The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
LOCKS FAVORED
eY PRESIDENT FOR THE PANAMA
CANAL.
REPORT OF COMMISSION
Secretary Taft and the President Be-
lieve that Sea Level Canal Of Suf-
fieient Size Would Prove
Too Expensive.


Washington. - Secretary Taft has
transmitted the Isthmian Canal Com
missions report and the accompany
ing documents to the President, sum
marizing closely the conclusions of the
majority and minority. which respect
lively favored sea level and lock
canal.
He called attention to the fact that
the act of Congress in effect fixes the
minimum dimensions OF the locks and
the width and depth of the canal prism
by the requirement that the canal
shall accommodate the largest vessels
af1oat. or such as may be reasonably
anticipated. AS two ships now build
ing which are 600 feet long, eighty
eight feet beam and thirty-eight draft,
can be passed through the locks pro-
posed by the minority, he says it is
evident this requirement is met
But of the sea level canal project he
makes this criticism:
With the proposed sea level canal
conditions are different. The depth is
but two feet greater than the draft of
the ship, not sufficient to permit her to
proceed under her own steam except
at great risk; twenty-One miles of the
canal Is not sufficiently wide for two
such ships to pass; currents caused
by the regulations of the Chagres and
by the flow of other streams into the
canal and its. curves combine to in
crease the difficulties and dangers of
navigation. In short, the sea level ca
nal recommended is not of sufficient
capacity and depth to AFFORD convent
ent passage for vessels of the largest
tonnage and greatest depth and can
be made so only by materially increas-
ing the depth and width. and at a con-
siderable increase of time and money.
II the suggested width of $50 to 200
feet Is the greatest width economically
permissible for sea level canal, the
cost Of the enlargement required must
be prohibitive.
ut therefore follows that the high
level canal more fully meets the re
quirements of Congress"
In his message transmitting the re-
ports TO Congress the President says:
"a careful study of the reports
seems to establish a strong probability
that the following are the facts:
The sea level canal would be
slightly less exposed to damage in the
event of war; the running expenses,
apart from the heavy cost of interest
upon the amount employed to build it,
would be less; and for small ships the
time of transit would probably be less.
Upon the other hand. the lock canal at
level of eighty feet or thereabouts
would not cost much more than half as
much to build and could be built in
about half the time, while there would
be very much less risk connected with
building it, and for large ships the
transit would be quicker, while, taking
into account the interest upon the
amount saved in building, the actual
cost of maintenance would be less.
After being built it would be easier TO
enlarge the lock canal. Moreover,
what has been actually demonstrated
in making and operating the great lock
canal, the 500, a more important ar
terry of traffic than the great sea level
canal, the SueZ, goes to support the
opinion of the minority of the consult
ing board of engineers and OF the ma
jority of the lsthmian Canal Commits
sion as to the superior safety feasibil-
ity and desirability of building lock
canal at Panama.
THE law now on our statute books
seems to contemplate a lock canal. In
my judgment a lock canal as herein
recommended is advisable. If the Con
gress directs that a sea level canal be
constructed, its direction will, of
course, be carried out. Otherwise the
canal will be built on substantially the
plan for lock canal outlined in the
accompanying papers, such changes
being made, Of course, as may be
found actually necessary, including
possibly the change recommended by
the secretary Of war as to the site of
the dam on the Pacific side"