The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-26

HOW VIII the Faudula Cdndi pc oufii Will 1t be sea-levels or a lock canal?
 These are the questions now before the
 International Panama Commission.
 Their opinion will be made known now
 very shortly, and 1t is believed that this
 opinion will finally settle the whole
 controversy.
 Among the plans for constructing the
 canal which the Commission is now con-
 sidering, one of the most important and
 elaborate is that of Lindon, W. Bates. an American engineer. A striking fea-
 ture of this plan, which, some believe,
 will form the basis of the report to be
 made by the Commission. is that under
 1t the greater part of the noisome cn-
 mafic conditions of Panama will De
 eliminated. and the canal may be buiit
 for less money and in shorter time
 than under any other scheme yet out
 lined. This is the only plan, too, which will provide for a complete passage
 through the canal from sea to sea in
 daylight.
 Two schemes have been submitted to
 the Commission, the second was offered
 by MT. Bunau Vartlla, the Frenchman
 who has had so much to do with Pan-
 anna affairs in recent years. Mir. Var
 illa,s scheme provides for high-level
 canal with a large number of locks.
 This would reduce the amount Of exca- vation in the famous Culebra Cut, put
 would largely increase the amount or excavation necessary in the swampy re-
 would also very greatly increase the
 time necessary for passage
 Collections to Sea-Levei Canal
 It is said. but without warrant, that
 the International Commission has been
 disposed to favor a sea-level canal, as
 the Engineering Committee of the last
 Panama Commission did. It Is pointed
 hof
 canal were built, a large amount of
 dredging would be necessary around Colon and in the swamps for good many miles toward the interior. and even when it was built ships would not be able to proceed at a speed Of more than five or six miles an hour, whereas, under the plan which he proposes, ships could go at a rate of nine and half miles per hour over the greater part or the distance.
 MT. Bates has set forth his plan in a very elaborate volume, a few copies Of which have been distributed. 1t is un- derstood that he was requested to pre- pare the plan in this elaborate fashion by persons largely concerned with the responsibility of building the canal. and for this reason unusual interest," at taches to the conclusions which his careful study of the situation has led him to draw. Mir. Bates has had very
 wide experience in large engineering construction. He was retained by the Belgian Government to develop plans for improving the Port of Antwerp. In collaboration with leading engineers from various governments he outlined
 a scheme for improving the Port Of Shanghai. He has had charge of other large undertakings for the Russian Government, the Government of Queens land and the Commissioners of the Port
 of Calcutta.
 MT. Batesss plan which stands out con- spicuously is his scheme for getting rid of climatic dif1culties. It is well known that the principle source of trouble in this respect is the fostering swamps in l the lowlands near the coast By the very simple method of building series | of dykes and barrages at each of the terminal ports and suhmerging all the | lowland region, MT. Rytes obtains a se- ries of deep lakes which will drown out | the obnoxious .owlands. He believes | that 1t is absolut ely impossible to make Panama permanently safe by any ordf- nary methods of sanitation, any cam paign which may be waged against mosquitoes, or by any process or disln. l lection. He says that the two vital difficulties of Panama are:
 Panama's Difficulties.
 First-The mosquito-ridd and mi ssmatic swamps of the country, which breed fever too rapidly and extensively | for science to cope with it by disinfec- | tion, or by any other measrue short of | the annihilation of the source.
 Second--The malarially infected state | of human and insect bodies, the unsani- | tary conditions of the dwellings and | towns, and the lack of proper water | supply and sewage.
 of these two diseSse-breeding | causes" says MT. Bates, the sanitary measures now being employed can af- | feet the second only. One might fight mosquitoes, disinfect and isolate in- | fectious cases, erect new houses and | hospitals, create water supply systems. | install sewers, pave streets. but all | this and more will be required. The | best practice of medical service and of l ordinary engineering can touch but a | tithe of the evils. The isthmus can not | reach the possible maximum of sanitary | safety until the lowlands and all they | hold are drowned utterly"
 Mir. Bates plan, therefore. provides | that a vessel entering the canal near | Colon will go through a lock immedi- | ateiy, thence entering upon the waters | of what he would call Lake Chagres,'
 clean and free from germs! Every ship | passing through the canal always has | te spend some time at the terminals
 coaling. taking out papers, etc, and in | this interval of natural stay in port l fhrntIOb fha