The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-11-23
fOkSEAIEVH ROUTE
Decision Reached BY Canal
Commission
BORAD OF ENGINEERS AGREE
After Nearly Three Months Hard
Work, Advisory Body, Composed
of Engineers From All Parts of the
World, Goes on Record Against
Locks BY Vote Of 8 to 8.

Washington, Speclal.-bE vote VI
8 to 5, the board of consulting engl-
neers ot~he Isthmian Canal commits
sion placed itself on record as favor
ing the construction of the Panama
Canal on the sea level. This decision
represents the outcome OF nearly
three monhs hard work. Early IN
September the engineers gathered
from all parts of the world to assist
the American engineers IN the dlrec-
ton of the momentous question OF
constructing the Panama Canal. at sea
level or at greater altitude. involv-
ing a system of locks.
The foreigners came to Washington
absolutely without instructions from
their own governments and without
bias, determined to be guided to their
direction solely by the facts to be
presented to them. 1t was not until
, last Tuesday that anything in the ma
ture of, a decisive vote was taken; and
that, after all, was an indirect test.
Just what that proposition was cam
not be stated with absolute certainty,
but it is conjectured that the issue was
whether or not a lock canal of GER
tain type should be constructed. At
any rate, the vote disclosed the fact
that majority of the eight Ameri-
'can members, under the lead of Gener-
al Abbott, was strongly in favor of a
lock canal.
The foreigners were against the
particular type mentioned in the pro-
position, but it was not clear that at
that moment they were opposed to the
whole proposition of a lock canal.
The real test come, and the time be-
tween Tuesday and the meeting Sat-
urday was consumed In some very
strong presentations on the part OF
tha~easforfry>of the American dele
1gstes to influence their foreign col
leagues to accept one of the other
. lock propositions. The Americans,
there is reason to believe that three of
their number, probably General Davis
and Mr.. Pearson and Mr.. Burr, joined
! the foreign delegates in this first vote,
which recorded the board as favoring
the 'sea-level canal.
The decision was reached about
noon and thereby the board practical
iy concluded its labors. There will be
few more meetings next week simply
to deal with small details and to put
into permanent form the results of the
boards protracted meetings. The for
eign delegates desire to leave for their
European homes by the 9th instant.
To accommodate them in this, the full
board has agreed that they may con-
elude some purely formal work at a
special meeting to be held in Paris in
gtDeeember or January. 1t is. expected
that the American members of the
board will go to Paris to. wind up this
business, all Of which must be done
before the final report of the board
can be regarded as complete and ready
for submission to the 1Sthmian Canal
commission. The commission in turn.
must record its own Judgment upon
the conclusions reached by the board
of engineers, and there is even now
a belief current that that Judgment
will be adverse to the boards plan.
However, there are two more importt-
ant steps at either of which there
may be great changes proposed. for
tine commission must pass the plans
and Its own recommendations to the
President, who in turn, must stamp
them with his own approval or disap-
, proval and forward them to Congress,
which, after all will be the court OF
last resort as between the sea-level
and lock canal project, simply through
the fact that additional legislation
will be necessary if a sea-level canal
is to be built; for the board finds that
such canal will cost from seventy
five to one hundred millions, dollars
more than the cheapest practical lock
canal and will consume from five to
seven years more in the construction.