Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-02
ENGINEERS MEET AT CALL OF
PRESIDENT
FINDINGS TO BE SUBMITTED
American and Foreign Experts VIII
Consider Data Respecting Merits
of Locks and Sea Level
Construction
Bv Associated Press.

WaOI1l4N11OAN Sept 'IllliiicuI
engineers of the United States and Eu-
rope met today on the call of Presi-
dent Roosevelt to make recommenda-
tions as to the type of canal that is to
connect the waters of the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans.
BY the executive order last June a
board of consulting engineers was con-
stituted, consisting of General George
w. Davis, Alfred Noble, VIM. B. Par
sons, VIM. H. Burr, General Henry l..
Abbott, Frederick P. Stearns, Joseph
Ripley, Isam Randolph, all American
engineers; Henry Hunter, named by
the British government; Herr Eugene
Tincauser, nominated by the German
government; NJ. Guerard, nominated
by the French government and ]. w.
Welcker, nominated by the government
of the Netherlands. 1t is this board
which assembled today at the offices
of the Isthmian Canal commission. The
members were met by Chairman
Shonts who, in a few words, expressed
the belief that good results will fol-
low their deliberations.
The board of consulting engineers
will have all the data that has been
collected by this commission bearing
upon the subject. These data may be
considered sufficient by the board to
determine whether the canal should be
constructed with locks or should be 4
sea level canal and, if the former
should be recommended, then details
as to the character of locks will be
taken under discussion. The recon-
mendations will not be final, but will
be made to the Isthmian Canal COM
mission, which in turn, will use its
own judgment in a report to the pres
ident. The final conclusion as to the
type of the canal will be settled by the
president and congress.
The board of consulting engineers
will not have referred to 1t detailed
questions Of engineering connected
with the construction of the canal
after the type has been determined.
Beyond making recommendations as to
the type Of canal, together with sug-
gestions as to the method of construc-
ting the lock canal, it's duty, as at
present defined and understood by the
commission, will close.
Work Much SimpIified
The executive work of the canal conf
mission has been much simplified by
the selection of Mr.. Stevens as chief
engineer. Previous to that time the
duties of the commission as an execu-
tive body were distributed between
Chairman Shonts, Chief Engineer Wal
lace and Governor Magoon, Chairman
Shonts having a general supervision CT
the work. Mr.. Wallace was a member
of the commission, but when John r.
Stevens was made his successor as
chief engineer he was not made a men,
ployed by Mr.. Shonts, and the engineer
ing and construction work is under
his direction instead of the general
supervision of Chairman Shonts. CHIEF
Engineer Stevens is not member of
the executive board of the commission.
While the engineering work will he
under the immediate supervision of
Mr.. Stevens, he will be assisted by
committee. Such problems of techni-
cal character as he desires to be worked
lr1t mil Ika kAI -
tee.
Will Discuss Sea Level Canal
A letter addressed to the board by
Chairman Shonts reads in part as fol-
lows:
las you are aware, this question has
been the subject of prolonged and elab-
crate studies for many years by num-
erous able engineers. A vast amount
of labor has been expended in the col
lection of information concerning the
physics of the isthmus, in digesting it
and formulating it into plans for
canal.
During the last year additional sur
veys and observations have been made
on Ine lSLnInuS, IHe result OF winch Is
laid before you. 1t may be stated
here in general terms that the informa-
ton which they furnish does not in.
volve any radical change in the plans
previously favored. Among the OBJ
servations is the experience Of the last
year in excavating Culebra cut, from
which some of our engineers have
drawn upwarranted conclusions as to
the probable cost of the work. There
is nothing in this experience to justify
the belief that the unit prices used in
previous estimates were too high, or
that the estimate of the time required
for completing the work was too liberal
Nevertheless, the acceptance has been
used as an argument in favor Of a sea
level canal, which plan had been con-
demned by two commissioners. 1t be-
comes necessary to consider once more
the sea level canal scheme"