The Washington times., 1906-11-02
POINTS ON CANAL
FROM COMMISSION
FOR BIDDERS USE
Announcements in Detail
of Manner of Locks
and Excavation.

For the general Information of bid
ders who may desire the contract OF
building the Pananna canal the
Isthmian Canal Commission has an
nounced a general plan for the work, in
which the amount OF material and dif-
ferent kinds required. both for eNcava-
tion and locks. is approximately esti-
mated.
The c5naI, according TO the act Of
Congress of last June. viii be con
structed on the lock plan, as proposed
by the minority report Of the board OF
consulting engineers The general type
is to form a summit level about eighty
five feet above the sea, which is to be
reached BY a flight OF locks located at
Gatun. on the atlantic side. and by one
lock at pedro Miguel. with two other
locks at La Boca. on the Pacific side,
the locks all 10 be In duplicate
The summit level is TO be formed By
the construction of a large dam at Ga
tun and a small one at Pedro Miguel. \
second lake, with "A surface elevation of
afty-five feet will be formed on the Pa
ciilc side between Pedro Miguel and
Panam bay. by construction of a dam
at la BoCa, across the mouth OF the
Rio Brande. and another dam between
Sosa Hin and high ground near Coro-
zaI
A number of drawings, showing the
general features Of the canal, accom-
pany the plans. From the caribbean sea
10 the mouth Of the Mlndi river. a chan
mel is 10 be eXcavated, having a bottom
width Of 500 feet and a depth of forty
two feet below mean tide. This may he
widened to 1,o00 feet or more from the
deep water i'm the Caribbean TO the
mouth OF the river. The material to be
excavated here is mostly soft mud and
can be removed ny dredging.
Excavate II,ooo,opo Cubic Yards.
From the mouth of the Miudl river to
the Gatun locks, the canal is To have a
bottom width of 500 fet and a depth of
A. feet below mean tide. Some of the
excavation is dry, while dredging wall
suffce for the other. The total amount
10 be eNcavated is about II, 0O0,OcO cubic
yards, while the total amount on the first
or Colon section. viii be about 9. .455. .00l
cubic feet
There are 20 be two sets of the Gatuu
locks side by side. The lift Will be-
overcome by a flight OF two locks OF 4aI.
feet each. Their exact location has noi
Yet been definitely fixed The Gatur
dam will reach from the Gatun hills
IN which the locks will be located. to a
hill about $500 feet westward. in which
The spillway will be located.
The object is 10 form a reservoir in
which the foods of the Charges will be
received. It's area viii be about III
square miles. II win have a height OF
155 feet and a width OF 100 feet AT the
top, and about 2.625 feet at the bottom
with a length of about 100 feet Th,
total amount OF material in this dam i,
estimated at q 100000 cubic yards
Works for regulating the level Of The
lake viii be located in the hlI about
midway between the two extremities OF
the dam.
Section 8 is described as the lake sec
ton. From the Gatun locks to san
Pablo, over fifteen miles. but a smal
amount .} OF excavation will be required
me width OF the channel Will be ab1u
LOO Ieet and average depth fortv-fV
feet. About 1000 900 cubic Yards Of ex
cavauon is in this section.
Difficult Culebra Cut.
The Culebra section is known as IN
CUlebra cut, the most dinicult part q
all. About 39.0O00ol yards Of rock ar
10 be removed.
The Pedro Miguel lock will have .
lift of thirty feet. constructed in dupIi
cate. a short dam viii retain the wate
AT the summit level. The excayatio
viii amount to about 1,I7O.OOO cubi,
yards. There Will be about $50 900 en-
bic yards of fairly easy excavation il
the Lake Sosa section. while the Sos
locks are 10 be In a flight of two, wit
liIJ Of twenty-eight feet each in duDli
cate About l,43O,0O0 cubic yards OF eX
caVaton VIII be encountered there.
Another dam VIII be constructe,
across the Rio Graude from San Jual
Hill, another from SOsa Hin 10 CorOza
Hill, and still another. bat smaller. iron
COrOZa Hi to the high ground Thes
dams viii form SOsa lake. with an are
OF about eight square miles. There will
ee about 100000 yards OF excavation
Eor the three dams.
From SOsa locks 10 the deep water Il
Panama bay. a distance of about fou
miles. the channel will be about 500 fee
wide and fifIy feet below mean tide
There will be about S,52S, COO cubic yard
OF soft excavation.
Relocate Panama Railroad.
The Panama railroad will be re
located throughput almost the entir
distance. Some heavy embankment
viii be required TO cross certain Dol
tions OF Gatun lake
The total amount OF excavation
about l0i, ,33S.0 900 cubic yards Th
amount OF cut stone. concrete timber
and steel work forms an important ad
ditional proposition.
nHnHTnIE HAT