Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-20
DETAILED PLANS
FOR THE CANAL
FINAL REPORT is EXPECTED
ABOUT FIRST OF YEAR
VIII Have Width at Bottom Of $50
Feet, Except In culebra Cut,
Where II VIII Be
200 Feet
BY Associated Press.


WASHINGTON Nov 19.--The board
of consulting engineers Of the Isthmion
canal commission has decided to sub
stitute Brussels for Paris as the meet
ing place of the foreign engineers. The
reason for this change Is that Brussels
Is more conveniently situated for sew
eral of the members. The American
engineer who will go to Brussels with
the documents to be signed has not
yet been chosen. During this week a
committee of three members of the
board, with Gen. Davis as their chair
man, will make a rough draft of the
final report, which will then have to
be worked out in detail and is expected
to be ready about the end of Decem-
ber.
The sea level canal, which has been
voted upon by the members, will have
a width at the bottom of $50 feet ex-
cept in the Culebra cut, where the
width in the cut Is necessary to allow
two ships to pass each other safely
between the high banks of the canal
which will be formed by the very deep
excavation.
The plan adopted by the board would
make Limon bay one of the greatest
harbors in the world. Almost through
the middle of the bay a breakwater
will be built and a shorter breakwater
will be built from San Cristobal, which
is American territory, thereby leaving
Colon, which belongs to the Republic
of Panama, outside of the American
canal works. Under the plan as
adopted by the board. San Cristobal is
expected to become the chief city on
the Atlantic side of the canal and the
promontory on which stands the statue
of Columbus will be covered with off,
cial buildings, docks, coaling stations
and all the works necessary for an
important harbor. The canal con-
structed by the French began at San
Cristobal. 1t is now proposed by the
board to build a short direct canal from
Mindi to Limon bay, thereby making
the distance shorter a few hundred
yards and also facilitating navigation
and making 1t possible for ships to
sail into the canal without having to
make any difficult turns.
San CristobaI Breakwaters
The breakwaters necessary for the
formation of this harbor of San Girls
tobal will be an item of great expense.
They were the subject of lengthy dis
cussions in the meetings of the board.
They would have been necessary, in
case a lock canal had been chosen.
On the Pacific side at Panama the
plans as adopted yesterday are also
different from those of the French
canal company. The French canal ends
at La Boca, and it was found as one
of the difficulties that the Rio Grande
with its many branches crosses the
canal, and in the rainy season inun-
dates it and does great damage to the
work already constructed by the
French. Therefore it was decided that
the canal should be built nearer to the
pffx rnf NJ eI, ,.ttt, i
tween two hills, one called Sosa and
the other the well-known Ancon. An
con is the higher of the two. On it the
American hospitals are built and it is
one of the most healthful places on the
isthmus. AT this place the one lock,
necesSitated through the difference in
the tides of the Atlantic and the Pa
cific, will be built. This lock, however,
will not retard the progress of ships
through the canal. In the first place,
ships coming from the Pacific will have
to stop some time anyway to be visited
by health officers and by civilian au-
thorities and furthermore, during a
large part of the day this lock will be
entirely open, as the levels of both
oceans will be equally high. At the
Panama side no plans have yet been
made for breakwaters.
The plans for constructing lock
canal at thirty feet altitude were
never discussed, and from the begin
ming the board was divided into groups
of eight and five members, one in favor
of sea level plan and the other in favor
of a lock canal. A compromise plan
was never brought up at any time.
Engineers Not Instructed
1t can be authoritatively reiterated
that none of the foreign delegates to
the board came here with specific in
structions from their governments. The
members of the board came here at
the bidding of the United States and
their governments gave them a long
leave of absence so that they might
give their services to this country,
sending them without any instructions
whatever. They will leave Washing
ton by next Sunday and stay few
days in New York before leaving for
Europe.
On Tuesday night next, Gen. Davis,
chairman of the board of consulting
engineers, will entertain the foreign
delegates at farewell dinner at his
home.