Willmar tribune., 1907-11-27

Perhaps It Is fortunate that the
work on the Panama canal has pro-
gressed apparently so slowly, for it has
given time to appreciate the marvel
GUS development in ship construction,
and to suggest the necessity of
larger channel than was provided in
the act of congress authorizing the
construction Of the inter-ocean water
way. 1t is only too apparent to
those who are thoroughly acquainted
with the situation that the 85.foot
level lock with a width of 100 feet is
not going to be wide enough to accom-
modate the largest type of battleship
Or the gigantic steamships Of the pro-
portions of the new Lusitania. These
boats would scarcely be able to
squeeze through the locks if construct
ed according to the dimensions of the
present canal plans, and ships of
larger size, which are apparently
certain development of ship architec-
ture of the future, would be unable to
use the canal at all. For this reason
the question is being asked: Is not
a serious blunder being committed in
carrying out the plans as adopted?
Some of the greatest engineers of
the world, supported by accurate fig
ures regarding the wonderful growth
In the beam and tonnage of both COM
mercial and warships during the past
half century, and backed by the opin-
ions OF certain reliable naval con-
structors and naval officers, do not
believe that the adopted locks of 100
feet in width will accommodate the
largest vessels that will be afloat
within the next quarter of q century.
Those locks are, as now planned, only
Is feet wider than the beam of the
largest American battleships author
lied by congress, and only II feet
wider than the greater Cunarders Lu-
sitania and Mauretania, both of which
were under construction when the
present type Of locks was adopted,
and both Of which are now afoat.
One Of the ablest naval construct
ors in the United States navy, whose
name cannot for obvious reasons be
used, in view of the adoption of the
1OO-foot width for the proposed canal,
Declares: There is danger ahead in
the big battleship programmes unless
the locks proposed for the canal are
made wider than 100 feet. Unless
those locks are made wider than that
l predict that the largest vessels of
ten years hence will scarcely be able
to pass through them. Now is the
time to settle this question. The canal
is being built for the future. 1t is
not being built for a decade, but for
the century. When the locks are once
built they cannot be enlarged without
seriously interfering with the traffic of
the canal and without enormous ex.
pense. With the water turned into the
canal 1t will also probably be more
difficult to enlarge the locks than to
build them in the first place.
UNLESS some change is made in the
plans already definitely adopted for
lOO-foot locks, the United States gov.
ernmert may some years hence be
confronted with the problem which
has been facing Germany-that Of en-.
larglng the Kaiser Wilhelm canal
The German government has just car.
ried the act providing for the widen.
ing of that canal. The widening be,
came necessary when the German
government at the end of 1905 deter.
mined on increasing the displace.
ment of the new battleships to 49,.
900 tons, and Of the new cruisers to
$4,000 tons, as it would be impossible
for those warships to pass through
the present locks of tle canal.
"A chain is only as strong as its
weakest link. A canal is only as wide
as its narrowest lock. Unless the
locks of the Panama canal are wide
enough to pass the largest vessels OF
the future, those ships will not be
able to get through the canal, no mat
ter what its width may be in the
widest portion of the channel. The
beam Of the American warship has
grown at a rate of a foot year for a
quarter of century. The net gain
in the growth of the width of beam OF
American battleships has been 21 feet
in Fl years. The largest American
battleships-the Delaware and North
Dakota-yet authorized are to have a
beam of IS feet inches. II the
same ratio Of growth is maintained
in the next 21 years. the beam of ou1