Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-30
Claim is Advanced that it Will Save
Much Time
CoNO@Y IN COST is ALSO URGED
Estimate Extra Expense Exclusive of sani-
tation Will Be Sl40,000,000.
ARGUES THAT IT IS PRESIDENTS PLAN
Decision BASED on spOOner Law with
Its Provision in Favor of
Choice TO BE Made by
the Executive.

WASHINGTON, May 2s.--In recommend
ing the construction of a lock canal across
the lsthmus of Panama the minority Of
the senate committee on interoceanic
canals has drafted an exhaustive report
which was submitted to the senate today
by Chairman Millard One of the chief
arguments made in favor of the lock canal
is that the Spooner act shows that con-
gress intended that should be the type.
although the authority to decide was con-
ferred upon the president. The minority re-
port says: The president having taken the
advice of competent engineers and Of the
Canal commission. has recommended that
1t is advisable 10 construct a lock canal"
The minority declares that the only ques-
tion presented is whether congress shall
annul the action OF the president or shall
simply withhold its hands and allow the
president to exercise the power which
has heretofore been conferred upon him.
The canal type proposed by the minority
of the board of consulting engineers is the
lock canal, which is the type favored by
the minority of the senate committee.
Argument of the Report.
The report argues that the plan is we'll
balanced, for it will take just about the
same time to construct the dam, excavate
for the locks and build the locks as It does
to make the needed excavation through the
Culebra cut, a period of not more than
seven and a half years Everything else
to be done-the three dams forming Lake
Sosa, the dam and lock at Pedro Miguel
can be completed well within this time.
The cost of the canal is $140OOO.OoO This
includes everything but the sanitation, and
ready purchased and in preparation for
construction already made"
The central feature OF the plan is the
dam and locks at Gatun, and the minority
says the evidence is overwhelming that the
dam will be as firm as the everlasting hills.
The testimony of engineers is quoted to
refute criticisms of the dam.
In answer to objections to the scheme of
having locks placed in flight the minority
| says "They are placed Immediately to-
| gether, that a vessel can move from
the water at highest level In one lock irn-
/ mediately in the low level Of the next lock.
Locks thus arranged in flight or in steps
so to speak, are well known devices in lock
! construction and no more of an experiment
than q single lock-
Curyes and Channels.
The sea level canal, says the report, will
have nineteen curves of 5S degree curva-
ture, while the suez. OF twice the length.
has only fifteen curves of 467is degrees.
The minority says the length of the curves
in the lock level canal is only Is per cent OF
the total length OF the canal, while that
OF the sea level is Ss per cent; and while
the degree of curvature is greater in
the lock canal than the sea level, the
curves are almost wholly in channels 1000.
500 and 900 feet in width, in which such
curves have not the slightest effect to In
crease the dangers of navigation.
Concerning the danger to the lock canal
from malicious mischief and attempted de-
struction in time Of war the minority says
there is no reason for supposing that neu-
trality will not be accepted by all the
nations OF the earth and that II would
be the most effective way of preventing
linJury 10 the canal. 1t is argued that the
sea level canal, with its tidal lock at Sesa-
and its narrow gorge through Culebra-
would offer excellent opportunity for de-
struction by explosives. The danger from
earthquakes is not treated as a serious
one. the report quoting testimony to show
that earthquakes are not OF frequent oc
currence at the isthmus and that violent
earthquakes have never happened at tha
point.
Estimates made by the majority az 4
the cost OF the sea level canal are disputet
by the minority. which declares that thu
total cost will be about 1912, ,OOO, ,0OO instead
OF 247OOO,0OO