Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-07-24
TELLS OF COMING BENEFITS
FROM CANAL
OPENING IN NINE YEARS, HIS
PREDICTION
Powerful Address of United States
Senator from California Stirs
Engineers and Architects
to Warm Enthu>iasm
econtInued from Page One,

and 10000 government employees, many
themselves if left to their own devices
and who, consequently. have to be
watched. Today there is no yellow
fever and malaria is decreasing con-
stantly.
1T is generally admitted now that
mosquitoes carry yellow fever. In the
zone it is also admitted that mosquitoes
carry malaria. OF the workmen who
slept in the open fully 80 per cent were
attacked by malaria. Then shelter was
provided, screened houses and screened
hunks, and the percentage now is only
Co. while physicians say that this will
be greatly reduced from now on. So
much for sanitation.
Before the actual work of digging
the canal was undertaken three routes
were considered, Panama Nicaragua
and Darien. At one time the govern
ment was almost committed to the
Nicaragua route. Then a strong senti-
ment in favor of Panama developed and
we began Investigations to learn what
the French company had done there.
TT was found the French had spent
$3.50, O0O, 900 and that most of it had
for the purchase of the French rights
were undertaken. The amount finally
agreed upon was 100000 This in
cluded work already done on the Pana-
ma canal, stock in the Panama railway
buildings, machinery, supplies and so
forth.
Much of the work done by the
French was useless so far as the COM
pleted canal is concerned. Some of 1t
has been a positive hindrance. But on
the whole l believe we got our moneys
worth and paid a fair price to the
seller. Had the French built the canal
under plans projected it would have
been useless today, as it would be un-
able to accommodate ships of the size
in use at present. American plans Will
permit the use of the canal by ships
1000 feet in length and of 100 feet
beam, larger than are now used and
larger than ships are likely to be in the
future.
much money was wasted under
French administration. Today the
canal from one end to the other is lined
with discarded machinery, machinery
which never was of much account ana
which now is useless. Everything that
was made in France seems to have been
shipped to Panama. l was told down
there, and 1 believe the story is true,
that even snow shovels were sent with
which to dig the canal. Naturally fall-
ure followed such management. ON
the other hand the United states pur-
chases of machinery and supplies have
been conducted on a most business like
basis There may be other things to
criticise down there but not that.
1.-THE chief engineering problem in con-
nection with the work and the only one
presenting any great difficulties is at
Gatoun. Here the situation is very like
1Tnrrf n hn
Los Angeles river. The engineers pro-
pose to erect across the valley an earth
dam one and one-half miles long, half
a mile wide at the bottom, and l35 feet |
in height. When this dam is completed |
lake will be formed very much as though |
the San Fernando valley were to be COW
cred by a lake eighty-five feet deep,
backed up against a dam 1876 feet high.
Here, too, three double locks will be
built. not in the dam, but in the solid
hills These locks will be 500 feet wide.
Each of them so arranged that one can
be raised while the other is lowered, or |
that two can be raised or lowered at the
same time, as required. Storage reser- |
voirs will be constructed along the course
of the Chagres river which will supply |
this lake with water.
Next to Gatoun the big task is at what
is known as the Culebra cut Here the |
French did good work, and 1 am safe In
saving that this cut will be completed |
and forgotten before the Gatoun dam is
built We have sixty-ive steam shovels
working there now and dirt is flying. |
The cut is through eight miles of gran
lite formation.
ION the Pacific side there will be one
lock. descending thirty feet into another
lake. Two earthen dams, second lock
through the solid mountain, and third
lock Immediately over the ocean. Here,
at low tide, mud flats stretch away for
1000 feet.
Throughout the canal varies in width
from 1000 to $50 feet. When completed 1t
will take a ship twelve hours to pass
through it.
improvements are being made con-
stantly. We are now practically through
with the work of double-tracking the
Panama railway. We have 5000 buildings,
200O freight cars, three hospitals, with
1000 beds Ultimately it is expected that
the number of persons employed on the
work will be increased to 5O,OOO and prep
arations are being made to take care of
them.
when the canal is completed we shall
have two new shipping points, one on
the Atlantic and one on the Pacific side
They will be some little distance from
Colon and Panama. respectively.
so far as the administration of the
work is concerned, IL only remains LOT
us to keep some one man at the head of
the undertaking. In the past we have
been unfortunate in this respect L be-
lieve, however, that we have now hit
upon the right plan. The people have
confidence in the army engineers and
they should be left in charge.
1.-The estimated cost of the canal, eX-
elusive of payments to the French com
pany and to Panama, is SIPS, 100000. A
sea level canal would have cost at least
$50 900, 900 more, and estimates after that
range way up to $5OO,000.0OO..,
At the close of Senator Flint's address
he was rendered vote of thanks by the
association.
The senator was introduced by ]. B.
Lippincott, the associations president,
who explained that Senator Flint had
visited the canal zone and is recognized
at Washington as an authority on canal