Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-19

years. by the isthmian canal commission
and the chief engineer from eighteen to
twenty years. The minority report estf-
mates the time for completing the high level
canal at eight and one-haIf years. and TINS
is regarded conservative by the other
competent authorities.
The advantage in practical speed of con-
struction'' Is in favor of the high level
canal.
The cost of operation and maintenance Is
an important consideration, and If meas
ured solely by annual appropriations there
for the advantage is in favor OF the sea
level canal. 1t Is believed, however. that
the difference is more than offset by the In
terest on the additional investment In the
cost of a sea level canal.
Besides serving the needs of commerce
the canal will give the military advantage
to the country of providing route for the
speedy reinforcement of the fleet on either
side of the continent, and military consid-
erations must have due weight. Either
type of canal is vulnerable-the high Level
the more so because of the lift locks which
can be easily injured Protection must be
afforded In either case. A concentration
of the locks simplifies the defense. and as
guards are necessary they should be or
sufficient strength to reduce to a minimum
the danger of injury to locks and dams
In View or rne foregoing, recommend
the adoption of the type of canal proposed
by the minority of the board of consult
ing engineers, except so far as relates to
the location of the locks at Sosa Hill.
The suggestion that the lake formed near
Panama viii be insantary does not seem
wall founded. as l am advised by the medi-
cal authorities of this department that in
sanitary conditions with respect to the
lake can be avoided by proper precau-
lions.
The great objection to the locks at Sosa
Hill is the possibility of their destruction
by the fire from enemys ships. If. as
has been suggested to me by officers of
this department entitled to speak with au-
1r;t tL4e, N1lr1
may be located against and behind Sosa
Hill in such way to the hill as
protection against such fire. then economy
would lead to the retention of this lake.
The lake would be useful to commerce as
means for relieving any possible con-
gestion in the canal should the traffic be
very great and would give in case of need,
place for concentrating or sheltering the
fleet. If. however, SoSa Hill will not af-
ford site with such protection then 1t
seems to me wiser to place the locks at
Mirafiores.
Change of Views.
When / visited the isthmus a year and
a half ago and went over the site and
talked with the then chief engineer. 1 re-
ceived strong impression that the work
of construction upon which the United
States was about to enter was of such
world wide Importance and so likely to
continue in active for centuries to come
that 1t was wise for the government not to
be impatient of the time to be taken or of
the treasure to be spent. 1t seemed to me
that the level canal was necessarily
much the more certain to satisfy the de-
mands of the worlds commerce than
lock canal that both time and money might
well be sacrificed to achieve the best form
and this feeling emphasized by reading
the very able report of the majority. But
the report of the minority. in showing the
actual result of the use of the locks in
ship canals, in pointing out the dangers of
so narrow and contracted a canal prism
as that which the majority proposes and
in making clear the great additional cost
in time and money of sea level canal. has
led me to different conclusion.
We may well concede that if we could
have a sea level canal with a prism from
800 to 400 feet wide. with curves that must
now exist reduced, it would be preferable
to the plan of the minority, but the time
and the cost of constructing such canal
are in effect prohibitory.
| ought not to close without inviting at
tention TO the satisfactory character of the
discussion Of the two types of canal by the
greatest canal engineers of the world,
which insures to you and to the Congress
an opportunity to consider all the argu-
ments. pro and con, i'll reaching proper
conclusion.
Very respectfully,
VIM. H. TAFT.
Secretary of War.