The Elbert County tribune., 1906-05-24
SEA LEVEL CANAL
RECOMMENDED BY THE SENATE
CANAL COMMITTEE.
EARTHQUAKES CONSIDERED
Fear Expressed That Locks Would Be
Unsafe-shock at San Francisco
riscussed-Minority obiee-
tions Answered.

Washington.-That the earthquake
which destroyed San Francisco was an
important factor in determining the
vote of the Senate Committee on Inter
Oceanic Canals In favor of a sea-levef
type is apparent from the fact that a
feature OF the majority report is n dis
cussion of the effect such an earth
wave might have on locks and dams.
The majority report in favor OF
sea-level canal was submitted Thurs
day by Senator Kittredge. On the sub
ject OF danger from earthquakes on the
isthmus and the possible effect on the
two types OF canal proposed the report
says.
1.-THE recent calamity that over
whelmed one of our great cities has
caused many forebodings. The asser-
ton that any particular spot in the
tropics is exempt from all danger from
such commissions of nature as recently
visited California or wrought great
havoc near Charleston, S. c., in 1896. or
changed the face of nature In South
western Missouri, near the beginning
of this century, would not be hazarded
by any wise man. That the lsthmus OF
Panama is not exempt conclusively APP
pears and we can have no guaranty
that the canal zone will in the future
be exempt from such disaster.
"The canal structures that would be
most exposed to injury by the passing
of an earth wave or violent move
ment of the earth's surface are the
locks proposed by the minority. whose
walls, many hundreds of feet. or even
two or three thousand feet long at
Gatun, would, at least some OF them.
be more than 75 feet high and entirely
unsupported on one side save for
part of the height by water.
IF these walls should he moved Mt
all, the natural and probable result
would be in their leaking and so pre-
vent the closing of the gates-an in
jury for which a suggestion of extra
gates on hand would be useless. for no
| one could guess the extent of the
movement But the most likely effect
of such shock would be the fracture OF
| these locks, in repairing of which
| much time-months or years-might
| be required, and thus cause interrup-
| tion of traffic or the abandonment of
| the canal.
IAN earth dam on an alluvial base
as proposed by the minority, might be
fissured II the earthquake passed the
Locality, and IL crack in the dam or
its base should open. the dam would
| go out, the lock drain, and the canal
| be ruined.
| "At San Francisco, where the water
pipes were broken, the disaster was
| greatly augmented by this cause, for
the water could not be held In the
pipes and directed on the flames. What
| would happen to the aqueduct. con-
duits, pipes and valves. buried In the
concrete walls, used for filling and
emptying the locks, cannot be well
conjectured."
After reviewing the legislation and
the messages of the President on the
subject of the canal, the report says 1t
is due to the executive branch of the
| government that the uncertainties con-
fronting the President as to his powers
in the premises be settled and dis
posed OF affirmatively, once and for all,
by the only national authority COM
petent to pass upon the questionable
national legislature.
The division among experts as to
the best type of canal is treated by the
report, which says that the conclusion
has been reached that the following
propositions are irrefutable:
"That the ideal canal is one at sea
| level; that Its construction would be
attended with no more and probably
with less hazard than one with locks
and dams on doubtful foundations;
| that the sea-level canal is safer and
| more convenient than one with locks;
| that II would take but little longer
time to build; that 1t Is the simpler
and the more economical in operation
and maintenance"