New-York tribune., 1905-11-19
FOR SEA LEVEL CANAL.
NO LOCKS At PANAMA.
Board Of Consulting Engineers
Stands 8. to .,
From The Tribune Bureau.


Washington, Nov. 1S.-The board of consult
ing engineers of the Panama Canal Commission
decided to-day by a vote Of 8 10 5, in favor OF
a sea level canal or strait through the istf1nus
All the foreign members of the board favored
the sea level plan absolutely, and they Wero
Joined by General Davis and Messrs. Parsons,
Burr and Hunter, while, Messrs- Noble Abbott.
stearns ripple and Randolph favor higher
level
OF course no of1Tcial statement of the decision
Of the board or the way in which the several
members voted has made public for the
reason that the board regards itself as purely
advisory body, and members argue that were
their decision to be announced officially it might
prove embarrassing 10 the President Ufo may
ultimately decide TO reject their Eeeommen1a-
ton, although they regard that as improbable.
The first action of the board after completing
It's orgahizatIon was the adoption of resolution
binding every member to absolute secrecy. re
sardip, its proceedings until after the'President
shall have announced the. decision. That the
foreign. members of the board favored the sea
level project has for some time been known in
inner eircles in washington They have argued
ever since they became convinced that a sea
level canal was entirely feasible that it was
without the scope OF their duty TO take into con
sjderation the probable fact that the American
people are impatient for the completion OF the
canal or that an increase in. cost might be re
garded with disfavor
rnnr hare maintained that they were called
In merely to give expert testimony al 10 which
was the best type OF canal from an economic
and engineering standpoint and having become
convinced th4ts the sea level waterway would
prove most sstisfact ctory when completed. most
economical of maintenance and most expedft1ous
of transit they conceived that all matters re
lating to policy came within the province of the
President rather than within their own
while the foreigners were the first to de-
eide that sea level canal would prove the more
sa ctory it was not until later that suffi-
cfent number Of Americans adopted the same
view to insure g majority on the board In favor
of the sea level excavation and there was some
doubt even among the members themselves as
10 .nrecisely how the final vote would stand.
y-1,,an the vote came to be cast to-day, how
aver the ma iority in favor OF sea level canal
was so large as to leave no doubt that a con-
elusive decision had been reached although it
&c practically certain that the minority will
have the privilege of embodying their views in
. minority report to accompany that of the
,ne fority when it is presented to the President
with all the pa pers and plans which figured in
to-day's vote
Although to-day decision .disposes of the main
ouestion much work still remains to be done
and it will require two or three weeks for the
preparation of the report as it viii finally reach
the President considerable number of maps
remain TO be made, and much printing must be
done while there stiH remain certain minor de-
tails to be settled by vote before the text of the
two reports can be confided to the printer.
The board OF consulting engineers has been f
al work on the problem. the most important
feature of which was settled to-day, ever since i
early in September, and has made trip to the +
istbraus 10 look over the ground. and while in q
W. s14isgton has held almost daily meetings
what disposition H.il1 be made by the Presi- T
dent of the reports soon to be placed before him I
is necessarily a matter OF conjecture. but it is
70 assume that he win submit both ]
tn Congress together with such recqmmenda-
4ions as he may determine upon after reading
+bc reporrs While the President refers TO the /
necessity of an Immediate appropriation for the
Of the canal work in his annual
,assag gr II is assumed that he will accompany
the reoo~ts of the hoard of consulting engi-
,,aers with a special message, eInbodying his
,-iau-s and those OF the Panama Canal Cpmulis-
sion in order thar Congress may have al the
l;oj,t DossibIe in dealing with this important
s,7hiee4 and the ultimate decision as TO what
fs-re Of canal shall be adopted VII, OF course
est nth congress, unless il shall see fit TO refer
ste matter back to the President with power to
act