The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1906-05-25
SEA=LEVEL WATERWAY.
FEAR OF EARTHQUAKES CAUSED SENATE
COMMITTEE TO SO DECLARE.
No Guaranty That the Canal Zone Will In Future
Be Exempt From Such Dis asters as Over
wheImed San Francisco.

and the more economical In operation
and maintenance
The estimates OF the minority and
the majority OF the board OF consult
ing engineers on the time hat would
De required 10 excavate 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 han
the lock type.
Risks encountered In the opera
ton OF the sea-level canal are made
light Of by the report. which says this
Gamboa dam would be ready TO con
troll the Chagres floods before the
Culebra excavation IS half finished.
and the balance OF the excavation In
the prism and below sea level could
go on without interruption. When the
Chagres is subsidized and controlled
and the sea-leyel canal made. its use
viii be attended with no more risk
than equal sailing distance In the
oceans.
Locke and Dams.
A chapter OF the report is devoted
to the locks and dams proposed by
the minority report OF the consulting
engineers. and these are asserted 10
be an element OF danger. The vari-
Gus accidents 10 which such mecanism
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
" the sea-level canal.
The claim is made by the report
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 an-
nual maintenance Is estimated az ST..
$4,000 for the sea level and $780,
O00 for the lock type.
Discussing the advantage OF the sea
level canal TO the country controlling
il in time Of war. the report says.
III free from all obstacles 70 quick
transit 100 warship OF average size. mpv-
ing in one direction. route clear. could Ia
iassed from ocean 70 ocean IN less than
a day.
III AHA o ~ Nv ANNA NHNfNfIlfNfN III
masters OF me Ertat raifnal and pri-
waite vessels ~ the world are almost 70
man opposed unalterably 20 the intro
ductlon or any lock - lift vessels over
the low summit that nature has left for
us 20 remove"
The majority urges that an enemy
could destroy a lock canal much
easier han a sea-level cana. with ex.
plosives
The ultimate final cost OF the sea.
level canal. as estimated by the ma.
jority. is $3.50. 100000. while the cost
Of the lock canal IS regarded as IN.
certain. The minority OF the board
OF consulting engineers estimated the
cost al sl39. 7O5 200. and to this the
majority says should be added the In.
terest on the extra cost OF malnten-
ance, n expenses OF clearing the
titles TO the lis 900 acres OF land that
would be submerged by the central
lake proposed by the lock plan. which.
IL is estimated. would make the total
cost at least $3.50 900. 900. The cost OF
transferring the lock plan into a sea.
level canal, after the former is com.
- s-VNf VNNtVVV.
In conclusion. the majority SAYS:
Your committee feels entirely conf.
dent that the board OF consulting engl.
neers. selected 10 study this problem.
has submitted a plan that responds
in every respect to the conditions stat.
ed above. and that the sea-level canal
can be realized in ten or eleven years.
at a cost not TO exceed 100000. 900
above that required by the construc-
ton OF the multilock canal proposed
by the minority"