses and supply the summit
level. The floods of the Charges CYL
IDENTIFY afforded an abundant supply
and the problem then took the form Of
an investigation of the amount of the
Chagres river discharge and the posi-
bility of storing it in suitable reservoirs
which should at once serve to feed the
summit level and to hold back the
rush of the Chagres waters in times of
! flood. With the question of the Chag-
res control was associated that Of The
most desirable elevation for the sum-
NIT level and the number and location
| of the various locks.
The work on the canal is at present
| two-fifths completed, and the cost to
complete the work under the new plans
will be $S7, OOO, 900. If 20 per cent be adj
| ded for contingencies, the total cost is
| $102, 400, 900, and the time for compile
! ton, not allowing for improvements in
methods of working and plant, is from
eight to ten years. The canal is forty
six miles long.
| Commencing at Colon on the Allan
tic, the first section of the canal, IS
miles in length, is tidal up to the two
double locks at Bohio, by which yes
sells will pass into the Chagres river
| lake. These locks are of masonry
and will be built upon rock foundation
as will all the locks of the
half a mile to the left of the locks
in the bend of the Chagres river. The
working length of the locks will be
| 1888 % feet, the width of one of the twin
locks being $500 feet and of the other
5905 feet. OF this sea level stretch of
the canal, the first lis miles are navi-
gable the depth varying from 1874 feet
to 295 feet, the finished depth. 1t has
been eXcavated to the original width
and not much dredging will be neces-
sary to complete it for the whole II
miles to Bohio. After passing the
locks the canal channel extends for
about 1874 miles along the bed of the
lake to Obispo, where two double lock.
Quilt like all the other locks of the
company on a rock foundation) will
admit vessels to the summit level five
miles in length, where the bottom of
the canal is 6S.OS feet above mean sea
level. On the Pacific slope admission
is gained at Paradise by one double
lock to a level 1868 feet in length, and
at Pedro Miguel two double locks lead
down to level 1880 feet long, from
which at Miraflores one double lock
will admit vessels to the tide level OF
the Pacific. This portion of the canal
is ~ miles in length. The depth of
water in the locks will be 29.5 feet and
| will not exceed 1928 feet.