New-York tribune., 1905-11-28
A LOCK CANAL AT PANAMA
PRESIDENT SO DECIDES.
Recommendation to Congress WiU
Be against Sea LeUeI Project.
IFrom Ths Tribune Buresu.I

washington, Nov. 27.-The President mas
determined TO recommend to Congress that thea
present plans for the construction Of lock
canal at Panama be pursued without deviation,
despite the fact that the board of consulting
engineers by a vote of eight to five declared
a preference for the sea level plan. The Pres
ident's decision has been reached result
of the following facts: OF the board of con-
sulting engineers, five American professional
engineers voted for the lock plan as against
two American professional engineers who ex-
pressed their preference for the sea level pro-
ject; the Isthmian Canal Commission is a unit
In favor Of lock canal. and Chief Engineer
Stevens, who doubtless will ultimately be ap-
pointed a member of the executive board Of
the commission to succeed Wallace. also favors
the lock project
There are therefore, ten American engineers
who regard lock canal the most feasible
and practical They Stearns, who con-
structed the great water system of Boston;
Randolph chief engineer of the Illinois Drain
age Canal; Ripley who was chief engineer of
the $500" Canal Noble, who designed the great
improvements now being carried out by the
Pennsylvania Railroad, and Abbott, regarded by
many as the most capable engineer in the United
States army These men are all members OF
the Advisory Board of Consulting Engineers
Then there are Generals Hans and Ernst, army
engineers with life long experience in the canali-
zation Of rivers and great harbor improvement
works: Harrod, who so successfully made levees
to confine the Mississippi, and Admiral Endi-
cott who has built practically all the great dry
docks for the navy, naval docks being in every
essential particular ship canal locks All these
experts members of the Canal Commission
In addition to them is Stevens who probably
has the most thorough and practical knowledge
of actual conditions the isthmus of any of
the men consulted.
OF the men who voted for the sea level project
one, French engineer, admits that he did so
with reluctance, as his judgment was for lock
canal on a lower level than had hitherto been
prominently discussed. but he was prevented from
an accurate expression OF his views at the time
by the fact that the question was so put that ne
was compelled to vote either for canal on
ninety-foot level or for sea level canal, and as
between these two he favored the latter Far
sons and Burr, American engineers favor the
sea level canal, as does General Davis, who is
not, however, an engineer. There remain four
foreign engineers who favor sea level canal
without qualification but they explain that they
considered only the ideal canal, irrespective of
considerations of time and money; and one OF
the American engineers who voted for the sea
level admits that had it been a private instead
of a government enterprise he, too. would have
favored the lock project.
MAJORITY FOR THE LOCK PLAN.
In addition Secretary Taft will add the Vsssshts
of his opinion in favor of the lock project. and
when the President expresses his preference for
that plan the vote viii stand practically as
follows:
For a lock canal-The President Secretary
Taft the Isthmian Canal Commission, fVe
American engineers members of the advisory
board of consulting engineers
For a sea level canal-Four foreign engineers
two American engineers, General George w
Davis chairman Of the board of consulting en-
gineers.
For thirty foot level canal-The French
member Of the board of consulting engineers
Considerations in favor Of a lock canal are
greatly diminished cost, the possibility of pre-
paring an accurate estimate Of the cost, great
saving of time and the possibility of fixing with
reasonable accuracy the time necessary for the
completion of the project
Obstacles to q sea level canal are greatly IN
creased cost far greater consumption of time.
impossbiity of arriving at anything like an
accurate estimate of the ultimate cost, and i'm
possibility of estimating with even approximate
accuray the time necessary for construction.
Under these circumstances there seems to be
littIe doubt that Congress will approve the rec
onlmendation of the President that the dream
of a sea level canal, or the straits of Panama
will be disapproved and that work Will be pushed
on the basis of lock project
QUESTION OF LEVEL NOT DECIDED
Until the full report of the consulting engi-
neeTS and the report OF CnleE Engineer oISNeilS
have been received and passed by the COM
mission it will be Impossible to determine def
niteIr on the level which shall ultimately be de-
cided on for the lock canal. Some interesting
data on the subject have already been submitted
bv Mr. Stevens. For instance he shows that it
will be necessary for canal the ninety-foot
level to excavate 100000 cubic yards Of mate
rial: for sixty-foot level to eNcavate 1O3,ooo-
600 yards: for thirty-foot level. 135,OO00oo
yards and for sea level nearly double the last
figure, or pa 000000 yards. It is further known
that the sea level project would require the re-
moval of approximately 100000 cubic yards
of rock from below the water level, a mass be-
tween eight and nine miles long and nearly forty
feet deep 1t Is calculated that this would cost
TO excavate not less than S. cubic yard, or a
total of S9O0OO0O0 which would be saved, even
with a canal constructed thirty-foot level
1t is expected that by the time the President
is ready to communicate with Congress on the
subject of the canal he will be able TO state
definitely the level on which the best opinion
is agreed as most advisable. and that the
provaI of Congress Of the plans which the
Chief Executive will be able 10 announce
having been adopted will dispose Of all queS-
/ ton regarding tho plans for the canal
The great construction plant which the COM
mission has been steadily assem- bling on the
JsthInus ulI have been virtually completed by
! novaI OF the material fast as eXeaVated will
have been perfected, and proper housing OF
the Iaborers under comfortable and sanitary
conditions will nave been effected so that moth
ing will remain except TO make the dirt Hy-