Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-17
WORK ON THEBIG CANAL
MR.. W. F. JOHNSON'S ADDRESS ON
PANAMA CONDITIONS.

Mr.. Willis Fletcher Johnson, associate
editor of the New York Tribune, who lee
tured on Digging the Ditch before i large
audience at the National Rifles Armory
last night, said President Roosevelt is
completing the unfinished work of Chris
topher Columbus in trying to make water
way from the Atlantic to the Pacific
through the Isthmus of Panama. 1.-The
President" said Mr.. Johnson, lis now
treading the ground treaded by not only
Columbus. but other famous explorers, all
of whom at one time or other made known
the necessity and advantage of establishing
this gateway between the two great
oceans"
With the policies far adopted by the
Americans. and the advantages of the ma
chinery introduced in the work. and eau
toned by the blunders made by the French
canal, I have every reason for faith In
their success, said Mr.. Johnson" This
Panama enterprise is in my mind the most
wonderful engineering effort ever at
tempted. and few of us who are following
its progress have stopped to think that
Christopher Columbus was the founder of
the enterprise. His ambition was not to
find new world but to discover new
gateway or canal to the west He did not
discover 1t, but President Roosevelt will
complete his task"
History Of the Isthmus.
Mr.. johnson then narrated the history
Of this famous isthmus from tho time of
Columbus to the present naming the many
promoters and engineers who attempted
to build canal across the isthmus He
told Of the trials and fluctuations of the
French company in their project, and dem
onstrated conclusively why they failed to
build the canal after spending $500 OOO, 900
in the attempt. He also said that the
$40. 900. 900 the United States paid them for
their unfinished work was q profitable ex-
penditure. inasmuch the French actual
ly built more than two-flfths of the pro-
posed canal. However. the waterway made
by them will have to be deepened and
widened. He said the French left $500
buildings. large and small, and generally
in good condition; immense stores Of ma
terials and machinery. all Of which We are
using.
Mr.. johnson expressed briefly his opinion
regarding the sea level and lock or high
level type of canal He. however. i'm
pressed his audience much to their salts
faction evidently. that after a close study
of the question he considered the sea level
the better. He did not argue this point at
ali, but stated positively that despite the
present decisions for high-level type. 1t
will ultimately be converted into sea-level
canal.
'They will build a lock canal" he said,
years, the six locks, each OF whtCh will
have cost nearly $1O.OOO,OOO. will be torn
away and it will be made into a sea-level
type.
Importance Of Canai Zone.
Zone of the greatest moves made by our
government toward the success of this en-
terprise," said Mr.. Johnson, was the
establishing of the canal zone, over which
they have complete and absolute control
and Jurisdiction. Ii the French had taken
this important step they might have sue
ceeded. The roadways, sewers and the san
Hary conditions which have been estab-
lished by our government are also import
ant. We have stamped out yellow fever
and reduced malaria to far below normal;
we have built parks. school houses. police
stations and hospitals, and all that remains
now is good, hard and careful work
The lecturer used numerous stereopticon
views which were pleasing and instructive.
His remarks were mostly extemporaneous.
He INDUCED in witticisms at times, and
was frequently eloquent. The lecture was
very instructive and abouEded in new mat
ter-new even to those who have read
everything about the canal that has ap-
peared for years in the newspapers and
magazines.
The lecture was one of the course given
under the auspices of the National Geo.
graphic Society. Prof, Willis L. Moore,
chief of othe weather bureau. as president
of the society, introduced the speaker.
After the lecture Prof. Moore entertained
Mr.. johnson at dinner at his home, 1913
10Th street northwest.