The age-herald., 1902-02-07
Senator Scott Calls Attention to Cut by Way of San
 Bias or Mandigo Bay
RESOLUTION REFERRED
 10 MORGAA'S COMMITTEE
Says Engineers Are Enthusiastic Over Plan, as 1t Is Bv Far Shortest and the Quickest-CoIombia
 Might Object.

Washington, February 6.--In the Sem ate today, Mir Scott, Republican of West Virginia, called up and had read res- olution which he offered several days ago providing for the appointment of a commission of experts to examine what is known as the San Bias or Mandigo Bay route for lsthman waterway, and to report to the Senate the cost of l construction of an inter-oceanic canal 1 by that route. He disclaimed any inten- tion to obstruct the consideration of a canal bill or to delay the building of a canal.
 He said, after thorough investigation he was convinced the San Bias route met practically every requirement. be- cause the adoption of that route involved the driving of a tunnel through the gran ite of a mountain range sufficiently large to admit of the passage of any ship the route had beens regarded as impractc- able.
 MT. Scott explained that the San Blas route connected the two oceans from the Bay of Mandigo. in the Gulf of San Bias, on the Atlantic side. to Pearl Island har- bor to the Gulf of the Pacific on the Pan- anna side of the isthmus. Including the five-mile tunnel the canal would he thirty miles long.
 All Engineers Enthusiastic.
 He said that the harbors of the San } Bias route" had excited the enthusiasm of all engineers who had investigated them He believed that electrical power made it entirely practicable by this route to tow sailing ships through the canal by electric trolley. The route he proposed, he said, offered great natural and com mercial advantages,
 He quoted both American and European engineering authorities to show construc- ton of the San Bias route quite practicable. For the following reasons MT Scott believed that the San Bias route was the only feasible and prac- ticable sea level canal route:
 First-Its health location.
 Second-Its shortness.
 Third-Its magnificent harbcrs
 Fourth-Its total absence of locks.
 Fifth-The probability of working gangs 1 of men night and day. in the wet and dry seasons and under good sanitary con- ditions
 Sixth-The very important consideration that by this route and no other sailing vessels could be lowed by electric pow CT; by night as well as by day
 Seventh-The economical maintenance of the canal when completed.
 E,ighth-The permanency of Its rock bed and the absence of earth embank- ment
 Ninth--The desirable fact that 1t can be constructed within three, or at most five years.
 MT Scott concluded by strongly advo- eating the adoption of his resolution.
 Went to Morgan's Committee.
 MT. Morgan. chairman of the commit- tee on int er- oceanic canals, moved that the resolution offered by NJ Scott be re- ferred to that committee. I1e said that the committee had General Sorrell the promoter of the San Bias route before 1t, and the matter had been referred to subcommittee, which was now con- ducting an investigation of that project He pointed out that Colombia would probably oppose the adoption of the San Bias route. that would destroy both the Panama canal and the Panama Rail- road Company. It would be a hopeless task, he thought, to convince Colombia that the San Bias route would be the most desirable one proposed
 Without objection the resolution was | referred to the committee on inter-oce- | anic canals.
 Feasibility of Panama Route. | Washington, February 6.-S. w. Plume of New Orleans testified before the Sen | ate committee on inter-oceanic canals today regarding the feasibility of the l Panama route for a canal. MT. Plume Is a contractor and railroad man, and in the latter capacity spent five years road master of the Panama Railroad He said | the difficulty of excavating a canal in that region would be very great because of the character of the soil. The country. according to his account, is full of small springs which keep the soil in such moist condition that 1t is quite inpossi- ble. to handle 1t except in the most tedl- ous and expensive manner He also spoke of the section as the most un- healthy on the American continent say ing that of fifty-three men sent to the sthmus as engineers, superintendents. | clerks. etc. all but three had died within l three months.
 The House.
 Washington, February 6.-The House spent the day on the executive legislative and judicial approportion bills Very rapid progress was made seventy-four of the 1 140 pages of the bill being disposed of before adjournment. No debate of impor- 1 tance developed during the consideration of the bill and no movements of impor- tance were adopted.
 | Accepts Another Call. l Atlanta. February 6.-Rev. T. W. Oak ! tav pa stor of fha West End Ia nftaf