The San Francisco call., 1904-03-16
OVATION TO GRUNSKY.

In rising to answer Commissioner
Mansons toast, Mr.. Grunsky found
himself the object of repeated volleys
of cheers. When at last he was able to
speak, he briefly and modestly reviewed
his work for the city and outlined his
ambitions for the San Francisco of the
future. Especial emphasis was given
to his argument for a municipal water
supply, the retiring City Engineer de-
claring his belief that this was a neces-
sity for the growing city and easily
within the possibilities OF Congression-
al action and engineering skill. Turn
ing then to the subject of the Panama
canal. he spoke as follows:
The great question this evening is the pro
posed isthmian canal l am not yet IN po7I pos
tion to talk on this subject with fun under,
standing of the various problems which VIII
confront the Canal Commission. The idea OF
uniting the Atlantic with the Pacific ocean al
Panama has been in the minds OF men ever
since the first white man crossed the isthinus'
Examinations and surveys were made IN the
years ago, and the obstacles to be overcome In
carrying out this great work have been grad
ually removed one by one, until al last the
people of this great nation are IN control ana
with the means at hand to carry the work 10
The difficulties in the way of canal con-
struction have. until recent years been less OF
character involving engineering skin than
such as involves statesmanship of high or
der After all of the failures that have been
made in the past a project has been reported 10
the United States by the Walker commission.
whose report is the basis for the acquisition
of the properties of the French company. and
this commissions plans of canal best repre-
the work 1t will probably be carried
out
Although the advantage of a sea level con
nection between the oceans was recognized,
the disadvantages. among others of increased
time of construction and increased cost of such
a project led the commission to plan the canal
with a summit level about ninety feet above
the ocean The canal is to be made thirty i've
feet deep. 1t is to have a bed width OF LOO
feet 1t will be forty nine miles long. from
the six -fathom line the Atlantic side to
the six fathom line the bay at Panama.
The maximum depth of cutting where the
canal crosses the continental divide will be
266 feet In the construction of the canal the
amount of dredging and earth work will be
about AZ 0o0. COO cubic yards. and y. 100000
cubic yards Of hard and soft rock will have to
be moved of which amount about Aoo9. 600
cubic yards lie under water Nearl- 100, 600
cubic Yards Of concrete will be required and
upward Of G5. 600. coo pounds of iron and steel
will it is estimated be needed for the various
structures on the line of the canal.
From Colon the Atlantic side. the canal
will extend inland on low ground. closely fol-
lowing the Chagres River for a distance of
seventeen miles. The canal is there to be
closed by a dam and its water surface raised.
and the lake formed by the dam will be used
as a canal section for a distance of about
in the great Culebra cut. The remainder of
the canal. about ten miles in length, will be
on ow ground. adjacent to the Bay of Pan
anna.
II is estimated that the value Of the work
already done on the canal approxmates $40,
000 000 This estimate has been made the
basis of the proposed payment to the French
company. The estimated cost Of completing
the canal on the lines indicated by the Canal
Commission is $144 600 600 1t is thought that
eight TO ten years should be required for the
completion of the work. That this is a work
of stupendous magnitude becomes apparent
when IL is compared with such other great
works as the Suez Canal, opened in 1860.
which with its length of seventy two miles,
cost about $50 00O 900; and with the Man
chester Canal thirty five and a half miles
long. which cost about $40, 600. 000 The last
Canal Commission assumes that the annual
cost of maintaining and operating the canal
will approximate 50. 900, 600. 1t is thought that
upon the opening of the canal to traffic tom
mage of about 100000 per year will pass
through it and that this amount will be dou-
bed within ten years.