Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-05-24

FEAR or EARTHQUAKES CAUSED SENATE
COMMITTEE TO SO DECLARE.
NO Guaranty That the Canal Zone VIII IN Future
ne Exempt From Such Disasters az Over.
vshelmed San Francisco.

ana the more economical in Operations
aad maintenance.
The estimates Of the minority and
the majority Of the board Of consult
ing engineers on the time that would
be required % excayats the different
types Of canal are reviewed, and the
majority report concludes that the
sea,leVel canal would not require more
than two or three years more than
the lock type,
Risks encountered in the opera
ton Of the ses,level canal are made
light Of By the report, which says the
0amboa dam would be ready 10 con
troll the Chagres foods before the
Culebra excavation ID half finished,
and the balance Of the excavation In
the prism and below sea level could
90 on without interruption. When the
Chagres Is subsidized and controlled
and the ses-levei canal made, It's use
will be attended with no more risk
than equal sailing distance In the
oceans.
Locks and Dams.
a chapter Of the report Is devoted
10 the locks and dams proposed By
the minority report Of the consulting
| engineers, and these are asserted 20
be an element Of danger The VaTi.
Gus accidents 10 which such mecanlsm
might be subject are recounted, and
the report asserts that these hazards
can be avoided by the small sacrifice
Of time necessary TO the construction
Of the sea.ievel canal.
The claim ls made by the report
that ships Of all classes could be
passed through the SeaIevel canal in
eight hours. and that half that time
would be consumed in passing ships
through locks alone. The cost OF an
nual maintenance IL estimated at 81
$4,000 for the sea level and $780,,
900 for the lock type.
Discussing the advantage Of the sea,
level canal to the country controlling
It in time Of war, the report says:
III free from all obstacles 20 quick
transit 40 warshlps Of average size, NOV
ing In one direction route clear, could be
rassed from ocean 10 ocean IN less than
J "Ail naval commanders and commercial
! masters Of the great national and pri-
Vhte vessels or the WOrld are almost TO
q man opposed unalterabiy 10 the intro
duotion OK any lock TO ilft vessels over
] the low summit that nature has left for
; The majority urges that an enemy
could destroy a lock canal much
easier than a sea-level cana. with ex
plOsiyes
The ultimate final cost OF the sea
level canal as estimated by the ma
Z jority, 10 $3.50, 100000, while the cost
Of the lock canal Is regarded as un
certain. The minority OF the board
OF consulting engineers estimated the
Q cost at 1885,. 7O5.20O, and TO this The
majority says should be added the in
terest on the extra cost Of malnten
+ ance, the expenses OF clearing tn,
0 titles 10 the $4,000 acres OF land tina
Q would be submerged by the centra
. lake proposed by the lock plan, which
y IL IL estimated would make the tota
a cost at least Si9O0OO,000. The cost o
transferring the look plan into a sea
o level canal, after the former is CON,
y Dleted, is estimated at S2oO, 900, 900.
In conclusion, the majority says
i Your committee feels entirely conf
: dent that the board OF consulting eng
a neers, selected TO study this problem
o has submitted a plan that respond
y In every respect TO tho conditions stat
. cd above, and that the sea-leyel cans
J; can DO realized In ten or eleven Year.
d at q cost not TO exceed 100000, 90
); above that required by the constru,
" ton OF the multi-lock canal propose
" by the minority"