New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-08
PANAMA CANAL BOARD.
pOTtSSE4U LIST MEMBER.
Iovements Of Commissioners More
Lght on SteUenS'S Action.
IRON The Tribune Bureau


washington. March THE new Panama
80 Commission was completed to-day by the
,--ior by the President OF Rear Admiral
- II. Rousseau, chief Of the bureau Of
IDS and docks OF the Navy Department, as
.so successor 10 Rear Admiral Endicott. The
,,r.sdent has also placed Joseph b. Bishop in
Ell charge oC the affairs OF the commission in
washington. The new commission now stands.
7,o,tenant Colonel George W. Cocktails chair
-. Major William L. Sibert. Major David Du
p Ganlard. Colonel William c. Gorgas. Rear
admiral Harry Il. Rousseau. ex-senator Joseph
r : Blackburn and Jackson Smith.
Colonel Cocktails sailed for Colon the Pan
am. Yesterday, accompanied by Major Gaillard.
.-o3or slbert win sail on the 11th. and the
,5,b Rear Admiral Rousseau expects TO sail.
ne NAV be accompanied by Senator Blackburn.
colonel Goreas and Jackson Smith are already
m the is,hmus. No further changes are con-
,en,plated. though it has been suggested that
should there be change Jackson Smith would
probably be the first TO go.
az course. Chief Engineer Stevens is still on
she istlEaus and is the chairman Of the commits
sion. rending the transfer OF authority to Colo
nel GoethaIs soon after the arrival of the
Panama. which is due in Colon on Wednesday
next.
Much additional information has been re
oeived in washington since the real reason
which urecipitated the resignation Of Chief En-
gineer Stevens was explained exclusively in these
disnatches 10 The Tribune Of February IS, all of
which constitutes additional proof that the resig-
nation contained in Mr.. Stevens's extraordinary
and now famous letter 10 the President was
,,ureIz a bluff" that the chief engineer never
e1nectea his .'bluh' would be called. and that
he now seriously regrets his temerity in at
.o-,-tirsr such tactics with the President or the
United States.
Secretary Taft expects TO SAT- for the isthmus
on March "a on the triple screw cruiser Co.
lu1nbia He viii be accompanied by Senator
KfttredEe and Representatives Burton and DE
Almond and three civil engineers-Alfred Noble
Of the PENNSYLVANIA Railway; Frederick Stearns
the engineer who built the great Massachusetts
dam. and John 2. Freeman, of Rhode 1sland
The test holes fifty feet deep. on the site or th(
Gatun Dam. viii have been excavated oy th'
+ir,a Secretary Taft and his party have arrived
and the engineers and members OF Congress WI
have an opportunity TO examine with their owr
ewes the foundation for the greatest dam to b'
constructed on the Isthmus. It is expected tha
this examination will set at rest the various
sensational reports that solid foundation can
not be found for the Gatun Dam
Senator Kittredee, who win accompany Sec
retarv Taft, will become chairman OF the Sen
ate Committee on Interoceanic Canals at IN
next session Of Congress. his succession being
insured by the retirement OF Senator Millard
Senator Plat, who is the ranking mem
her viii yield the first place to Mr.. Kittredge
as the Senator from New York prefers to re-
tain his present craftsmanship OF the Commit
tee on Printing. The retirement Of Senators MI
lard. Dryden and Carmack leaves two Repubh'
can and one Democratic vacancy on the commit
tee and IL Is the expectation OF the Senate lead
ers materially to strengthen the committee OF
which Senator Kittredge VIII be he chairman.
Representatives Burton and De Almond are
not members OF the Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce, which handles canal
legislation 81 the House, but It is possible that
The Speaker contemplates some shifting OF the
committees In the next House which VIII make
them so.
Reports from the isthmus show a steady pros
ecution Of the work Of excavation. and. aside
from some minor troubles with labor unions.
and an occasional protest from a discharged or
diseruntled e1nploye. everything IS going most
satisfactorily.