The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-04-29
THE PANAMA CANAL.
omcial Facts and Figures Concerning the
Titanic Tasks Undertaken by the
q maricars GsnvernsnenE.

There seems TO be some likelihood
that there will be ship canal through |
the Isthmus Of Panama, but it cannot
be said that there is any satisfactory
certainty of it in any early period.
It is true that the work is being done
there, but this does not prove anything
as to the future, because more or less
work has been going on there for years
past.
John f. Wallace, chief engineer OF
the canal, is in Chicago visiting his
family, and has, OF course, been beset
for information. Mr.. Wallace, be-
sides being the chief engineer, in full
charge Of al construction, is also
member OF the canal board, and is sec
ond in authority, coming next 10 Presl-
dent Shonts. What Mr.. w allace says
is not only reliable, but 1t Is authori-
tatiye and must be accepted IS true
account OF the situation According to
q statement by him sent out by the As
ISOLATED Press, conditions in the canal
construction are as follows:
The number OF men employed IN the
work Is 5000. OF this number practi-
cally six thousand men are engaged IN
equipment and construction work, and
2O0O men are engaged in policing the
canal zone and Ia sanitary work and in
cleaning up the isthmus. This organi-
cation will be rapidly increased and
has been Increasing at the rate OF sou
to 1000 men month.
OF the total oil men employed about
l0 per cent are high.class men from
the United States and the rest are me-
chanics. artisans and laborers that
have been brought from the nearby
South American aud Central American
coasts and from the West Indian Is
lands. There is demand for men ex-
pert in the mechanical trades, for in
stance, steam shoyelmen, draughtsmen,
railway track foremen, enginemen,
carpenters skilled in heavy timber
work and In the construction OF dredges
and bridges.
The work OF building the canal is
going forward under definite plans and
with satisfactory progress. All work
is being done in accordance with the
plan recommended blythe first 1sthmian
Canal Commission. which was headed
by Admiral Walker, and upon which
the Spooner act was based, i. g., the
9O-foot level canal, to cost approxi-
mately s1e4 ,oOo, 600.
The commission is constructing d
canal in strict accordance with that
project, with such necessary minor
variations as will not conflict with the
general plan, and if congress does not
take any other action Or adopt any
other plans the commission will build
and finish the canal In accordance with
that plan and it will be completed in
side the time outlined and within the
amount specified by the Spooner act.
Here it is authoritatiyely stated that
the canal is not to be a sea-level
channel, but is to carry ships up to a
height Of so feet above the sea, by
means OF locks on one side of the di-
viding ridge, and lower them down on
the other by a like system Of locks.
The cardinal objection to the Nieara-
qua route for canal was hat the
ships would have to be raised up to the
level Of Lake Nicaragua, whose sur
face Is about 100 feet above sea-level,
but now il is proposed to raise the
ships to the height OF 80 feet and float
them on an artificial pond, which is to
be created by the building OF an enor-
nous dam to impound the waters OF
the Chagres river. This is the re-
quirement OF the act OF congress under
which the construction has been I'M
dertaken, and II any change Of plans
is made, 1t must be done by congress.
In addition to the 5000 men employed,
OF whom only 5000 are engaged In the
work Of construction, there are also
at work seven steam shovels. Ten
more are in course OF construction,
and tWentyfour more have been asked
for. This seems like formidable
equipment, but it is a mere triae, for,
says Mr.. Wallace, should it be de-
eided TO change the canal to a sea-
level channel, it has been estimated
that it would required 00steam shovels,
about 300 engines and train crews and
Is, 600 dump cars. The service would
necessitate four double-track railways
for the removal of the material, which
would have TO be hauled fifteen miles
on an average. Approximately $50
miles OF construction track would be
necessary, all at cost of $3.50, 900, 600
or more.
It may be taken for granted that
even for canal which will carry
ships over . ridge ninety feet high,
the force and equipment now in use
are wholly inadequate to do the dig
ging, while no account is taken of the
enormous amount Of rock masonry
required to build the locks and the
titanic dam IN question, not to men
ton the immense task Of preparing
solid foundations for all the stone
work required.
The only argument IN favor of such
q canal is its alleged lower cost and
the claim that it can be sooner con-