Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-12-03
Bates, an American Engineer
Thinks lie Has Solved the
Great Question.
WOULD BU'llO A GREAT DAM
BY That Method He Says the Cost of
the Big Ditch Would be Cut in TWO
and There Would be No Dancer
From Yellow Fever Epidemics-
plan Looks Fairly Good.

How will the Panama Canal he
built? Will it he a sca.lcvcl or lock
canal? These are the questions now
pelorc the International Panama Com
mission. Their opinion will be matte
KNOWN now very shortly. and il is be-
h"Fcd that this opinion will finally
settle tho whole controversy.
Among The plans Tor constructing
tho canal which the Commission is
now considering. ono Of the most i'm.
portant and elaborate is thar OF Lin
don W. Bates. an American engineer
Str!kin: feature of this plan which
some believe. will form the basis OF
INC report 10 be made by the Commits
sion. Is that under it The greater part
on The noiS0me climatic conditions Of
Pananla will liz eliminated. and the
Canal may be built Tor less money
; ana Ill shorter time than under any
other scheme yet outlined This is
the only plan too. which will provide
Tor complete passage through the
Canal from sea 10 sea in daylight
Two schemes have been submitted
To the Commission: The second was
offered ny MIR. Hunau varilla. the
Frencfman who had had so much To
10 with Panama affairs in recent
years. MIR. Narilla'S scheme provides
Tor higlI-lcvel canal with large
number OF locks. This would reduce
the amount of excavation in the IA
nous Culehra Cut but would largely
increase the amount of excavation no.
coSsary Ill the swampy regions around
Colon ami Panama Ii would also
very greatly increase tho time ncccs-
sai'y for passage.
Objections to Sea Level Canal.
II is said. but without warrant. that
the International Commission has been
disposed tn favor a Sca-lcvel canal. as
the Engineering Committee OF the last
Panama Commission did Ii is point.
cd out by Mr. Bates that il the sea.
level canal were bnilt, Il large amount
OF dredging would he necessary
around Colon and in the swamps for
4 good many miles toward the interior.
and even when ii was built ships
would not he able to proceed at n
speed OF more than five or six miles
an hour. whereas. under the plan
which he proposes. ships could so at
Il rate of IL miles an hour over the
greater part Of the distance
Mr.. Bates has set forth mis- plan in
very elaborate volume. few cOpics
of which have been distributed Ii is
understood that he was requested TO
prepare the plan in this elaborate
fashion by persons largely concerned
with the responsibility of building the
canal. and for this reason unusual in
tercSt attaches to the conclusions
which his careful study of the situa-
ton has led him to draw Mr. Bates
has had very wide experience in large
engineering construction. He was re-
tanned by the Belgian Government to
develop plans for improving the Port
OF Antwerp. In collaboration with
leading engineers from various gov
crnmcnts he outlined n scheme for
improving the Port of Shanghai. He
has had the charge OF other large nm
dcrtakings for the Russian Govern.
ment the Government OF Queensland
and the Commissioners OF the Port OF
Calcutta.
TO the lay mind, the first feature of
Mr. Bates plan which stands out con
spicniusly is his scheme for getting
rid of climatic difficulties. 1t is VOL
known that The principle source OF
trouble in this respect is the Tester
ing swamps in the low lands near the
coast. BY the very simple method OF
building n series OF dykes and barra-
Eos at each Of terminal ports and sub.
merging all tho low land region. Mr.
Bates obtained n series OF deep lakes
which viii drown out the obnoxious
lands. He believes that ii is absolute.
~ impossible to make Panama perma-
nent safe by any ordinary methods;
of sanitation any campaign which
may be waecd against mosquitoes, or
by any process OF dsinfcciiOn lie
says that the two vital difficulties rf
Panama are:
Panama's Difficulties.
First: The mosquito ridden AMI mi
asmntic swamps OF Tho country, which
breed fever TOO rapidly and extensive
ly for science to cope with il ny dis
infection. or by any other measure
short of tho aAnihilation of the source
Second: The malarily infected state
Of human and insect bodies. the un-
sanitary conditions Of the dwellings
and towns. and the lack OF proper
water supply and scwragc.
"Of these two disease breeding caus
cs,' says MIR. Bates, the sanitary
measures now being employed can
affect the second oniy. One might
fight mosquitoes. disinfcct and isolate
infection cases. erect new houses ana
hospitals. create water supply systems
install sewers, pave streets, but all
this and mere will be required. Tine
best practice OF medical service ana
or ordinary engineering can touch hit
Il tithc of the evils. The isthmts can
not reach the possible maximum of
sanitary safety until the lowlands and
oil l,Al1