The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-03
Names Of the Men Who viii
Build the Panama Canal.
Salaries Indicate That Only
Three VIII Work at 1t.
MAY BE ON SEA LEVEL.
Secretary Taft Lays Situation
Before the President.
Change of Plan VIII Cost $780,
100000 More.

Washington, April S.-The personnel
Of the new isthmian canal commission
is as follows:
Theodore P. Shonts, chairman; Chas.
70. Magoon, governor of canal zone;
John F. Wallace. chief engineer; Rear
Admiral e. NJ. T. Endicott, U. S. N;
Brigadier General Peter G. Haynes, U.
s. A, retired; Colonel Oswald NJ. Ernst,
corps engineer, u. S. A, Benjamin NJ.
Earrod.
These names were announced at the
war department today and in connec-
tion with the announcement Secretary
TAFT gave out for publication a state
ment showing the amounts of the sal
aries to the new commissioners and his
own letter to the president and one from
the latter explaining the plan of organi-
cation of the commission, the reasons
therefore and the particular duties to
be assigned to each commissioner. The
frst reads as follows:
THE president has made an order al
lowing a. salary Of 81 500, with travelling
expenses, to each member OF the COM
mission and to the chairman of the
commission the additional compensation
OF So, 500, to the chief engineer, the adj
dftional compensation of SIT 800, and to
the governor o. the zone, the additional
compensation of $4,000. The head OF
furnished house on the isthmus and his
travelling expenses when travelling on
The business of the commission.
'sThe total is $102, 500 The salaries
and allowances under the former conf
mission amounted to 100000. The
total compensation of the governor OF
the zone and the chief engineer are in
effect unchanged.
Prof William 3. Burr, and Mr..
William Barclay Parsons. civil en-
Bineers, will be appointed as members
Of the consulting board of engineers
Secretary Taft's letter to the presi-
dent is as follows:
War Department, Washington,
March 80, 1906.
s'BGr President:
I'm the matter of the reorganization
of the machine by which the Panama
canal is to be built L beg first to call
your attention to the extreme impor-
Eance of fixing a definite plan with re-
speCt to which you may feel reason
ably certain, first. that it can be prac-
ically executed and will result in a
Davigable canal, and, second, that the
navfgable canal will be the one best
adapted to the demands which may be
made on it by the commerce of the
world.
s'The act Of congress evidently con
templates a canal with locks, the cost
Of which shall be in the neighborhood
of 5000, 900, 600, including the money
already expended. 1t is quite within
the bounds OF possibility that the best
form of canal win be sea level canal
with tidal lock only at one end of
At and that the cost of it may exceed
the 5000 600, 600 in the mind Of con-
gress by at least 500, 900, 600 more.
1.-THE work of the engineering de-
partment of the present commission
has been largely devoted to obtaining
the data upon which the plan of the
canal must be determined. These
data include Typographical measure
ments, bOrings, the character of the
soil, the flow Of the waters in the
FiVers-au stated with sufficient exact
ness to secure the closest calculations
by experienced engineers, though not
on the ground. 1t is probable that
within the next few months these data
will have been so fully ascertained by
the chief engineer, Mr. Wallace, and
his assistants. that they may be sub
mitted to a board of engineers of the
highest standing for recommendation
as to the best plan upon which to pro-
coed with the work.
''It also has been made apparent
by the reports of MT. Wallace and by
the commission. that whatever plan is
likely to be adopted, work of excava-
hon and construction which would
have to be done under any plan may
proceed without waste Of energy for
period quite long enough to enable
you to decide which is the best plan.
sfI suggest therefore, that the first
work to be done is the appointment
of an advisory board Of engineers. say
seven or nine in number, to be Sc
fected from the engineers having
especial knowledge Of hydraulic en-
cheering and canal construction to
whom shall be submitted all possible
Information with respect to the pro-
iacted Panama canal. both that OBJ
tained by the French engineers before
our purchase of the plant and the
data obtained by the chief engineer of
the present canal commission together
with all projects suggested for the
pollution Of the problem which the
Banal commissioners deem reasonably
possible or practicable; that the ad-
bfsory board be invited to Washing
ior for the purpose of agreeing upon
he recommendations in the premises
md If possible such recommendations
y made before the regular meeting
congress in December, that the