Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-08-12

"The first actual survey was made in
1851, only half century after the dis.
covery of America by Christopher Co.
lumbus, Diego de Marcado submitted
An elaborate report to Philip ii, but
that monarch silenced further discus
sion saying that the will of God was
made manifest by the fact that He
had created an isthmus instead of a
strait and that it would be impiety for
man to attempt to unite the waters o!
the two oceans which God had sepa.
rated.
"In all, at least twenty-five projects
of the kind have teen advanced. In
1879 two French engineers, Wyse and
Reclus, advanced the proposition OF
digging a sea level canal. A congress
of engineers, scientists and capitalists
met at Paris, and, after thoroughly
considering the question, adopted the
plans. 1t was estimated that 2,52O,-
600 900 cubic feet Of earth would have
to be removed, and that it could be
completed by 1888 at a cost of $780,
100000. The attempts at building
the canal by DeLesseps and the new
company which succeeded him are
matters oi history"
To control the treacherous Chagres
river, Alhjuela Lake, about eight miles
distant from the canal, will have to be
damned. The lake covers $500 acres
and, when it 10 considered that its
depth is 165 feet, the enormity of the
undertaking of penning it up, may
perhaps be conceived. The dam will
be of masonry and it will take five
years to complete it at a cost OF 49,.
100000. It will furnish motive power
for operating the locks and lighting
the canal from ocean to ocean at
night. The Chagres river, which flows
from Lake Alhajuela. has been known
to rise 70 feet in twenty.four hours.
A diversion ditch will be dug to take
the flow of water from this and other
streams to the Atlantic ocean. The
flowing OF the streams directly into
the canal would result in filling it up
quickly, as quantities OF earth are now
being washed into the canal by these
streams. As q result, much OF the ex-
cavating done by DeLesseps must be
done again and probably boat larger
than launch could not now proceed
from the Pacific ocean to Bohio lake
and dam, midway between the two
oceans.
II was estimated that the cost Of
completing IKE canal would be about
$l42, 100000, but Mr.. Millroy says that
this amount may be doubled. Engi-
neers can estimate approximately the
number Of feet Of earth to be removed,
the quantity of masonry for dams and
locks, but the cost of labor is problem
attic.
At Bohio will be located q double
fight Of locks, having q total lift vary
ing from 80 feet at the minimum
level of the lake, to 80 feet at the
maximum, As to each lock, the normal
lift being 85 feet. These locks are on
the locations adopted by the French
company. The estimated cost of this
double flight of locks. four lock cham
bers in all, is $40 1882, ,345.
TIE Pedro Miguel locks will be SIM
liar to the Bohio locks, tho average
lift varying from 81 to 62 feet. There
is an excellant rock foundation here.
The estimated cost OF these locks, in.
cluding an adjacent dam, is IS, ,496, 1926.
The Mirafores lock varies from 18
feet at high tide to 3S feet At mean
low tide. A spill way will be required
to regulate the height OF the level.
The estimated cost of lock and spill
way is S., ,720, 1868.
Lake Bohio will be an artificial lake,
covering 81 square miles. Its waters
will be from SIS to 65 feet deep. The
dam will be built of earth and ma
sonry at q cost Of $2,7S6,4l9.
Alhaiuela Lake will cover $500
acres and will be 165 feet deep. The
estimated cost of tho masonry dam is
$3.5OO.O0O