The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-12-22
coNcREssMEN WHO VISITED
PANAMA ARE ALL CONVERTS
TO THE CHANGE.
Under That Plan the Waterway Can
Be Completed Within Eight
Years.


anna has crystallized as the result OF
the recent visit to the isthmus of the
house committee on interstate and
foreign commerce. Prior to that visit
nobody in this country regarded a
sea level canal as feasible, and while
in an abstract way such a canal was
favored, the engineering difficulties in
the way, including a supposedly almost
prohibitive cost, would forbid any
serious consideration of the idea.
The committee has returned a unit
in favor Of the sea level proposition,
and it is backed up by Chief Engineer
Wallace and his associates.
Mr.. Wallace told members of the
constructed within eight years. if
proper facilities were afforded and the
work properly directed. The addition
al cost will be considerable, but no.
where near as great as has been pop
ularly supposed.
The arguments are all in favor of
the sea level idea, and it is very like
ly that congress during the present
session will proceed on this basis.
Locks and Dams Impossible.
1t will be well nigh impossible to
construct a lock and dam canal ow-
ing to the physical difficulties in the
way of building the Bahio dam across
the Chagres river. The old French,
and the earlier American surveys are
of no account whatever in determin-
ing the depth at which solid rock may
be found for this dam. According to
those surveys, solid rock may be
found at a depth of 120 feet. but it
now appears that the rock struck at
that depth is only a collection of boul-
ders, and the engineers have bored
through them and to a depth of 165
feet without finding solid foundation.
The dam plan must, therefore, be
abandoned, and with it the lock and
dam canal scheme goes to pieces, leav-
ing the sea level proposition as the
only alternative.
The house committee has returned
with fund of information which will
be of the highest value to congress.
Each morning while in Panama the
W.T. ocf
and then started on tours along the
route of the canal which never ended
until o'clock in the evening, or later
Every night the committee held meet
ings TO discuss the observations of the
day. These meetings never adjourned
until 1880 p. M, and on several &C.
casiOns they lasted until after mid
| night and even until l a. m.
Stevens Well Pleased.
1t is the opinion of Representative
Stevens of Minnesota, a member OF
the committee, that the government
secured considerably more than the
$4o,Qoo,ooo cost of the canal rights il
the form of personal property of vari.
GUS kinds. For instance, the commit
tee found 27O0 large and expensive
steel dumping carts; 70 dredges, cost
ing; from 100000 to 100000 eacl
$500 buildings, all in good condition
1875 locomotives in good condition, 81
| of them from the Baldwin works i,
Philadelphia; four very large store
| houses packed to the doors with al
kinds of brass and steel appliance
which will be needed in the work O
construction; and sundry other sup
plies, all in good condition, and which
it would cost considerably more thar
$40.00O,OOO to replace
Not only that, but the Culebra cut
which must go down something NOR
than 800 feet to sea level, is alread,
about 125 feet deep, or more than one
third done, on a sea level basis.
Mr.. Stevens, in common with othe
members of the committee, is strongl,
in favor of the sea level canal En-
gineer Wallace, if requested to do sc
will say to congress that the sea leve
canal is the only kind that should b.
constructed, and will present engin
eering arguments in it's favor.