The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-07
NRWPLANS FOR PANAMACANAL
,r rAyNOT DE CONSTRUCTED on
TIE OLD PLANS.
since They We're Prepared, Says Chief
Engineer Wallace, ships Have In.
creased in Size. Necessitating Much
neeper and Wider Isthnian waterway.

WIsuSGToH, Oct. Cit Ia mistaken
idea to suppose that plans for a sea level
ANAL have been adopted by the lsthmian
Canal Commits SION" said Chief Engineer
wallace who will have charge of the work
n constructing that great waterway.
AS n matter of fact" he continued, 1T
wil probably be year, and perhaps more,
before il can be determined just what kind
~ n canal can best be built That did not
moan. however, that no work on the great
enterprise will be done in the meantime.
IN he contrary, work will be pushed as
ranidlv as possible on those portions, no.
tahlv the great Cuebra cut, which can
he continued. no matter whether the canal
ui,l he at sea level or have one, two or
more sets of locks.
First of all the canal cannot be con-
strlicted on the plans prepared by the
French company, because si2ce that work
was begun twenty years ago the size OF
ships had increased nearly 100 per cent,
and it will be necessary to make the canal
not only deeper, but broader than the
French engineers intended. That means
entirely new surveys borings and plans
for the entire stretch. and with all the ex-
peditlon that could be employed in that work
a
plete 1t.
Not only has definite and accuI ate STR
yeys for every foot of the ground to be made,
but the character Of the earth or rock for
fortv feet below the water level of the canal
must be determined, SO that it can be told
with certainty whether masonry work
will be required to support the sides OF the
great ditch Besides, before contractors
Could be asked to bid for the work Of ex-
cavation they must be assured OF the char
scter of every foot of the ground they are
TO handle. whether hard or soft rock, earth
or quicksand This necessitates thousands
and thousands of borings, some of them to
great depth and will require considerable
lit is also a mistake" Mr.. Wallace said,
.to say that the present Canal Commission
is committed to the two or three locks plan
for the canal. 1t is not committed to any
plan. The old commission, which made
Investigations and surveys of all the trans
Isthmian routes. had, for the sake Of COM
parison with the Nicaragua route, sur
veyed the Panama route on the plan for
locks. with a ninety foot summit level
This was approximately the same as on the
Nicaragua route, and the great dam at
Boho. which was to confine the waters OF
the Chagres River forming lake forty
miles square and supplying the necessary
water for the summit level, was much like
L-se Nicaragua.
ne Ol0 however, udut ITO
SURVEYS for the actual work Of construc-
ton: they were merely preliminary, with
a view to determining the best of the routes
across the strip. The present commission,
therefore, must make it's own plans for the
work of constructing. beginning at the bot
tom While the French engineers made
almost complete plans and working draw
ings for the canal, they cannot be used
for the American canal for the reason stated,
that they were made for a smaller canal
Still, they will be of great assistance in
preparing the new plans. and it will not be
necessary to do all the work over again.
"The commission has surveying parties
now at work all along the line Of the canal.
and it was probably the report of one Of
those parties, on finding a gap in the noun
tains which could possibly be utilized to
carry off the waters of the Chagres River
that had given rise to the report that a sea
level plan had or would be adopted. If it
we're practicable to so divert the waters
of the Chagres or otherwise-for instance.
by tunneiling through the mountain ridge
II might do away with some OF the engineer
ing difficulties at the Bohio dam, but 1t does
not mean that sea level plan will neces-
CARLY be adopted. Even after the COM
mission has collected all the information
upon which to determine the nature Of the
plan to be followed there is the question
Of increased cost for the lockless canal,
matter of possibly $50, 900 600
Owing to the ma gntude Of the work OF
collecting the necessary data, he thought
at least a year would be required before
the question would be settled, and 1t might
take year and half, even II the work
were pushed to the utmost limit before
contractors could be asked to bid for the
the canal.
Mr. Wallace will return to Panama about
Nov l., and will make that his permanent
headquarters hereafter.