The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-06-28
Senate Follows House in Vot-
ing Lock Type of Canal.
PRESIDENT is PLEASED
Orders to Begin Digging Great Ditch
in Earnest Will Be Issued In
stanter - Vote Was a De.
cisive One.

A Washington special says: The
senate Thursday took position in &C.
cord with the president and the house
Of representatives by declaring for a
lock canal across the isthmus of Pan
anna. The result was reached few
minutes after three o'clock and, a.
ter a days discussion, that was al.
most devoid Of interesting Incident
quite out cf keeping with the univer-
sally acknowledged importance Of the
subject. There was only one record
ed vote in connection with the dis.
position Of the question, and that was
negative in character, coming on $
motion to lay on the table the lock
type substitute for the sea level bill
reported by the committee On inter-
oceanic canals. This motion was made
by Senator Kittredge, the committee
champion Of the sea level plan, and
was voted down, 81 to SO.
This vote was accepted as decisive,
and no one asked for division on
the vote on the acceptance Of the
substitute, which read as follows:
THAT a lock canal be constructed
across the isthmus Of Panama con
Meeting the waters Of the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans Of general type pro-
posed by the minority of the board
of consulting engineers, created by
order of the president, dated June "a.
1905, in pursuance Of an act entitled
an act to provide for the construc.
tioa Of a canal connecting the wa
ters Of the Atlantic and the Pacific
oceans approved June 2S, 1902"
The vote is generally accepted as
ending a long contest and definitely
settling the type Of the great water
way by which the two oceans are to
be united. It terminates what at one
time threatened to become sharp
difference tetween the senate on the
one hand and the president and the
house on the other, for there is no
denying that when the bill was re-
ported from committee the tndica-
tfons IN the senate were all favorable
to the sea level type.
There has recently, however, been
steady gain by the lock advocates,
Notwithstanding the report of the ca
nal committee as well as the report
Of the board Of consulting engineers
were against them. The engineers
report has figured prominently in the
discussion, and frequent attention had
been called to the fact that, while
eight out of the thirteen engineers
reported favorably to sea level ca
nal, all of the five dissenters were
American engineers, while the other
eight were Europeans, some senator's
avowed their preference for the all.
American report.
The president expressed his grea.
qualification at the action OF the SEN
ate in supporting his plan for the
construction Of lock canal. He has
been convinced for several days that
the lock type OF canal would be adop'
ted by the senate, on its final vote,
Notwithstanding the report Of the ma
jority OF interoceanic canal commit
tee in favor Of a sea level water
way. .
The president regards the vote Of
the house and senate on the lock type
Of canal as vote Of confidence. Or
ders will be issued In q few days
to press the work as rapidly as pos
sible, and it is announced that b.
fore the summer is far advanced as
many men and as much machinery as
can be- .profitably employed will be
engaged in making the dirt fly on the
canal route. =:
Secretary Taft and Chairman
Shonts are also greatly pleased at
the outcome OF the struggle in tho
senate. For the past two weeks,
they have been exerting all or their
influence with individual senators to
get them TO favor the lock type OF
canal.