New-York tribune., 1907-10-20
WIDER CANAL LOCKS.
ROSSE4U FApORS THEM.
Would Hare Panama Waterscay
Accommodate Greatest BattLeships.


Washington, Oct. 1e.-The locks or tho
Panama Canal must be made wider than tbav
we're originally planned, in the opinion of the
naval member of the Isthmian Canal Cornris-
sion. Lieutenant and Civil EngineersH. H Ro.-
seau, who arrived in Washington to-day from
the isthrnus. II is presumed that he bore this
message from the commission. although that
could not be determined owing to the departure
Of Lieutenant Rosseau from Washington for Nar,
York few hours after his arrival in this city
He spent just sufficient time here. In fact 70
enable him TO lay his message before Secretarx
Metcalf.
Undoubtedly naval exigencies supplemented
by the building Of the giant Cunarders I,ust
tania and Mauretania- were the basis for this
projected change Of plan which will involve
the expenditure OF many additional millions of
dollars and perhaps an extension of the time
required for completion Of the canal. It Is also
probable that the mere suggestion of such a
considerable change Of plans as that proposed
by Lieutenant Rosseau would precipitate a gen.
eral DEBATE IN Congress and reopen the whole
issue Of sea level versus lock canal. which was
believed to have been finally settled bv Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Secretary Taft when they
gave the order for the beginning OF work on
the lock canal plan. When Congress was warm
" discussing the projects about two years ago
the advocates OF sea level canal asserted that
theirs was the only plan that would have sufh-
Client elasticity to meet the needs OF RAPIDLY in
creasng tonnage in marine construction Their
plan involved the use OF only one lock to Off
set the tidal difference between the Eastern and
Western seas-a comparatively low and insig-
nifcant look which could easily be widened
when required They made a strong point
of the difficulty. expense and loss of time in the
Of Tnor Coll TH,a
to widen the complicated and massive locks re-
ouired for the high level canal
Possibly foreseeing the force OF that argu-
nent, the commission apparently feels that It
would be wise to make the locks of the canal
wide enough In the beginning TO accommodate
the giant ships not only of the navy but of
the merchant marine that are sure to be con-
structed in the near future. The three commits
Eions which have dealt with the detailed plans
Of the canal have. each in turn. been impressed
with the necessity for enlarging the capacity
Of the 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 it's predecessors.
The present commission goes even further
than this by revising its own plans before they
have gone beyond the point In execution where
# is feasible to do so without actual waste Of
money Up to this time substantially all the
work the isthInus has been the canal
prism. in the great CuIebra cut, on the twenty
or more miles Of lowlands and In the bottom
OF the harbors. Only the ground has been
cleared and the holes have been dug for the
great flights of locks incident to the plan, so
that it is merely the widening Of these founda-
tons that is involved in the last proposition.
Fortunately. the canal prism as projected in
the plans now under execution will probably
11a oh af INF ha
Culebra section from Las Cascadas to near
Paradise. a distance Of Al miles. where the
minimum width IS 200 feet through rock.
But the locks originally planned by this last
commission to be 800 feet long and 90 feet wide
at Gatun were increased by the engineers in
their designs 70 a width Of 100 feet and length
Of 1000 feet. II is a simple engineering task
10 increase the width and depth Of the canal
prism at any time while the canal is in opera
ton. but the locks cannot be broadened with
out seriously interfering with the operation OF
the canal and at great expense. owing TO their
duplicate character.
The dimensions Of these locks are already be-
ing closely approximated by naval ships actual
~ bulIt or building, and II is regarded as GER
tain that the Atlantic lines will in the near
future build great turbine ships which could
never pass through the locks heretofore
planned, and 50 would be wellngh useless as
naval auxiiaries in time Of war. The British
battleship Dreadnought, now afioat. measures
So feet in beam and those of the Delaware
class, two ships Of which class are building
here will measure S5.3 feet beam. The $4,000
ton ship which naval designers talking Of
suggesting to Congress VIII measure So feet in
the clear which would leave only feet clear
snce At the side OF the locks under the existing
designs.
These facts have been laid before Secretary
Metcalf and Il viii be for him to make some
recommendation to the President in the matter.
Details Of the new plans cannot be obtained at
present. but the change is said to be costly,
although Of Its necessity few naval officers have
any doubt