The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-21
PANAMA CANAL IS NOT
A DIFFICULT TASK FOR
AMERICAN ENGINEERS
1t Presents No Obstacle Skill, In
genuity and Enterprise Can
not Overcome.
KEY TO THE PROBLEM
Is the Chagres River, and It's Wa
ters VIII Be Cared for in
Building Bohio Dam.
FRENCH PLANS COMPLEX
Changes Are Proposed Which Will
Simplify Both Construction
and Operation.
FRENCH PLANS COMPLEX
Prom the Journars speeIal commIssioner.


COLON. r. p, Dec. %. 1908.-There is
nothing in the nature of the work which
has TO be done on the isthmus before the
ship canal can be opened to navigation to
daunt American. 1 have made three ex-
cursions over the canal route, taking in the
sea-Ieve sections at either end and the
middle portion. which runs through dry cut
ting, and. while 1 do not pretend TO speak
expertly of the engineering aspects Of the
problem, 1 should say that the building OF
the canal will be a comparatively easy task
for knowing. enterprising and energetic
Americans. That Americans have under
taken and successfully concluded projects
presenting vastly greater engineering COM
plexities is indsputable. AS problem in
engineering science the New York subway
system dwarfs the canal scheme into in
Significance. Sc does the plan of the Penn
slvania Railroad to tunnel the North river
and construct in the very heart Of New
York city a great subterranean tunnel. On
come Of our Western Enthusiastically on
the line which runs over Marshall pass. in
southwestern Overwhelmingly more in
trfcate problems were successfully solved at
a time when engineering science was not
nearly as exact as II is to-day, and from
the engineering. well from the fnan-
cial point OF view New York State is to-day
dealing with a project-the enlargement of
the Erie canal-which deserves to stand on
plane with that one which centers here.
AS 1 remarked in previous letter. the
activity of the American engineers who
have dealt with this problem with view to
its solution by the United States has been
in the direction of simplification. Great
success has attended their efforts. In
scheme we have gone many strides ahead
of anything the French. even in their final
with five locks and six levels, we shall
build waterway with two sets of locks, a
tied gate and three levels. Instead OF
complicated arrangement for controlling
the torrential flow of the Chagres river,
with auxiliary canals and storage reser-
voirs TO provide water for certain of the
levels, plan is To build one monster
dam and then let the natural swamps take
care of the Chagres
THE AMERICAN PLAN.
Should we build this canal-and nearly
every isthmian viii die OF disappointment
should we funk on the project which incu-
bated this baby republc-there will be a
sea-level section 600 feet wide on the sur
face. $50 feet wide of the bottom and deep
enough to safely accommodate vessels
drawing thi:ty-fve feet of water. extending
from the entrance back of Cristobal Colon
Point, the northern terminus, 10 Bohio.
a distance Of fourteen miles. In this sec
ton we will utilize the bed of the Chagres
river at certain points, and the entire sec
tion be constructed by the dredging
process: This section is now open for its
entire length TO very light-draft vessels.
and the soil underlying il is soft mud and
still softer alluvial deposit, so that the
dredges can work steadily and without en-
countering any serious obstruction. One
problem alone presents itself on this por-
tion OF the work. and the French partially
solved that- We snail have TO make effect
I've the plan TO divert the current of the
Mindi and Gatun rivers The French con-
structed the diversion canal; Ii remains for
US 10 put IL to practical use by making IL
carry the water OF these rivers This done
and the doing of II will be simple mat
ter-there will be no difficulty encountered
might obstruct the channel. This latter
Will entail constant dredging, item
which Will come within the annual cost of
maintenance and TO which engineers are
now paying no attention.
THE GREAT BOHIO DAM
The plan for the Bohio dam will, beside
greatly simplifying the whole canal project
minimize the amount of work that will an
nually be required to keep the sea-Ievel
section from being filled up by the action Of
the water washing constantly against SOFT
yielding mud banks, for this dam will re-
strict the current in the Chagres river until
IL will be more formidable than is the
tide at Colon, which rises only eighteen
inches The dam Bohio will be one of
the largest ever constructed. IL will extend
In an easterly and westerly direction for a
distance OF 1.2S6 feet. and il will be 800 feet
wide on the bottom, narrowing to about
twenty-five feet on the top. which will be
about seventy-fve feet above the level of
the Chagres river. The only problem now
bothering engineers who have given care
ful attention to the canal plans is in rela-
The French. in prospecting the country
about BOhiO 10 secure a suitable location
for the dam did their wo~k in n Stiffness
manner. Their borings WEE wholly made
Quate. and Americans have not gone suffi-
ciently into the matter TO have bettered
to any appreciable extent what the French
did. AS investigation on this particular
detail now stands. il will be necessary to
sink caissons TO depth OF 12S feet In order
10 secure a suitable founda ton for the
dam. This depth Is greater than has yet
been reached by the pneumatic process
the only available one-of constructing
foundations. the nearest approach to IL
having been a depth of l15 feet. TO which
the caissons for the new williamsburg
bridge across the East river at New York
Were sunk Caisson work is deadly in its
character, and, while the engineers are con-
Adent that the caissOns at Bohio can be
sunk rs feet II necessary, they are equally
confident that secure foundation can be
found at a shorter distance down To find
that foundation either north south OF
the present proposed location for the dam
Will be one OF the first things TO which the
Americans will address themselves upon
the CONSTRUCTION OF the ca
nal
PURPOSES OF THE DAM
Should 1t be discovered that the caissons
will not have 10 be sunk lbs feet and an
extensive system OF boring will decide the
question. the cost as well as the time re-
Quired 10 complete the dam. will be greatly
minimized- The dam must be built. how.
ever. no matter 10 what depth the caisson.
have 10 go, for in building IL there will be
solved the problem OF the Chagres river
which Is the key 70 the whole Panama ca
nal problem. The dam, when completed
will call into existence Lake BOhio. an ar
tiic.al body OF water whose bottom VIII
be abOu; nifty feet above sea level ant
whose area will be approximately 14.Os
acres. The Chagres river will enter thi.
body OF water from the east. bringing 10 Il
the surface flow from nearly 500 square mile,
OF high ground that the river drains. Durinl
The rainy season the Chagres rises with al
most incredible rapidity and 10 an enor
nous height To control these sudden risei
there VIII be the OF Lake BOhio. I
monster easeway in the Bohio dam eth,
CONTINUED on PAGE g. COL. al