The Washington herald., 1907-03-26
NO GRAFT In PANAMA
Indiana congressman Are
Enthused Over Canal.
WORK PROGRESSING RAPIDLY
Representative Foster Returns frons
the Istlimus with Colleagues aud
Makes Optimistic Report ON Condi-
tions-GOod Management on All
sides-BuiIding Dams Chief Task.

That the Panama Canal viii be COM
pleted in due season. without the taint OF
graft and at a reasonable cost, consider
ing the magnitude of the enterprise, is the
opinion Of four Indiana Congressman who
have Just returned from a visit OF inspee-
tion at the isthmus. Representative John
III. Foster reached Washington yesterday,
and will remain here a week, looking after
department matters. He is beautifully
bronzed, Representatives Holiday and
Gilhams went directly from New York to
their homes. Representative CLANCY
stopped IN New York,
Mr. CLANCY had terrible tussle with
seasiekness during the return voyage.
Representative Holiday. the old soldier
member of the delegation. was put of his
feed the very first day on the outgoing
voyage. and ne was kept In such a state
Of inner tumult going and returning that
he found 1t harder 10 swallow the boat
fare than the hard tack Of his soldier
days.
While some Of the Indiana members
were pessimists as to the result of the
great canal undertaking before they
started to Panama, they all return the
most confident OF optlmists
No Cause for Cold Feet.
Mr.. Foster said:
"The Isthmian Canal project is all
right. There is no reason why the Amer
lean people should get cold feet on the
proposition. Il is the greatest work ever
undertaken by man, but it will be wrought
10 a successful conclusion, and it Will
stand as the master work of the ages. Il
is not dependent upon any novel ideas at
all All OF the methods of construction
have been thoroughly tested, and the
project differs from others only in its
magnitude
THE people at home who have neb-
ulous idea that graft is rampant on the
isthmus and that the canal is nothing
more or less than a rat hole for money.
would reach another conclusion If they
had the same opportunity that We had
10 study conditions at short range. There
| is no evidence of graft. The work is
being efficiently and honestly performed.
More than likely the cost Of construction
may be increased over the original esti-
mates, but this is unavoidable In a work
of this character. carried on In such q
locality as the Isthmus OF Panama. where
almost nothing Is created, and every
! thing is Imported. Everything that Ee
saw indicated good management. Dirt
was flying, and no mistake. On the first
day we we're there the amount Of dirt ex-
cavated was 5000 tons. On the next day
80. coo tons were excavated, and the exca-
vations are increasing steadily. There is
no lack Of labor and the only difficulty al
! present is a shortage of cars and lack
OF trackage facilities 10 remove the dirt
after It has been lifted out of the earth
by the steam shovels,
Dam Win Be Enormous.
''The work 10 be done is not SO much
the building of a canal as It is the crea-
/ ton Of lakes, by means Of which the two
oceans will be connected There viii
practically be only nine and a half miles
Of deep excavation. The remainder OF
the work consists in the creation of tive
] lakes and the very easy excavation from
the dams out of deep water. The Gatuu
dam will be half mile IN width at the
bottom, 100 feet in width at the top. and
!. 700 feet long and is the most enormous
undertaking OF the kind ever conceived
OF by civil engineers.
THE climate surprised US very much
We had expected that 1t would be blister
ing hot, but I will give you my word that
| il was as delightful as the climate OF
any summer resort in America. The 18TH
mus is well policed, and health conditions
are excellent. The forests are crowded
with turkeys and deer, and the oceans
around the isthmus are a storehouse of
sea food, so that there is really no neces-
sity Of shipping ali OF the provisions from
the United States. Chief Engineer Ste
vens is in i'll health, and he cannot be
blamed for resigning. He is very popular
on the sthmus.
From time to time. as the work pro-
| ceeds' added Judge Foster. TROUBLES and
difficulties will develop. but l have no
doubt that satisfactory progress will be
made always keeping in view the fact
that It Is the most stupendous project
ever attempted by man"