Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-13
ENGINEERS AND
PANAMA CANAL.
Disposition Among Senators to
Transfer Work to Govern.
ment Army Corps.
MOVING DRY DOCK DEWEY"
Experiment Being Watched With Con.
siderable INTERESTINGLY With
Santo Domingo.

Special Correspondence.
Washington, u. G., Jan. S.--The action
Of the senate IN holding up the nominal
tions OF the Panama canal commissions
crs is believed TO have other meaning
than that senators are opposed to any
one OF the gentlemen named. The work
accomplished by the commission up to
date is not visible In Washington, and
there Is a widespread feeling that little
actual work has been done IN spite OF
the enormous amount which has been
expended for material aud supplies. TIE
United States Government Advertiser,
publication IN which all government
advertisements are inserted, publishes II
long list Of articles wanted for the COM
mission every week. These wants range
from hack saws to locomotives and
from lead pencils tn bridge timbers.
From these advertisements 1t would
appear that the commission may never
get enough material on iland, IN spit"
of the fact that the value of that on
hand now, including that left 10y the
French company, is saii 10 approx
mate upwards OF S2O,O0O,OOO.
There IL growing disposition in the
senate to abolish the commission en-
tirely and to turn the work OF construc-
ton over to the corps OF engineers OF
the United states army, II IL held, AMI
with a great deal OF reason, That the
work which this corps has done IN the
way of improving the rivers and har-
bors of the United states during the
past so years, fits them for canal con-
struction to u far greater degree than
It Is possible TO expect from civil engi-
neers whose life has been devoted to
railroad building.
In any event. 1t is probable that be-
fore the commissioners, named by ""
president, are confirmed there will be
a full and complete discussion OF the
proposition to turn the whole subject
over to the secretary of war with a
view to the transfer " the work TO the
corps of engineers.
SPLENDID CATTLE,
Representative James w. WadsWorul
chairman of the committee on agricul-
ture of the house. has presented To
that committee three large photographs
of the three principal breeds Of beel
cattle Herefords, Short Horns and
polled Angus, and these pictures, which
were taken at the fat cattle show III
Chicago, represent the acme of perfec-
ton In the matter of beef production
IN the United states. The photographs
have been handsomely framed and VIII
hereafter adorn the walls OF the COM
mittee room, The room occupied by the
committee on agriculture. by the way
is more beautifully decorated than any
room in the house wing or the capltol
building The allegorical frescoes are
the work OF Brumlde and although
the colors were placed as long ago as
1855 thew are as bright today as they
were 50 years ago. The ceiling OF the
other committee rooms are redecorated
every year or two, but that Of the
Agricultural committee room has not
been touched by n painters brush for
half century,
DRY DOCK DEWEY"
The construction bureau of the navy
department is waiting with the great
est interest the next report from the
dry dock Dewey" which Is being tow
ed across the Atlantic. on its way to
Manila. This hugo contrivance Is
about as ungainly as could be mag
ined and grave doubts are expressed
as to the ultimate outcome OF the eN-
pertinent. There is margin of only
four feet between the width of the
Dewey and the breadth of the Sue1
canal and any accident In that naval
thoroughfare would prove disastrous.
1t IL generally conceded that Congress
made mistake In not providing that
the Dewey should be shipped knocked
down." Ii Is now realized that 1t would
have been far cheaper and Infinitely
fer 10 have adopted this course. but
perhaps II would have been better still
TO have refrained from building the
dock at all as nearly 20 feet Of water
will be required TO flood II and there
"a no such depth in an available place
I'm Manila harbor at present, In this
connection IL will be recalled that the
United States laid Spain 100000 for
the floating dock located In Havana
harbor At the time OF the surrender OF
Toral In 1895. The navy experts ex-
amlned the dock and recommended that
it be not purchased at any price. but
the state department was determined
and induced Congress to appropriate
the necessary money. The dock was
hauled 10 the vicinity OF Pensacola
where It is still moored. but Il Is to
all intents ana purposes useless and
certainly would not be available In time
of war, owing TO it's exposed position
and no other safe location with the
requisite depth OF water, So feet. can
be found for 1t.
TO COMPETE WITH BELL.
Efforts viii again be made this SEES.