The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-19
SEVERAL PLANS
FOR THE CANAL
THE CHIEF ENGINEER HAS
MADE REPORT TO THE HOUSE
COMMITTEE.

ed as Practicable and Discusses
the Advantages of Each-CuIebra
Cut Offers the Great Problem OF
mates of Cost.
Washington, Dec. 1S.-John f. Wal
lace, chief engineer of the Isthmian Ca
nal Commission, has given the House
Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce, the benefit of his investi-
cation, so far as made, regarding the
engineering tasks to be performed in
the construction of the Panama canal.
The testimony was taken aboard the
army transport Sumner in Colon har-
Dor on the occasion of the recent visit
of the committee to the canal zone. 1t
is to be printed for the use of Con-
gress.
Before taking up in detail the four
distinct canal propositions which are
being considered by him, and on which
he is to report to the Canal Commits
sion, Mr.. Wallace made this explana-
ton of the general problem:
'"rhe isthmus is transversed by a
mountain range, the summit of which
Is approximately twelve miles from the
Pacific and thirty-five miles from the
Caribbean, Originally gorge evil
IDENTIFY existed from the Caribbean near
Colon TO the vicinity of Gamboa and
extended beyond that point in an east
erly direction, forming the upper basin
Of the Chagres river.
after filling this gorge with an al
luvial deposit, the Chagres has swung
itself from one side of the valley to
the other. The result is that the
thread of the original gorge cannot be
followed or found from surface indi-
cations, and it is only by drilling to
bed rock that exact information in re-
gard to any particular locality can be
obtained. The presence of boulders in
this alluvial deposit also explains the
reason why engineers, not taking time
to go into the rock far enough to de-
termine its actual character have
been misled into thinking they had
struck bed rock. To determine the
most feasible plan for the construction
of the canal will require a most care
full and comprehensive examination not
only of surface conditions, but the sub
surface must be explored. -
CuIebra the Lowest Crossing.
AFTER following the valley of the
Chagres to Gamboa, the line of the
canal follows a tributary, called the
Obispo, UP to the summit of Culebra
and thence follows down the valley
of the Rio Grande into the bay of
Panama. The summit of Culebra was
originally about 300 feet above the sea
level and Is the lowest point in the
divide along the entire length of the
Isthmus of Panama.
"The plan of the former commission
provided for a dam of practically 100
feet in hight, above sea level, at Bo-
hio. with a water level of ninety feet
above sea level.
This place was selected on account
of the fact that at that point the hills
on either side of the Chagres come
about 1,5O0 feet apart, and from the
surface indications it seemed a favor
able place for the construction of a
DAM But the indications are that this
locality will be an unfavorable and ex-
pensive one for the construction of a
high dam.
"The Instructions to the chief engi-
neer by the present commission were
to make full and thorough examina-
lions OIL lT1G CdIldl IOulCg llC llidliAACA
of doing the work and the various
plans which might suggest themselves,
and lay before the commission the re-
suit of this examination with his final
recommendation.
Great Dam at BohiO.
"The first plan to be considered, the
one estimated upon by the former
commission, is the possibility and
practicability of high dam, or proper
foundation for a high dam, at Bohio,
upon which depends the advisability
of constructing a high level canal,
with the surface of the water ninety
feet above sea level.
"The second plan under consdera-
tion is a summit level of sixty feet
above sea level. Constructing a canal
of this plan admits OF two different
methods of treatment; first, the con-
struction of a dam sixty feet above
sea level at Bohio, with two locks of
thirty feet, there being two locks on
the western slope: second, the con-
struction of dam sixty feet above
sea level at Gatun, eight miles from
Colon, with two thirty-foot locks in
the same vicinity.
Would Need a Reservoir.
''The adoption of sixty-foot level
also will render 1t necessary to con-
struct a dam at Gamboa in order to
provide a reservoir to accumulate
water enough during the wet season
to furnish water for the summit level
of the canal. The construction of a
dam at Gamboa in this connection
would also control the Chagres river.
except that it would be necessary to
provide a safety spillway by the con-
struction of a tunnel some eight miles
I'm length through the divide. discharg-
ing the surplus waters OF the Chagres
into the headwaters OF the Juan Diaz
or the alternative plan of constructing
a tunnel four miles long through the
divide separating the Chagres basin
from the headwaters OF the Gatun-
cillo, a stream which enters into the
Chagres valley at Gatun. Should this
latter course be adopted. II would be
necessary TO construct an auxiliary
channel for the Chagres from Gatun
20 the sea, In order to divert its flood
waters into the bay eastward Of Colon.
Twenty-FOot and Sea Level Plans.
"The third general plan under con-
sideration would be the construction
OF a canal with a twenty-foot. or thir-
ty-fOOt level above the sea, with "A
single lock az MirahOres, and n single
lock az BOhio or IN the immediate Vi
cinlty, the construction Of the Gam
boa dam 20 be required IN this In
stance the same as IN the aixty-foot
level plan.
"The fourth plan would be the con-
atrucflon of a sea level canal with a
tidal lock az Miraf0ree. IN this con-
rfcfl0n n u necessary 20 explain that
rgtfla tina mean sea level Df the pa.