The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-27
YEARS OF TIME.
AND MUCH MONEY
Engineering Plans For the Canal
Across the Isthmus.
TOTAL COST s23o,5oo.ooo
CALCULATIONS BASED ON SEA-
LEVEL WATERWAY.

Washington Feb. 26-The first definite
engineering plans for the construction of
the Panama canal have just been laid
before the Isthmiaa canal commission by
the engineering committee Of that body,
consisting of Commissioners Burr, Par
sons and Davis
Fhe principal recommendations are
summed UP in this resolution:
Resolved, That this committee approve
anu recommend for adoption by the COM
mission "A plan for "A sea level canal, with
bottom width of 80 feet and a mini
mum depth Of water of thirty-fEre feet
and with twin tidal locks at Mira flores
whose disable dimensions shall be loo
feet long and 100 feet wide at "A total estf-
mated cost of 500 500 600 such estiDnat es
include an allowance for administration
engineering, sanitation and contingencies
amounting TO S5S. $4,000. but without al
3owance for interest during construction.
expense Of zone government and col
paying Of Panama or Colon. which last
Items are 70 be repaid by the inhabitants
OF those cities
Will Take Ten or Twelve Years.
% The committee estimates that sea level
canal can be completed within ten or
twelve years from the present time.
These recommendations are the con-
clusion of a report TO the committee pre-
pared IN the canal zone under date of
Feb. IA last and based on complete en-
Sincering reports on all of the problems
involved
The committee decided that under no
canal be more than sixty feet above the
sea and estimates that at ibis level the
cost would be SI7SO13. 4c6- a thirty foot
level is estimated to cost $194, 213. 900.
Dam. at Gamboa.
IT is recommended that the Chagres
river be controlled by dam at Gamboa,
built To a crest height of 200 feet and the
waters of the lake thus created, disposed
or through tunnels The work on the dam
viii require from one TO two and hair
Years and the committee reports 1t
should begin at once. The dam at this
place. il is said, involves no formidable
obstacle. which is not the case at the
BOhio location.
Actual work with the new American
steam shovels in the Culebra cut has
demonstrated that the entire excavation
can be done at a cost of so cents a cubic
estimated this cost at so cents This re
duction amounts to a total of SIS. 600
and is given as justification of the re-
commentator of the sea level canal.
Work at Colon.
Immediate work is recommended at
1I9lon IN constructing a safe harbOr. To
IhlS end an outer breakwater Is suggested
as well as the construction of an inner
harbor at the entrance of the canal. 1t
Is recommended that bids be invited for
this work. other minor features of
canal construction recommended include
completing the GatunciIIo diversion chan
hel begun by the old canal company to
avert from the canal the waters OF the
Gatuncillo and Mindi rivers and other
t.iiciiiSA streams IN connection with this
1hree small dams must be built two
across the -Chagres near the Miudi and
one across the Boca Nindi. All of this
work is Independent of the decision as TO
the level for the canal and its Immediate
execution is recommended
other subsidiary features depend on the
level determined on and are not discussed.
Sea-Levei Canal.
The committee makes this observation
in summing up:
The pracficabiIity of certainly and
satisfactorily controlling the flood of
thagres by so simple and economical a
method as the Gamboa lake and its out
low channels and the reduced cost OF
excavation actually demonstrated BIZ
the work of the Culebra cut makes the
work of the sea level canal at a reason
eole cost far more available than has
heretofore appeared possible. These re-
cent developments i'm the conditions at
tending the construction OF the canal are
50 important as to be almost controlling
N character The remaining element Is
that Of time required to make the great
summit excavation.
Working at a DISADVANTAGE
1t is to be carefully observed that the
results thus far obtained in he CuIebra
ss11f hsHT hoo