New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-10
WAY TO DIG THE CANAL.
Get fo Work on Sea LeCeI Con-
sruction, Says Mr. Crichfeld.

!, ,ramauiipss Mexico. The work was being done
1ndisns in as primitive a fashion as have ever
= The Pharaohs. I'm building the Pyramids.
- not have dispensed completely with
's.cbinery. The big hole in the ground was at
- City feet deep and several hundred feet In
s.-,e,er The excavation was in hard soapstone.
% snou was being carried in huge baskets on
=. hscks OF Indians from the bottom OF the pit up
s,,q maths alongside the banks of the reservoir.
"a then deposited at some distance away TO form
n,su OF levee around the outer edge Of the
-voir The Indians had TO carry this heavy
s,one probably three hundred feet away from
- Mace where IT dug. and had TO lift II at
,.t afty or sixty feet vertically in this trip For
80 labor the Indians received so cents Mexican
o,sv a cubic metre which included both the ex-
.e,ion with picks and the carrying away OF the
ou Fifty cents a cubic metre. Mexican money
= equivalent to about ls or 20 cents cubic yard
American gold 5000.
- Indians climbing these long winding trails. with
:, least two hundred pounds Of soapstone on their
n.ks I fnstinctively compared their work with
.Ast n the United States government in the eA-
sar,Lop OF the Panama Canal Can the greatest
,ver,ment on this earth. with the best machinery
-. men can devise with fine organization OF ex-
srt engineers and unlimited financial power ex-
.rete a cubic yard Of earth as cheaply and EN-
c1srtrl as an ignorant Indian in the wids OF Mex
,co n,Sa nothing more than a pick and basket TOT
Lis equipment -, .,. 81
.,csvation OF about three hundred million CUBIC
,srss At 20 cents cubic yard that would anouh'
% sso COO VIII dig the canal for that much-
~ FOR even five times that much? My impression
q that our government viii waste seooo0eS IN USE
less experiments and side issues before 1t gets
.si,lv started on the undertaking. But suppose the
.,csvation at Panama should cost an average or
n cents a cubic yard-and II surely ought not 10
exceed that-then the total expenditure lot sea
level canal would be well within the sum wfnch
the American people are accustomed 10 mink Oh es
the probable cost OF the work.
But we are now told that the sea level canal Is
not TO be thought Of: that Chief Engineer Stevens
fsvors lock system and that the President agrees
with him: and it is alleged that this lock system
can be constructed in vastly shorter space OF
lime and for many million dollars less money. Inc
widest possible estimates, or guesses, have oeeil
hazarded by engineers on this point. no one or
whom can probably figure within &SoN'wO OF "haI
o lock system canal will actually cost All hsuIes
which have seen regards relative cost or length
of time required for building the two systems are
guesswork and entitled weight whatever L
will guarantee personally 10 devote two months
study on the ground TO the Panama Canal, and then
estimate within 100000 Of the final cost or sea
level canal, if the should be constructed py
responsible contractors upon competitive bddihs
after having been divided into sections. such as
done with the Chicago Drainage Canal VIII
Chief Engineer Stevens Of the canal commission or
sny engineer In the United States undertake 10
make an estimate within $50 100000 Of what JOCK
Kystem canal VIII cost?
have heretofore expressed the opinion that a
sea level canal would not cost essentially more
than a lock system canal, and that the length OF
time necessary for completing il would not be serl-
Uusly greater. I now wish go record as
giving my deliberate conviction that lock system
such proposed by Admiral walkers
Isthnian Canal Commission. and so ably advocated
by Brigadier General Hams, and which is sub
stantiaily. as 1 understand, recommended by Chief
Engineer Stevens Of the canal commission is alb
solutely and wholly impracticable, and cannot be
successfully constructed at all with any expenditure
of money, however great, nor in any length of
time, however long. That scheme contemplates the
formation an artificial lake OF about twenty-five
or thirty miles in extent II is alleged that
the conhguration OF the ground at that point
lie Of such character, dish shaped, with high
land surrounding it. that huge dam at
Bohio some other point, will Intercept the
waters Of the Chagres River and form the lake.
But would it-thet Is the question. Who knows
whether not there is higher rim OF land around
the outer edge Of this proposed lake which would,
~ fact. hold back that tremendous body Of water?
al these lock systems based on the suppose
tisn that this higher rim Of land exists. CONTINUOUS
~, surcient 70 form the banks Of such artificial
lake; and yet this absolutely vital point there
Is not scrap OF evidence or Information.
eAele 6lthehue survey which has ever been
made public Suppose the waters of that lake
should break through it's banks in many places
sealole from me great dan-that would make nee
etsEIy other dams, wouldn't il? Who knows how
many such dams would be needed and where? The
Gam building business might have only begun when
We had finished the Bohio monstrosity. We might
q before
with II in order TO hold the various points
On the edge Of that lake. For one. / would like
,s a9ch 70 see map OF this proposed enormous
~ oe4I-!ts accurately JUS contour, and would
IKE 20 see profiles Of the elevation Of its banks
oass. a. 70 me character of the material which
composes these hypothetical banks, so that some
iilIe4lseni loea might be formed whether this
sake would stay where they propose 10 make IL
o. whether II would all rush out toward the At
insanity 10 adopt lock system OF Construction
which should involve this feature, unless there is
@ @ make guesses where there Is 500 600 600 or
$4,000 involved. Every engineer knows how
tIenlely difficult IL Is contain large reservoir
ol water for the supply OF an ordinary city. Gre
$50 open IN the foundations In the most
heaviest masonry is undermined and destroyed in
;ereIs ~ilIcn are wholly unaccountable. How
.VItnsuon or such an enormous lake as that con-
templsted by the lock system an Panama under
conditions which as regards Sood I~aters md
ees aEs0 have never been paralleled in the
90, Admiral Walkers commission rninimized the dam
-. from earthquakes 10 these huge masses Of ma
fS.srs Much Of my time for the last twelve years
@ Deen spent IN the northern part of South Amer
"a sno other Latin-American Countries and my
tsaPstlenee and observation on this point lead me
n 70 einer Completely from Admiral Walkers com
that Teeto fA1Jhqgakes are frequent through all
might s.ol, anG 1t Is evident that slight shock
,5 -. , Meaken one OF these immense dams so that
co1ri e,aenoous volume Of water back Of IL would
ppoinnplele The work Of destruction III the dam at
way how TfeIeyer !! may be located. should give
Ssss:.. -" Io4g would Colon last2 The Johnstown
Tsriso5 would only be a spring freshet in
IL Il the American people want a lock canal-for
Won sSe o. having lock canal-then / will give
ie b,S ny Oily plan that is practicable. Locks could
,nsrr- MI al each end Of Culebra Cut and In this
nile. :, excavation could be saved on about nine
;o- ule heaviest part OF the canal. The water
lppei section would have be supplied by
nbissnoos pumps. II would be costly and a great
rsslee, but IL could be done
IN e.sc0ss tie formation Of q vast artificial lake
len .ecuoR with, and part OF, lock sys-
ihino sscA sheer nonsense that the amazing
b -, ne is that any reputable engineer could
W Lu 70 lndorse such mOnstrous absurdity.
rssN nave also teen given 10 understand that the
urSs-i ioub work OF digging the canal VIII not be
tary s sAs. lFtl after the isthmus is in good sani-
pls,ss W. lon II the government really conteIn-
gaeai us il is evidently waiting for the next
paics period 70 come along. The roseate report $
ne 49, nave been sent from the isthrnus regard
.s rather ideal condition Of salubrity must be