New-York tribune., 1908-12-19
TO EXAMINE PANAMA
LOCKS AND DAMS
EXPERT BOARD PLANNED
By THE PRESIDENT.
Wishes Questions as to Safety Set at
ReSt-Commission Asks for
So. .L.58 900.
S5,458,O00.

Washington, Dec 1S.-The President is con
sidering the advisability of having thorough
examination and report made on the character
of foundations that underly the locks and i'm
portant dams along the line of the Panama.
Canal So much has been said recently con-
corning questionable conditions beneath the sites
of these works that II is regarded important
carefully to determine at this time the exact
magnitude of the task of providing stable foun-
dations for these locks and dams
Boring has been continued and there is now
more information bearing this subject than
has ever before been in possession of the Canal
Commission. Excavations that have been going
on also furnish additional information concern
ing the nature of the ground
In a request for urgent deficiency appro-
priation for canal work sent to the House to-
day Colonel Goethals reports that It has been
found that there is not sufficient information on
the hydraulics of Gatun Lake and its tributaries
TO determine whether there are any low saddles
that would affect the seepage of the lake. To
make additional survey $4,000 is asked
For the important work of reporting the
exact conditions at Gatun the President is con-
siderfng the employment of civil engineers Of
eminence who are not now in the service of the
government and who could not possibly be
BIASED in their judgments because of any per
sonal interest in reports previously made on the
canal.
The request for urgent deficiency appropris-
ton of $5,45S,000 to carry on work on the canal
at the present rate for the remainder Of the fs-
cal year and for new projects was received by
the House to-day from the Secretary Of War.
Last year deficiency appropriation of t11.-
100000 made The principal share Of the
desired appropriation is for the Atlantic division,
where the Gatun locks and dam located. For
this division appropriation of s3.451 600 is re-
quested
Chairman Goethals of the commission ex-
planned that the current appropriation was based
on the mistaken idea that Congress had appro-
priated for rock crushing plant at Porto Bello.
erecting plant for the Gatun locks and dams,
and vessels to transport the crushed rock. For
these purposes 81, 100000 is now asked
In the central division including the Culebra
cut it is said that the excavation has been so
per cent greater than has been estimated. and
for this purpose a deficiency appropriation Of
S1,1JO,O00 is requested. An additional plant at
the Mirafores locks is also requested OF the
total appropriation requested s., ,45S.000 is for
labor and 50 100000 for materials
Serious questions have been raised recently by
engineers familiar with the work the Panama
Canal as to whether the lock system would be
absolutely safe if constructed at present
planned, especially in view of the recent slight
accident to the Gatun dam. When the decision
was reached TO build lock canal instead of a
level one five foreign experts and three of
the American engineers on the consulting board
expressed grave doubts of the safety of a canal
with locks. NJ. -Narilla the chief en-
gineer of the French work on the canal. has
since expressed the opinion that the Gatun dam
will be unsuccessful the attempted at
La BOCa. where stratum of blue clay made it
impossible to build substantial structure and
the site had to De changed to Miraftores. few
kilometres further up, where the conditions were
more favorable
He suggests that the site of the Gatun dam
be removed fourteen kilometres, to Bohio Sol
dado, where the valley is narrower and the soil
is adapted to sustain permanent work. But his
view of the canal is that the lock plan should
be abandoned in favor Of level waterway.
The cost of this could be greatly lessened. he
says, by eXcavauns rock under water and re-
moving it by water transportation rather than
by land
The views of NJ Bunau-Narilla are support ed
by those of LindOn w. Bates, American en-
gineer now in London, who says that, besides a
massive dam at Gatun being unsafe. there are
grave dangers connected with the proposed flight
of locks. in of accident to any of
them there would be adequate safety device
20 hold back the waters of the great lake formed
by the huge dam.