The Washington times., 1905-07-06
Railroads War Against
Construction of Canal
Judge Yeomans Declares Corporations Are
Putting Up Hard Fight-New Dam
Plan Advanced

For the purpose of getting certain
specific information which may deter
mine whether g. lock or sea level canal
is more practical, two engineering mem
bers OF the Panama Canal Commission,
General Hains and Colonel Harrod, are
now on their way to the isthmus.
There has recently been submitted to
these engineering members OF the COM
mission unique and most interesting
plan, devised by well-knovn engineer
OF wide experience in canal matters,
for building the Bohio dam, which Is
an essential to the construction of n
lock canal. This plan is said to- be
the only one ever devised which ap-
pealed TO the best engineers as safe and
reliable for furnishing a solid and safe
foundation for the immense dam that
must restrain the waters of the Chagres
river.
There are many engineers who. know
ing something OF the actual physical
conditions which must tie met at Pam
anna. have declared that lock canal
is an iInposstbility. because it involves
the Boh,o dam. and that this dam cam
not be made strong enough to be safe.
for the reason that no foundation can
be secured for il on bedrock.
CulebEs Cut.
And. on the other hand. there are
other engineers Who insist that q sea
level canal is equally impossible be-
cause the Culebra cut about $50 feet
deep must be made through loose.
aliuvial soil. so stratifed and deposited
at such angles that the weights OF the
great masses on either side of the i'm
nense cut would surely make them slip
down together ann close up the ditch
Between these t.so plans, eacn with
It's particular difficulties. the decision
must yet be made by the ~Hmmission-
All the work that has been done thus
far under American control has been
such as would be useful in case either
plan were adopted. But the time Is at
hand when decision must be made be-
tween the alternatives, and to this de-
cision is necessary certain investigation
that. II is understood viii be made by
the commissioners now en- route 10 the
zone.
The problem Of the Bohio dam and
the Chagres river is the problem UF Sc
curely confining the food waters Of one
of the most torrential streams IN the
tropics of the world. 1t IS said that at
times the Chagres varies as mucn as
f--enty feet in a day. To stop and hold
! .Gis terrific weight Of water 1t is neces-
Sarv to construct q dam heavier and
stronger than has ever been under
taken.
Bed-Eock Needed.
Even at this engineers would not
quail but for the difficulty OF getting
down TO a foundation. Reports conflict
as TO whether any real bedrock founda-
ton has ever been found at the spot
where the dam must be built. 1t is more
commonly understood. however. that al
a depth OF about 300 feet IS a safe
foundation. This depth Is under the bed
Of the roaring. Quick-tempered Chagres.
and the problem is how to put in the
dam while the water is tearing through
the channel liable TO tear out all works
at an hours Eotice.
The proposal which has been laid be-
fore the commission ob~iates the neces-
sity of doing any caisson work. which
is impossible because the high pressure
of air that would have to be maintained
would make II impossible to sustain hu-
man life inside the great underground
box.
II is proposed, therefore. to drop the
catsson plan of construction and do the
work by the processes of ordinary min
ing engineering This plan involves sinh
ing "A simple shaft about twelve feet In
diameter. on each side or the stream;
carrying them down to the bedrock, and
then running a tunnel from one to tho
other on the surface Of the bedrock
ST straturn and under the stream.
The tunnel being constructed, IL would