The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-02-22
President Goes on Record in
Transmitting Report
A LETTER TO-, CONGRESS-
Roosevelt Says That Type of Canal
Will Be Built Unless National 4
Lawmakers Should Decree
Otherwise.

fGSSluSuL ISCOSSfS1t -NOuudy u
mitted to congress the report of the
beard of consulting engineers on the
Panama canal commission, together
with the letter Of Secretary Taft, the
report of the isthmian canal commits
sion and a letter by Chief Engineer
Stevens.
The letter of the president in part
is'as follows:
ITO the Senate and House of Rep
reseatatives: ! submit herewith the
letter of the secretary Of war trans
mitting the report Of the board Of
consulting engineers on the Panama
canal and the report Of the isthmian
canal commission thereon, together
with a letter written to the chairman
Of the isthmian commission by CHIEF
Engineer Stevens. Both the board OF
consulting engineers and the canal
commission divide in their report
The majority of the board Of con-.
sulting engineers, eight in number,
including the five foreign engineers,
favor sea level canal, and one MEM
ber of the canal commission, Admiral
Endicctt. takes the same view. Five
of the eight American members Of the
board Of consulting engineers and five
members of the isthmian canal com
mission favor the lock canal, and so
does Chief Engineer Stevens. The.
secretary of war recommends a lock
canal pursuant to the recommendation
of the minority of Ihe board Of con-.
sulting engineers, and of the majority
of the canal commission. After cara
full study of the papers submitted, and
full and mature consideration Of the.
whole subject, I concur in this rec;
ommendation.
'Tt will be noticed that the Amerf-s
can engineers on the consulting boarf
and on the commission, by more than
a 2 to 1 majority, favor the lock,
canal, whereas the foreign engineers
are a unit against this. s,. ~.
each type has certain disadvan.
tsges, and there are advantages versy
much greater In a lock canal, sub
stantially proposed as in, the papers
forwarded herewith, and the chief eIi-;
gineer, who will be mainly responsible
for the success of this mighty engin-;
eering feat, and who has therefore
peculiar personal interest in judging
Alright, is emphatically and earnestly,
in favor Of the lock canal project, and:
against the sea level project. &.
"The sea level canal would be-
slightly less exposed to damage In
the event of war; the running ex-
penses apart from tie heavy cost OF
interest on the amount employed to-
build it would be less, and for small
ships the time Of transit would prob
ably be less. On the other hand, the
lock canal at level of 80 feet, OK
thereabout, would not cost much more
than half as much to build, and could
be built in about half the time; there
would be very much less risk con-.
nected with building it, and for large
ships the transit would be quicker.
while, taking into account the inter-
est saved on building, the actual cost
of maintenance would be less. After
being built, it would be easier TO-
enlarge the lock canal than the sea
level canal.
Moreover what has been actually
demonstrated in making and operat-
ing the great lock canal. the 500, q
more important artery of traffic than
the great sea level canal, the Suez,
goes to support the opinion Of the
minority Of the consulting board OF
engineers and Of the majority Of the
isthmian canal commission as to the
superior feasibility and desirabifity Of
building a lock canal
s'The law now on our statute book
seems to mean a lock canal. In my
Judgment lock canal as herein rec
commended is advisable"