Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-05-18


quakes on the isthmus and the posi-
Die effect on the two types of canal
proposed, the report says:
1.-THE recent calamity that over
wliclned 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 ccnvulsions Of nature as recently
visited California or wrought great
havoc near Charleston. s. c., in 1856,
or changed the face of nature in south
eastern Missouri near the beginning Of
this century would not be- haZarird by
any wise man. That the ISthnuS of
Panama is not exempt, cOnclusively APP
pears ard We can have no guaranty
that the canal zone will in the future
be exempt from such disturbance.
THE canal structures that would be
most exposed to injury by the passing
Of an earthquake or violent movement
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 IS feet high ana entirely unsup-
IOrttu Oh tnlt Sltit save lOl a p.iI Vi
the height Of water.
IF these walls had been moved at
ali the natural and probable result
would bC in their leaning ana 50 pre-
vent the closing of the gates-an IN
jury for which 4 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 interruption
of traffic or the abandonment of the
canal.
1.-THE minority suggests that the dam
at Gamboa included il. the plan Of the
board would be as likely to sustain IN
Jury from such CONFUSION as the struc-
ture above mentioned. This is not the
| fact The GambOa dam is built on a
solid rack foundation reinforced with
strong walls and buttressed at either
enl with walls of rock. 1t is struc-
| ture the least likely to be affected by
any superimpOse of the earth's sur
| face and no record is found Of similar
structure being permanently injured
| uTuef similar Nv -
ebra cuts would be likely u be more
| disturbed than are the nearly vertical
| slopes near the divides that have never
| been affected.
| AN earth dam on an alluvial base as
proposed by the minority might be fis-
sured if the earthquake passed the local.
| ~ and If a crack lin the dam or its base
| should open, the dam would go out, the
lock drain, ard the canal be ruined
| After reviewing the legislation and the
messages Of the President on the subject
| of the canal, the report says that 1t is
| due to the executive branch of the gov
eminent that the uncertainties confront
| ing the President as to his powers In the
| PREMISES be settled and disposed of af'
Tentatively. once and for all, by the only
national authority competent t" pass
| upon the question, the national legisla-
| ture.
| The division among experts as to the
| best type Of canal is treated by the re
port, which says that the conclusion has
been reached that the following PROPOSE
tions are irr, futlhl":
| THAT the deal canal is one at sea level;
that its construction would be attended
with no more. and probably with less haz
ard than one with locks and dams on
doubtful foundations. that the sea level
canal is safer and more convenient than
one with locks; that 1t would take but lit
tie longer time to build; that it is the
simpler and the more economical in oper-
ating and maintenance.
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 operation OF
the sea level canal are made light of by
the report, which says that when the
Chagres is subdued and controlled and
the sea level canal made its us" will be
attended by no more risk than equal sail
ing distance in the oceans. The rcpor!
asserts that ships Of all classes could BE-
passed through the sea level canal in
eight hours and that half that time would
be consumed in passing ships through
locks alone. The cost of annual main
tenance is estimated at s1.ScOOO for the
sea level and s.. 10000 for the lock type
| Discussing the advantage of the sea
level canal to the country controlling il
in times Of war. the report says:
"If free from all obstacles to qucl;
transit, 100 warships of average size
moving in one direction, route clear
could be passed from ocean to ocean in
less than n day.
"All naval commanders and CONNER
cial masters of the great national and
lprivate vessels of the world are almost
to a man opposed unalterably to the in
PRODUCTION of any lock to lift vessels over
the low summit that nature has left for
us to remove
The majority argues that an enemy
could restroy n lock canal much easier
than a sea level canal as estimated by
the majority, while the cost of local canal
lis argued as uncertain.
The majority of the board of consulting
Iengineers estimated the cost at sl39 TO-.
100 and to this majority says should be
added the interest on the extra cost OF
maintenance. the expenses of clearing
the titles to the 11S000 acres of land tina;
would be submerged by the central lake
proposed by the lock plan. which it is es-
timated would make the total cost at
least s1sOOOc.o0O.
The cost of transferring the lock- plan
to a sea level canal after the former il
completed is estimated at s9O0000,OOO.