Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-02-27
Engineering Committee Of the
Commission Has Made That
Recommendation
TAKE TEN TO TWELVE YEARS
Work of Che American Steam shoveIs
and Other Machinery Has Accomp.
Iished So Much That 1t is Believed
the Sea Level Canal Can Be Rapidly
and Economically Constructed.

Washington, Feb. DEMONSTRATION
of the isthmian canal at sea level is
the recommendation made by the en-
gineering committee of the isthmian
canal commission in a report laid be-
fore that body yesterday. The COM
mittee is composed of Commissioners
Burr, Parsons and Davis, and their re-
Communications are the first definite
engineering plans suggested for the
work. The report declares that Am
erican steam shovels have accom-
plished so much work in shorter time
and at lower cost than expected that
the construction will occupy only from
ten to twelve years. The principal re-
Communications are summed up in the
following resolutions:
This committee approves and rec
ommends for adoption by the commits
sion a plan for a sea level canal, with
bottom width Of $50 feet and a min
imum depth of water of thirty-five
feet, and with twin tidal locks tat Mir
afores, whose disable dimensions shall
be 1000 feet long and 100 feet wide,
at a total estimated cost of $230,5O0,-
600. Such estimate includes an allow
ance for administration, engineering,
sanitation and contingencies, amounts
ing to $3S,450,0O0, but without allow
ance for interest during construction,
expense of zone, government and COLI
lateral costs, and water supply, sew
ers or paving of Panama or Colon,
which last items are to be repaid BY
the inhabitants of those cities"
These recommendations are the con.
cluson of report to the commission
prepared in the canal zone under date
of February IA last, and based on COM
plete engineering reports on all Of the
problems involved.
The committee decided that under
no circumstances should the surface
of the canal be more than sixty feet
above the sea and estimates that at
this level the cost would be $17S,013,-
400.
Discomfort among the employees Of
the United States in the Panama canal
zone is the subject of a lengthy LETT
ter by Governor Davis, received yes
terday by the isthmian canal commits
sion. He deals only with those en-
ployes engaged in this country, and
attributes the feeling to fear of yellow
fever, inconsistencies, lack of amuse-
ments found at home and the faissity
of alleged promises made them when
employed in the United States. On
this last subject he lays especial
stress, declaring the complaints are so
numerous that he is forced to believe
they have foundation in fact.
The building of houses in Panama
for the employees and their families.
Governor Davis says, will be UNDER
taken as soon as land can be obtained
by treaty. He deplores the number
of saloons and gambling places to
which Americans are forced to go in
search of amusement, and which
charge outrageous prices, as do all
shopkeepers, thus making the high
wages paid in the canal work not
greater in fact than the average SAL
aries in the United States. The report
concludes:
Casting up the matter in all its
phases I would say that while this
discomfort exists, and certainly will
exist, probably for long time, with
respect to some of the employees, yet
the larger number are not unreason-
able and are Loyalty working and car
rying out their contracts"