Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-17

any lock to lift vessels over the low sum.
init that nature has left for us to remove. :
The majority argues that EN- enemy could
destroy a lock canal much easier than q
sea-level canal with explosives
Comparative Cost.
The ultimate final cost OF the sea level
canal as estimated by the matority Is $780,
10000 while the cost of the lock canal
is regarded as uncertain. The minority Of
the board of consulting engineers estimated
the cost at s13a, To5.2oo. and to this the
majority says should be added the inter-
est on the extra cost of maintenance. the
expense OF clearing the titles to the 11S.ooo
acres of land that would be submerged by
the central lake proposed by the lock
plan, which II Is estimated. would make
the total cost at least $50 000,00o. The
cost of transforming the lock plan into
sea level canal. after the former is conf
pleted. Is estimated at S2Oo,oe0oOo In
closing the majority says:
'eYour committee feels entirely confident
that the board of consulting engineers Sc
lected TO study this problem has supmitted
q plan that responds in every respect TO
the conditions stated above and that the
sea level canal can be realized In ten or
eleven years. at a cost of not TO exceed
$4,000 Geo above that required for the con-
struction Of the multl-lock canal proposed
by the minority. 49,
The minority report of the committee
favoring the lock type of canal proposed py
the minority of the board OF consulting en-
gineers will be made early next week.
Comment Of Chairman Shonts.
None of the work done so far on the
isthmus Is designed especially for the con-
struction of a lock canal and consequently
the money expended would not be wasted
II Congress were to agree On sea-level
canal" Chairman T. p. Shonts OF the 18TH
milan canal commission said today in dis
cussing the decision of the Senate commit
tee on interoceanic canals in favor of
sea-leve! canal. 1.-The commission Is acting
under the present law. which provides Tor
lock canal Estimates were submitted
for work on canal OF that type Tor the
next fiscal year At best the estimates TOT
such a work are only q guess, of course
When asked how long 1t would take the
commission to submit estimates for q
years work on canal or the sea-leVei
type, Mr.. Shonts replied that much time
would be required, as attention has Deeh
conferred on the type provided for under
the Spooner act.
were to approve sea-leyel canal the COM
were to prove sea level canal the com
mission would be able to frame estimates
which would indicate roughly the amount OF
money required for years work ON a
canal of that sort. Sea-levei estimates
must, in Mr.. Shonts' opinion. be FAR less
definite than lock-canai estimates, because
OF the amount of attention Mr.. Stevens and
his assistants have given to the require
ments of lock canal and the new prob
lens the other type would present.
In his recent report to Secretary Taft
on canal progress Mr.. Shonts urged that
1t should soon be settled definitely what
type of canal is to be constructed. IT did
that" said Mr.. .Shonts, because the work
on the isthmus Is rapidly approaching a
point where 1t must be known absolutely
what sort of canal Is to be constructed.
The work Of preparation and the excavation
being done at present will not be lost on
Efy1d <of hut ri of
the ways has been almost reached and IN
certainty should cease"