The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1906-10-20
AN INTERESTING
LETTER ON CANAL
CgYyTAL FALLS MAN WHO HAS BEEN
--~EHeRE TELLS his EXPERIENCE.
DEALS With CANAL TYPE
SAYS That Most Persons fsvorins a Sea
Level Canal Bot Change Their Opin
ions Upon Visiting IN, lsthmus.

Lowe Whiting assistant engineer for
the Corrigan- Mckinney company con
tributed q very interesting and in
structive letter 70 the Iron River
Stambaugh Reporter two weeks ago
Mr. Whiting was appointed 20 a posi-
tion on the engineering corps TIVE
years ago and was on the isthmus about
a year 80 he can speak with authority
upon the canal questions
Mr.. Whiting letter - a. follows
Editor Reporter
The Isthmus Of Panama is not low
strip Of country through whicE big
straight ditch conld be- cut. but IL is
the continental backbone. the connecting
linke between .the western mountain
systems OF North and South America
rugged hilly country traversed by
many small streams. those Of the Al.
lantic side emptying into the Chagres
River and those on the Pacific side en-
plying into the Rio Grande
The Chagres river heading back in
the mountains At an elevation Of
several Thousand feet flows with the
trend OF the lsthmus to Gamboa where
il makes sharp turn 10 the right and
continues winding course for about
thirty miles 10 the Atlantic. This
river. like most tropical streams, is
subject Ia sudden and violent floods
While at normal stages il il compare.
lively insignificant IL may rise 10 a
raging torrent in few hours.
There Is but little lee way ia the
choice Of alignment Of the canal, for
il must Of necessity follow the Chagres
only few miles wide at It's month is
bordered one their side by steep hills
rapidly rising into mountains; and
peaks 500 feet high are within sight Of
points overloc ling the river.
CuIebra, five miles beyond Camboa
where the river turns and at AN ele.
vation Of 300 feet. marks the apex OF
the divide. From here 10 Panama il
almost II miles through a wider valley
than on the Atlantic side. and with a
smaller water shed and less rain fall
IL presents fewer difficulties
Our government has made exhaustive
investigation. covering many years
has studied all possible routes. using
the data secured by our men, and also
all available data from other sources
and has finally decided 10 build lock
canal scross the Isthmus from Coon to
Panama
This il neither the shortest nor the
lowest route, but IL IL undoubtedly the
hest
Nearly every American going to the
lsthmus has the pre-conceiyed idea
that the canal should be built at sen
level, but almost invariably upon per
sona contact with the country one =
ldeas change. until finally nearly all
who have had the opportunity TO study
the problem at close range have come
to the conclusion that lock canal all
things considered, is the hest and this
il the opinion held by those most com
petent to judge.
The present scheme. then cOdtem
plates the canal at sea level from Colon
through the low country at the mouth
~ the Chagres valley. for distance oi
eight miles 10 Gateen. NJ which point
an 80 or so foot dam will be- built,
forming lake extending hack twenty
miles 10 Bos Obispo, where there will
be large rock cut. followed by cul
II less depth, and then by the Culbera
Cnt, and thence about ten miles 10 the
Pacific through series Of three locks,
the entire line being AZ miles long.
The overflow from the lake viii pass
over natural spill-way in the At
Iantic, several miles from the th.
mouth of the canal The design ant
building Of the locks embraces an en-
gineering problem. OF much difficulty
"a they are 10 be larger and oi a great
rr life than any that have hereto for'
been huilt
But the problem y most seriou'
dificulty - the eiateen dam. for be,
rock can not be reached under deptl
II about 05 feet which prohibits Che
building ~ "a masonary or concret'
structure. therefore large earth dan
has been decided npon having a sIop'
~ I 70 3 on the wRter face aud . baci
slope of 70 -. the material from
Culebra Cut will ~ ussd ia its con
strnction
A dam of this size will. Of coorae b.