The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-02
COLD FEET ON
 THE ISTHMUS
Something as to the Cost of Living Down There--A Chance for Landlord to Get
 American Gold.

vertiser of March 12 in which appears an article written by Richard Weight man, Washington correspondent of The Chicago Tribune. It is always amusing to read what people in the States say in print about Panama and the Panama Canal, particularly those who have never seen the trench in question. MT. Weightman says that a sea level canal is impossible, putting his Judgment against that of Chief Engi- neer Wallace, and the old French en- gineers down to the famous DeLesseps himself. and one reason he ascribes in support of his statement is this: : Even If the canal itself were able to survive this tremendous torrent (meaning the tides) to and fro, the vessel could not undertake the transit" Mir. Weightman has been reading somewhere evidently that the tide Is high on the Pacific side, which is the truth, but that is as far as his knowl
 edge goes. On the French coast the tides ebb and flow very rapidly, so rapidly sometimes that persons are caught unawares. This same situation does not apply in the least to the tide off Panama, either on the Atlantic or Pacific sides. The Pacific tide never rises to exceed eighteen feet, and at this height only at this season of the year. During the later months of the year the rise Is not more than from IA to 16 feet. Now again. Mir. Weight man says this is a menace, and would mean destruction to the canal and damage to the ships entering it on the tide. The Tribune correspondent must have had Johnstown flood in his mind when he wrote that direful prediction The tide here isssix hours in and six out, that Is to say it takes six hours for 1t to reach its maximum ebb, and the same length of time to reach It's highest flow. have stood many an hour on the beach watching the tide come in. Ripple follows ripple in even succession. every other one being high CT than the seconel preceding but not fast enough to cause one to step back ward oftener than once every three or four minutes. There is no torrent, and a short distance away the rising of the tide Is not peroeptible No vessel. Mir Weightman says. could undertake the transit when the tide is coming in How is it then that the ocean liners dare come up to the La Boca wharf ly- ing right by the mouth of the canal tide or no tide; how Is 1t that steam launches and row boats ascend the ca nal from its mouth for some distance whether there is tide or not. No one takes the slightest precaution on ac- count of the tide, nor would they in the case of a sea-level canal MT. Weightman could not have taken a weaker position in his support of & lock canalv and Is one that all familiar with the Panama tides would have a hearty laugh over at his expense. It is new idea, however and that must be its sole recommendation. It Is ever apparent that q sea-level canal is the only kind of a waterway that will be worth the millions which hava haan spent. and Is now being spent upon 1t. It Is too costly an undertaking to be on the cheap plan, and if it should cost $5o.O00, ,000 more to build it that way, and 1t has been clearly demonstrated that it won't, the expen- allure will be we'll made
 W. c. Haskias