The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-20
WILL COST $23O,OOO. 900
sEA-LEyEL CANAL THROUGH IsTH.
 MUS OF PANAMA.
Denied that Foreign Engineers Were Under Instructions from Their Governments as to How
 fe Vote.

Washington, Nov. 1s-The Board of consulting engineers of the Isthmian Canal Commission have decided to substitute Brussels for Paris as the meeting place of the foreign members next January. The reason for this de- cision is that Brussels Is more con- venientIy situated for several of the members. The American engineers who will go to Brussels with the docu- ments to be signed has not yet been chosen. During this week a committee of three members of the board with Gem eral Davis as their chairman. will make rough draught of the final report. which will then have to be worked out in detail and Is expected to be ready about the end of December.
 The sea-level canal which has been voted on by the members will have a width at the bottom of 150 feet, except Culebra, where the width will be 200 feet.
 The greater width in the Culebra cut is necessary to allow two ships to pass each other safely between the high banks of he canal, which will be formed by the deep excavation.
 Great HarbOr at Limon Bay. The plan as adopted by the board l will make Limon Bay one of the | greatest harbors in the world. Almost through the middle bay a breakwater will be built and shorter breakwater will be built from San Cristobal, which is American territory. thereby leaving Colon, which belongs to the Republic ! of Panama, outside of the American | canal works. Under the plan as adopted by the board. San Cristobal is expected to become the chief city on | the Atlantic side of the canal and the i promontory on which arises the staue | of Columbus will be covered with of- l fcial buildings, docks, coaling stations and all the works necessary for an inn l portant harbor. The canal constructed 1 by the French began at San Cristobal. It is now proposed by the board to l build short direct canal from Mindi l to Limon Bay. thereby making dist ance shorter and also facilitating navi- gation and making 1t possible for ships | to sail Into the canal without having to make any difficult turns.
 1 Breakwaters Expensive.
 | The breakwaters necessary for the ] formation of this harbor of San Cristo- bal will be an item of great expense | They were the subject of long discus ! sion in the meeting of the board They I would have been necessary, in case a lock canal had been chosen.
 On the Pacific side at Panama the | plans as adopted yesterday are also | AAOiAt bHO5S Ol IuS FTenCn Na- nal Company. The French Canal ends l at La Boca and 1t was found as one of the difficulties that the Rio Grande
 with its many branches crossed the | canal and in the rainy season inundated 1t and does great damage to the works | already constructed by the French.
 Therefore it was decided that the canal should be built nearer to the city | of Panama and should run between two
 hills, one called Sosa and the other ] the well known Ancon Ancon is the
 higher of the two. On it the American
 hospitals are built, and it is one of the
 most healthy places on the Isthmus.
 Only One Lock Necessary.
 At this place the one lock necessi- | tated through the difference in the tides of the Atlatnic and Pacific will be built This lock. however. will not retard the progress of ships through the canal. Tn
 the first place, ships coming from the
 Pacific will have to stop some time any
 way to be visited by health officers and
 civilian authorities and furthermore during large part of the day. this lock
 will be entirely open, as the levels oi
 both oceans will be equally high.
 At the Panama side no plans have as yet been made for breakwaters.
 The plans for constructing a loci canal at thirty feet altitude were
 never discussed and from the begin
 hing the board was divided into twt lgroups Of and memberAs ona tn ia