Evening star., 1907-10-20
Army Engineer Brings Mes
sage to Secretary. MetCaIf.
MAY REOPEN OLD ISSUE
Question of Sea-Level Waterway
Once More Revived.
INVOLVES MANY MILLIONS
Building of Great Vessels Believed
to Demonstrate Necessity for
Change in Plans.

The locks of the projected Pan
anna canal must be made wider
than they were originally planned
in the opinion of the naval mem
Der OF the isthmian canal commits
sion. Lieut.. and Civil Engineer
II. II. Rosseau, who arrived i'll
Washington yesterday direct
from the isthmus. 1t is presumed
that he bore this message from
the commission itself. though that
fact could not be determined, Ow-
ing to the departure OF the officer
from Washington for New York
only a few hours from the time of
his arrival in this city; just suffi-
Cient time here, in fact. to enable
him to lay his message before
Secretary Metcalf
Undoubtedly naval exigencies. supple
mented by the building OF the giant Gu
narders. Lus tania and Mauritania. IS the
basis for the projected change in the
Panama canal plans, which will in
vOlve the expenditure of many additional
millions of dollars and perhaps the ex-
tension OF the time required for the com
pletion of the canal project 1t is $50
probable that the mere suggestion OF such
a considerable change of plans as that
proposed by Lieut.. Rosseau would pre-
cipltate a general debate in Congress and
reopen the whole issue of sea level ver-
sus lock canal, which was believed to have
been finally settled by President Roose-
welt and Secretary Taft when they gave
the order for the beginning of work on the
lock canal plan.
Advocated Sea Level
The fact is that when Congress was so
warmly discussing the two projects about
two years ago the sea level canal advo-
Gates made the point that theirs was the
only plan that would have sufficient elias
ticity to meet the needs of rapidly increas-
ing tonnage in marine construction. Their
plan invo.ved the use of but one lock
merely To offset the tidal difference be
tween the eastern and western seas, a
comparatively low and insignificant lock,
which could be easily widened when re-
quired. But they made strong point of
the difficulty, expense and loss of time
IL the use OF the canal that would follow
the attempt 10 widen the locks required
for the high level canal.
Possibly foreseeing the force of that ar
xumeDt the canal commission apparent
feels that il would be wise to make the
locks of the canal wide enough in the
beginning TO accommodate the grant ships.
not only Of the navy. but OF the merchant
marine. that are sure TO be constructed in
canal commissions which have dealt with
the detailed plans ot the canal have, each
In turn, been impressed with a necessity
for enlarging the capacity of the projected
waterway. and each commission has not
hesitated to increase the width of the
canal prism and the size Of the locks from
those planned by its predecessors.
Another Revision of Plans
Now the last com mnission goes even be
YOuu this by revising its own plans before
they have gotten beyOp4 that point in exc
cuJOn where Il Is feasible To do so with
out actual waste Ot money. For uD to
this point substantially all of the work
that has been done uIOn the .sthmus has
berL upon lIic cana. PRISM, in the great
Cui,nra cut. Oh the twenty odd miles of
low.duds, and III ,Hc bottom OF the har-
bors- only the ground has been cleared
anu tie holes dug iur the great flights
Is merely d matter Of widening these foun-
G.uOns tAat Is taVOlvei in the last propO-
Elt.ua.
Fortunately the canal prism itself. as
pTuJr ted Ia the plans nov under execu-
uoH. Will pro a. ) lC wide enough at the
LaITcW-Sy pCIIt-iu the Culebra section
from Las Casca,ids 10 near Paraiso d
dl-,auuc ut - miles. where the minimum
width is 20 feet through rock
But the locks themselves. originally
planned 10y this last comm ssiOn 10 be 800
fee long and % fec- wide at Gatun were
But seGuentIy Increased by the engineers
III thciy designs to Il width Of 100 feet
and length of 1910 feet. Ii is a simple
eng 'cring task to increase the width
an depth OF the canal prism at any time
Whllg the canal Is N operation, but the
lo' - cannot Ice brOadened without seri-
eus interfering with the operation of
th. canal and at great expense, owing TO
tbtt duplicate chardCte
Ships of the Future.
Already the dimensions of these locks
are being closely approximated by naval
ships actually built or building. and it is
regarded as certain that the Atlantic lines
vii In the near future build great turbine
ships which could never pass through
thC locks as heretofore Planned and so
would be we'll nigh useless as naval aux
Hiary ships IL time OF war. The famous
British hattleship. Dreadnaught now
afoat, measures ~ feet in beam and our
owl Delaware class two ships of which
class are building. will measure S5.3 feet
beam. Ihe 2J.OOO-tOn ship. which our
naval designers are talking of suggesting
fo Congress will measure IS feet in the
eiear. which would Leave only feet clear
sncr at the side of the locks under the
existing designs.
These facts have been laid before Secre-
taTy MetCalf and IL will be for him TO
make some recommendation to the Presi-
dent in the matter. Details of the new
plans cannot he obtained at present but
the change Is said to be costly. though
Of its necessity few naval officers have
any doubt