Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-20
THE ISTHM|AN CANAL
Conclusions of the Commission
ers, Except One.
WHY LOCKS WERE ADVISED
Question of Their Safety Gene Into
Thoroughly.
PLAN OF THE LOCK CANAL
Rear Admiral Endicott Gives the
Only Dissenting Opinion From the
Views Of His Colleagues.
PLAN OF THE LOCK CANAL

The conclusions of the isthnian canal
commissioners. Rear Admiral Endcott,
L. S. N. excepted, as to the best type of
canal are briefly stated as follows:
1t appears that the canal proposed by
the minority of the board OF consulting en-
gineers can be built In half the time and 4
little more than half the cost of the canal
proposed by the majority of the board, and
that when completed it will be a better
canal for the following reasons:
/. II provides greater safety for ships
and less danger to interruption to traffic by
reason of its wider and deeper channels.
.. 1t provides quicker passage across the
isthmus for large ships or large traffic
g. 1t is in much less danger of damage
to itself or of delays to ships from the dood
waters of the Chagres and other streams.
4 Its cost of operation and maintenance,
including fixed charges. will be less by
some S2,U0o0oO or more per annum.
.. 1t can be enlarged hereafter much
more easily and cheaply than can q sea-
level canal
8. Its military defense can be effected
with as little or Perhaps less difficulty than
the sea-level canal.
That greater speed in navigating the
canal could be made under the proposed
lock plan than in the sea-level canal
is claimed by the commission following the
findings of the minority of the engineers, on
the ground that for a considerable distance
that is, in the great artificial lakes TO be
created by the lock canal plan-Che speed
of vessels would be subject to no restrIc-
ton save that imposed by the po5.cr Of
their own engines, whereas in the sea level
canal. the proposed width of which is 10
to 200 feet vessels of large size could not
proceed faster than four miles an hour
throughout the entire length of the canal,
would haze to go even slower in approach
ing and rounding the various curves made
necessary by this type OF canal, and would
be subject to d very strong current when
might prevent vessels of the largest size
from navigating the canal at al under
their own steam.
Safety OF the Locks.
The question of the safety of tie pro
posed locks, which will be the largest yet
attempted for vessels Of immense size, is
also gone into extensively, the conclusion
reached being that there Is no reason why
the locks should not be entirely safe for
even the largest ships, and the immense
lock at the 500 is pointed to in support of
this contention.
The minority report, the adoption of
which Is recommended, favors a canal with
an etghty-five foot summit level. The
theory is advanced by the commission in
its letter to Secretary Taft. that If this plan
is adopted no further action by Congress
will be required, the important but not
radical changes In the present plan from
that formerly approved by Congress being
such as would, it is claimed, come under
the provisions OF that act.
Admiral Mordecai T. End.cott d.s3ents
from the views CT his collea CUES ana sub
mits report recommending the adoption
of the sea-leTcl plan, his contention being
based mainly on the alleged advantages OF
this form Of canal from mlitary stand
point. He also claims greater speed in
navigating the canal for all but the largest
vessels, much smaller COS; OF rnainte-
nance less risk Of the canal S being blocked
by an accident and greater facility and
less cost in making future eniargeme hts in
a loci: canal of the size proposed. The ma
jority OF the comm.SS on, the other hand
claim tina, all these advantages rest in ia
OF the canal with locks except that of
military efficiency, and consider that the
relative advantages of the two plans from
this standpoint nearly counterJalance each
other. The significant statement is made,
however. that the true p1hcy" of the
United States rests in making and keeping
the canal neutral.
Plan of the Lock Canal.
The plan of the canal with Jocks, as rec
commended by the minority Of the consult
ing board is outlined follows:
The plan recommended by the minority
of tho board is canal with locks follow
ing in general the same location the
other. but with slight variations therefroTn
in Limon and Panama bays. Its control
ling feature is dam to close the valley of
the Chagres at Gatun, thus creating al
tifcial lake, of which the surface is to be
eighty-flve feet above the sea and which is
to constitute the summit level The length
OF this dam will be 7IO0 feet, and the
height of its crest l35 feet. or fifty feet
above the water surface 1t Will contain
about y 100000 cubic yards of material,
principally the spoil from the excavation
of the canal prism. 1t is provided with
D1nlp epillwayS and regulating WO- ks
"A channel 500 feet wide at sea level leads
from Limon bay to the Gatun dam, where
is placed a double fl ght of three locks by
means of which vessels are lifted into the
artificial lake. The lake provides unrestr!ct-
ed navigation for large part of It's length.
but becomes more contracted as the CONT
mental divide is approached, until in the
Culebra cut the width at bottom Is reduced
to 900 feet. 1t finally terminates at Pedro
Miguel, where the first lock on the Pacific
side is placed having lift of thirty feet
By means of this lock vessels are lowered
into another artificial lake, created by
dam closing the valley of the Rio Grande,
and by two other dams closing other de-
pressons, the level of the lake being fifty
five feet above the sea. The crests of these
dams are eighty feet above the sea. Com
munication between the lake and Panama
bay is effected by double flight of two
locks placed near the shore on the high
ground called SoSa Hill.
''All locks are IN duplicate and have
disable length 800 feet. width 95 feet and
depth over the inter sills 40 feet. The
depth of the channel Is everywhere at least
- feet except In the locks and In Limon
bay, where II is 40 feet, the depth in Pan
ANA bay, however, being measured from
mean tide and not from dead low water In
the lakes the depth is often very MUCH
greater, being IS feet near the Gatun dam.
and nearly as much for many miles. re
width is nowhere less than 200 feet at bot
TOM and at most places is very much more.
1.-The length Of the canal from deep water
In Limon bay to deep water in Panama bay
is 40 u miles OF this, 1917 miles is more
than coo feet wide, % miles is more than
500 feet wide 35 miles is more than 500
feet wide and 42h miles Is more than 800
feet wide. That is. for about half the dis
lance navigation is entirely unrestricted.
while for more than two-thirds of the dis
lance the channels are 800 feet more
wide, and for only one-seventh the distance.
including the locks. are they less than 800
foot do