The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-19

recommended is aOFiSa Die
] If the Congress directs thai a sea
/ level canal be constructed. its direction
VIII, OF course. be carried out other
wise the canal viii be built on sub
stentiaily the plan for a lock canal out
lined In the accompanying papers. such
changes being made. of course, as NAV
/ be found actually necessary; including
possibly the change recomn mid ~
the Secretary OF War as to the site OF
the dam on the Pacific side.
! THEODORE ROOSEN ELF.
White House. February 10. 1906.
Engineers Report.
War Department. Washington, Feb. 10,
1906.
! The President
Sir-I have the honor 10 forward,
herewith. the report Of the Board OF
consulting Engineers for the Panama
i canal, convened by your order OF June
/ "a, 1905, with the views Of the Isthmian
| canal Commission and of the chief en-
Elneer Of the canal
J The report shows that all plans here
/ tofore proposed for canal, with eleva-
tons varying from zero (sea leveD up
to 100 feet. have received careful con
stderation. but the board was unable
( 10 reach unanimous agreement The
I majority of its members are In favor
OF so-calied sea level canal, and the
minority recommends a lock canal with
summit lever eighty-f1ve feet above the
sea. choice between the two must
rest upon their relative advantages and
:
J minority contemplate safe and COM
/ mOdOUs" haTboTs In LimsOn and Fana-
ma Bays. Though differing in details
such work IN no way effects the type
/ OF canal and consideration of the ter
minal HORRORS in connection Herewith Is
/ here unnecessary.
The sea levei proposed by the majority
! consists of a continuous, winding water
/ way extending from Limon bay to d
/ properly dam near Panama
/ bay. provided with duplicate locks near
/ 5Gsa hill 10 overcome the difference
! in tidal fluctuations that exist at the
/ two eXtremities Of the canal The canal
prism has a depth Of forty feet. mini
! mum bottom width Of lJO feet in earth
and 200 feet in rock, with suitable side
! slopes for the former and practically
/ vertical sides for the latter
The floods of the charges are con-
! trolled by a dam built at Gamboa 10
height of $50 feet above sea level. pro-
/ vided with sluice gates for regulating
l the discharge which is made through
/ Dams and Ievees. exterior TO the
/ canal, are provided for diverting five
of the twenty-seyen streams that cross
d the canal line and for preventing over
/ flows in the vicinity OF Panama.
J The eighty-hve-foOt level canal rec
commended by the minority has a dam
/ across the valley Of the Chagres river
! near Gatun. with d crest 135 feet aoove
/ sea level and 80 feet above the normal
water surface of the reservoir or in
land lake that is formed The dam IS
I provided with sluice gates for regulat-
! ing the height Of water in the reser-
voi- thereby controlling the floods OF
+ the Chagres-
/ From Limon Bay to this dam the
channel IS 500 feet wide and forty-one
! feet deep at mean tide. The difference
I of level from the channel at the foot
/ Of the dam 10 the surface Of the Lake
g.afr~
cate flights of three locks The total
! length OF this waterway is thirty miles
extending from the Gatun dam TO Pc
drO Miguel. At Pedro Miguel duplicate
/ locks with one lift OF thirty feet under
ordinary conditions. connect the summit
/ level with another waterway whose
surface at normal stage is fifty-five feet
above mean sea level This waterway
IL created by dams placed across the
valley Of the Rio Grande and adjacent
depreSSiOnS, and extends nearly I'VE
miles to Sosa HIN. Descent to the chan
nel-fifty-ttVc feet At mean tde-in
Panama Bay IS effected by duplicate
flights of two locks to the west of Sosa
Hill.
gTess requires that the canal across the
isthulus shall be OF sufficient capacity
and depth shall afford convenient
/ IassaEe for vessels of the largest ton
! mage and greatest draft now in use, and
such rs may be reasonably anticipated
This law. in effect. fixes the minimum
dimensions OF the locks and the width
and depth of the canal prism. The high
level canal employs locks with 900 feet
disable length, 81 feet width, and 10 feet
depth over the mftre sills, somewhat
smaller than the tidal locks recon-
mended for the sea-level type
Two ships now building for the
Z -, hon
The largest afioat Each is 500 feet in
length over all and IS feet beam, with
= maximum loaded draft of IS feet AS
TIE smaller OF the proposed locks IS
capable of floating vessels OF . per
cent greater tonnage than the new
CEunardcrs il is evident that the lochS
! fully comply with the requirements I'M
t posed by Congress
J High Level Canal.
, In the high newell canal. n vessel of
! the dimensions noted would have. with
/ the exception OF the A. miles where the
width is only 200 feet. ample leeway for
safe navigation and good speed, without
Objectionable currents and without ditf-
culties at the points where changes IN
! course are necessary. There would also
be ample depth throughout except at
the approaches. 1t is true that the depth
! in the cvhanneI below the Gatun dam is
/ Al feet at moan tide (tidal range feeD,
and in the channel below the Sosa
! locks is 10 feet at moan tide (tidal range
| 20 feeO. but additional depths in both
approaches. because of the character OF
the bottom. can be easily and economic
ally secured by dredging when demand
/ ed iy the needs of commerce.
! With the proposed sea level canal con-
/ ditiOns are different The depth is but
or
/ ship. not sufficient to permit her to
proceed under her own steam except al
great risk; twenty-one miles of the ca
! nal IS not sufficiently wide for two such
ships to pass; currents caused by the
/ regulation Of the Chagres and by the
/ How of other streams into the canal, and
! its many curves. combine to increase the
difficulties and dangers of navigation.