The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-12
CONTROLLING
ONE or THE SERIOUS PROBLEMS IN
 THE PANAMA CANAL,
Health Of AMeracan Surveying Parties Faifly GeoA, Theugh Enervation Follows Long ResiAsnce There
 Natives and Iana1eans Spelled.

The New York Herald has the follow. ing from Panama. under date of June 2s:
 One of the great problems of canal construction never satisfactorily solv- ed by the engineers of the French Ca- nal Company involves the disposal of the hood waters of the Chagres River. Whether tho final decision be for tide level or for . lock canal. a method must be devised to control the Chagrcs when 1t becomes a raging torrent. to store water in the rainy season for use in the dry season. and to send the sur plus through some other channel to the sea.
 Under plans of French engineers made on a basis of controlling the cost was estimated at &36, 1000, 900, and many practical Americans have doubt ed whether even this enormous expendi- ture would protect the canal. As a result of surveys made by Americans within the last year 1t Is announced here that the water can absolutely be controlled by means of a dam at an elevation of 1S5 feet and at an approx innate saving of $27.soa.000 from the French estimate.
 From 0ambca to Albajuelt, a dis
 
 rises 46 feet; in the next eleven and . half miles to point near Santa Bar bara. there Is a rise of 30 feet. As a result of many preliminary surveys 1t was decided that tunnels could be run iron, the lake to be created by the great contemplated dams to connect either with the Pacific or the Caribbean basin. These would divert the floods in such a manner as to insure safety to hn At aA hot h~ dam at the Gamboa site should not ex- ceed in elevation 200 feet; the proposed tunnels are placed at an elevation of ITS feet with the bottom at 147 feet. The length of a tunnel 10 the Pacific side would have to be seven and three quar- ter miles. while one to carry tho water to the north need to be only four and one-third miles, with a possibility of making the spillway even shorter on final surveys. The present scheme for regulating works includes a combina- tion of gates and valve openings at va rious levels in & gatehouse. so that the flow into the tunnel would be under complete control. In the almost impos- sible contingency that a cave-in oc- cured in a flood 1t would be possible to cut off the flow and to store 1t in the reservoir and rely on the gates at the dam while workmen entered and made IepAITS. Wltn the 1dtuHCIllO WdSte- away project the water goes into the lower Gatuncillo through the Agua Su- cia branch and will be carried into Man. zanillo Bay through a diversion chan mel The plans contemplate the devef- opment of electric power from the flow, including a power house of 80 by 400 feet in size. with a distributing pipe to turbines. and containing the neces- sary motors. dynamos. transformers generators, etc. This work covers one of the great problems of the canal and involves no serious difficulties, accord ing to those in charge.
 Of the health of American employees on the surveying parties an engineer reports: Slight malarial levers have been a common occurrence since our arrival on the Isthmus. at first due to some indiscretion. When the resisting powers of the system were vigorous there were no evil effects. except with the men who habitually indulged too freely in the bad liquors sold along the Canal. It seems, lately, however. that owing to the facilitating effects of the climate the levers are more serious, and we have sent several men to the hospital.
 Labor is scanty and much in de- mand," continued the engineer. "In the days of the old French Company the men were paid cents an hour and later 12 cents an hour, and they worked we'll With the rate of 15 cents they seem to do no better, and when pro- noted to IT 1-2 or 20 cents an hour 1t seems often to spoil them. for. as their wants are few. they don't need to work so many hours to get sufficient money. Many who worked well for a while now seem more independent with increased earning and refuse to work unless 1t suit them, and are very keen to get easy jobs. The Jamaicans here receive one shilling and six pence on their na- tive plantations and sudden prosperity has hurt them"