Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-21
WALLACE TALKS
Of GREAT CANAL
TELLS SENATEC0MMITTEEH HIS
PERSONAL VIEWS
Former Chief Engineer Of Isthmian
Canal Commission Says Income
Will Be Ten Millions
Annually
BY Associated Press.

Wallace, formerly chief engineer of
the Isthmian Canal commission, today
testified before the senate committee
concerning the type of canal to be con-
structed across the Isthmus of Pana-
ma. He was asked to state his views,
and prefaced his examination with a
general statement which in part fol-
lows:
Mr.. Wallace, in advocating an APP
proximately straight sea level canal of
ample width and depth as the best
type, urged that any other plan which
places restrictions upon the probable
permanency of the canal itself as we'll
as upon the speed and the size and
number Of vessels passing through It,
must render the canal far less valu-
able; that the deterrent factors in this
connection are relative time and cost
and that in approaching the discus
sion of the question Of how much
money the American people supposedly
are willing to invest in the canal and
how much time they are willing to
wait for it's proper accomplishment
should be considered.
He said that judged by the capital
ization and dividends now paid on the
stock of the Suez canal it Is apparent
that the rates charged for transit
through it are excessive and that thus
a material saving would be offered
commerce by the Panama route.
Income Would Be Ten Millions
Assuming that the present tonnage
through Suez of say 100000 tons per
year would pass through the Panama
canal, even at dollar a ton, there
would be-" he said, IAN approximate
income of $10 100000. which is sufficient
to justify an expense of $1,000 000."
The latter figure he deemed ample
to construct the sea level canal. AS
to the additional time involved, Mr..
Wallace predicted that upon a basis
"of reasonable energy and the use of
proper business methods of admins
tration, a sea level canal can be fully
completed in ten or to be entirely safe,
say twelve years, and lock canal,
even if only sixty feet above the sea
level, would require only three years
less"
He reiterated that increased effici-
ency could be secured if the work
were handled by a single contracting
firm unhampered by government meth
DDS, and with every incentive of an
early completion, with possibly utili-
cation of two shifts instead of one
SllilJ OIL tel hours.
Foundation Should Be Bedrock
Mr.. Wallace contended that if it was
not too much to hope that the commit
tee will decline to recommend any form
of canal which is not capable of being
in the future transformed into a sea
level canal without undue interference
with the worlds traffic or undue adj
ditional COST that this fact alone should
take the recommendation of the minor
ity of the board of consulting engin-
GERS and the recommendations of the
majority of the Isthmlan Canal COM
mission out of really serious consid-
GRAFTON.
Mr.. Wallace questioned whether
congress would feel justified in indors-
ing the construction of any dam of
large dimensions retaining a head of
water, say eighty-five feet, the founda-
ton of which does not extend to bed
rock or to some equally reliable strata.
Would Not Be Safe
us it either safe or wise" he asked,
"to authorize the building of dam
one-half mile long to retain a head
of water eighty-five feet across an
alluvial valley, similar to the valley of
the Chagres at Gatun, in which exist
already two sub-service gorges, one of
which alone is 1000 feet across and 24O
feet deep, which has evidently been
refilled with a heterogeneous mass of
gravel. sand, etc. brought down by
mountain streams?"
With this situation in view he said,
it is greatly to be feared that the dam
at Gatun proposed by minority board
of consulting engineers and Endorsed
by a majority of the Isthmian Canal
commission might after some years be
found incapable of withstanding the
strain upon it. He pointed out rea-
sons for apprehension on this point
and said his remarks on this subject
applied, though in lesser degree, TO
a series of dams and barrages holding
back head of fifty-five feet of water,
which it is proposed by the minority
report to construct across the alluvial
valley of the Rio Grande on the Pa
cific side of the canal.
Earth Dam Would Be Risky
If it is decided to build a lock canal,
Mr.. Wallace said, then it is to be
earnestly hoped only such form of
lock canal will be authorized as will
be admissible in connection with the
construction of a dam at Gamboa
where it is positively known that the
primary rock foundation exists at no
greater depth than sea level, rather
than at Gatun. There is, he said, no
urgency that to his mind would justify
the great risk of earth dams at Gatun
or La Boca. The army engineers he
said. could most efficiently supervise
the construction, and all the govern
mental functions, including policing
and sanitation, could easily be per-
formed under the control and direction
of the government of the canal zone.
Mr.. Wallace pointed out that in con-
sidering additional time required for
the construction of a sea-level canal
the prompt and efficient utilization of
the Panama railroad is a matter of
great Importance.
Closing Suggestions
In closing Mr.. Wallace said;
ut is much easier to retain and reg
ulate the movement of traffic along
the lines to which it has been accus-
toned than it is to regain it after
it has been once diverted to new
routes. and the committee ought not to
overlook the completion of the Tehuan-
tepec route, which is now being pro-