The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-19
SEVERAL PLANS
FOR THE CANAL,
Continued from First Page.

Continued from First Page.
ten feet above mean sea level and
falls ten feet below: whereas, the fiuc-
tuation of the tide of the Caribbean
at Colon is less than two feet. The
construction of dam at Gamboa, with
the necessary spillways, as noted in
the previous plan, would be the same
under the sea level plan as under the
thirty or sixty-foot level.
Would Provide Water Supply.
The construction of the Gamboa
dam would provide the water supply
for the entire line of the canal, in
Guiding the cities of Panama and Co
lon. 1t would also provide a power
plant for the generation of electric
power sufficient to furnish ample pow
er for the operation of the Panama
Railroad and for the operation of any
machinery that might be used in the
construction of the canal. 1t would
require two years to construct this
dam and, roughly estimated, it's cost,
including spillways, would be between
$l5,0OOO00 and $16,00O,000, not including
the power plant"
What the Cost Would Be.
Asked by members of the committee
for an estimate of the cost of the
various plans. Mr.. Wallace said the
best estimate that could be made at
present would be based on the esti-
mate of the former commission of
$2OOOOO,OOO for ninety-foot level canal
Figuring with this as a basis, the
sixty-foot level canal would cost $225,-
OOO,OOO could be open for traffic in
ten years and fully completed in
twelve years; the thirty-foot level
would cost $250,000 900, open for traffic
in twelve years and fully completed in
fifteen years; the sea level canal would
cost S3OO,0O0,000, could be open for traf-
nc IN fifteen years and completed in
twenty years
Chairman Hepburn's question de-
veloped that the estimate of time to
build the canal was based on a ten
hour day and that with the construc-
ton OF the Gamboa dam and the opera
ton of the power plant, electric light
suff1cient to illumine the whole of Guile
bra cut might be had, thus making
practical the working of two or more
shifts, and shortening the time of con-
struction. Mr.. Wallace stated that the
excavation of this cut was the feature
of the construction of the canal that
took the time. He said:
All Depends Upon CuIebrn.
Upon the economical and efficient
handling of the material from Culebra
cut depends the cost and the time it
Will take to complete the canal. Every
other question and every other prob
lem connected with the entire work
ia subordinate and inferior to the
problem of the excavation and dis
posal of the material from the Culebra
cut; that is the principal problem of
this work. The control of the Chagres,
the construction of the various dams.
the construction of harbor improve
ments and all works, are relatively
less important"
Reverting again to the question of
the Bohio dam, upon which depends
the construction of the ninety foot
level canal, Chairman Hepburn ask
ed questions which brought out a
statement from Mr.. Wallace as to the
probability of finding proper founda-
ton for the dam. Mr.. Wallace said:
Bed Rock Wasn't Found.
1T is very uncertain. What will be
found when more borings are taken
is entirely theoretical. But the results
of the borings so far taken at the va
rious sites investigated have been dis
appointing. The average depth bored
without finding bed rock has been 1853
feet"
As to foundation for the proposed
Gamboa dam, which is required in all
of the alternate plans, Mr.. Wallace
said:
AT Gamboa the elevation of rock on
the site OF the proposed dam is at sea
level and numerous borings taken at
that point. entering the rock twenty
to twenty-five feet in depth, would in
dictate that at Gamboa there is no
question rs to the ability to find a
satisfactory foundation for a dam at
a maximum depth of sea level. The
probable method of construction, say
of the Gamboa dam, or even OF the
Boho dam. would be the construction
of core Of concrete and the filling in
with the waste dirt out OF Culebra
cut. The Gamboa dam can be con-
structed cheaper than the Bohio dam
on account of the fact that the foun-
dalton is much nearer the surface and