The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1902-02-06
FAVORS The SAN
BIAS ROUTE
SENATOR SCOTT TODAY INTRO
DUcED A RESOLUTION FAVOR
ING THE NEW CANAL.
BE BUILT IN THREE YEARS
Proposed to Cut a Monster Tunnel
Through Mountain Range-New
Route Said to Be in Healthfu
Climate-Good Harbors. =
BE BUILT IN THREE YEARS
(By Associated Press.)


Washington, Feb. 6.-At the con-
cluslon Of routine business in the
senate today Mr. Scott called up
, and had read a resolution which he or
fered several days ago providing for the
, appointment of a commission OF erperts
to examine what is known as the San
| bias or Mandingo bay route for an 18TH
| mian waterway and to report to the
senate the cost of constructing an iner-
oceanic canal by that route.
| intende by the supreme court to be in
He said that nearly one-fourth af the
| sum necessary to construct canal by
any of the routes proposal already had
been expended in an endeavor to find a
suitable route for an isthmian canal.
but confronted as congress was by a
| proposed appropriation of nearly $780,
| 100000 for the building of an interoceanic
waterway, 1t was the duty Of prudent
men to carefully investigate every pos
sible route.
| He disclaimed any intention to OBJ
struct the consideration of a canal bill
or to delay the building OF the canal
itself but he maintained that the ques-
tion of route was still doubtful.
Wants the San Bias Route.
After thorough investigation he was
! convinced that the Sanblas route met
| practically every requirement of the
proposed waterway, but. because the
| adoption of that route involved the
| driving of a tunnel tfNough the granite
of a mountain range sufficiently large to
admit of the passage OF any ship afioat,
| the route had been regarded as imprac-
| ticable. Personally he was convinced
| that such a tunnel could be constructed
at a reasonable cost.
| Mr.. Scott explained that the San Bias
route connected the two oceans from the
| Bay Of Mandlngo in the Gulf of San Bias
| on the Atlantic side to Pear island har-
Dor in the Gulf Panama on the Pacific
side of the isthmus
Including the five mile tunnel, the
| canal would be 80 miles long. He said
| that the harbors of the San Bias route
had excited the enthusiasm OF all en-
gineers who had investigated them.
The route he proposes, he said, Of
fered great natural and commercial ad-
vantages He quoted both American
and European engineering authorities to
show that the construction of the San
Bias tunnel was quite practical.
Gives His Reasons.
For the following reasons, Mr.. Scott
believed the San Bias route was the
only feasible and practical sea-level
canal route:
One-Its healthy location.
Two-Its shortness.
Three-Its magnificent harbors.
Four-Its total absence of locks.
Fiye-The possibility of working gangs
of men night and day In the wet and
dry seasons.
Six-Its good sanitary conditions.
Seven-That by this route and no other
sailing vessels could be towed by electric
power by night, as well as by day, there
effectng a great saving of time and ex-
pense.
Eight-The economical maintenance Of
the canal when completed.
Nine--Ahe pedmanency OF its rock bed
and the absence of earth embankment.
Ten-The desirable fact that 1t can be
constructed within three, or at the most
five years.
Mr.. Scott concluded by strongly urging
the adoption of his resolution, saying
that he wished to be convinced OF the
practcability or impractcability OF a
ship tunnel and had submitted his re-
solution as pure business PROPOSE
ton.