The sun., 1909-02-21
ADVANTAGES OF LOCK CANAL
COL. GOETHALS'S TESTIMONY
BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE.

Says Tie IL More Than Ever Convinced
That the Lock Is the Proper Type Of
CanaI-Has Advantages other Than
cost and Time Of Construction.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2O.-The testimony
Of Col Goethals chief engineer Of the
Panama Canal, before the Appropriations
Committee last week was made public
to-day,
You have heretofore approved the
lock type Of canal?' suggested Chairman
Tawney Of the committee.
Yes. sir replied Col. Goethals.
Have you or any OF your associates
discovered anything in connection with
the work OF construction OF the canal, ,
asked Mr.. Tawney, that would tend to
change your opinion regarding the wisdom
and practicability OF lock type canal
since you first commenced work.
'On the contrary, the Colonel replied,
-the longer We stay the more convinced
we become that the lock type OF canal
Is the proper type Of canal TO build. The
great problem in the construction Of the
canal is the control Of the Chagres River.
The Chagres River by the lock type Of
canal Is controlled by lake formed by
the const rict ion OF the dam at Gatup,
the lake level to be at eightv-five feet
above mean tide. In the sea level cana !.
in the sea level project, the control Of the
Chages River is effected by the dam at
Gamboa. The dam there at Gamboa 10
4,5OO feet long. Seven hundred and fifty
feet in the length Of that dam has pres
attr N I'M it duo t. N .NnaaiblQ hnaH af
40 feet, or practically twice the head OF
the water that acts on the Gatun dam.
The resulting canal from the lock type
has a channel 1 900 feet wide for practi-
cally fourteen miles. a channel 800 feet
wide for about four miles, a channel 800
fs,t wide for about twenty miles and 800
feet wide at the bottom for nine and one
half miles In other words. We have
canal with a minimum cross section OF
500 feet at the bottom. In the sea level
type Of canal the minimum width at the
bottom is $50 feet through earth, or for
about one-hah Of the length Of the canal,
width at the bottom. The sea level anal
is tortuoCs and will be difficult Of
navigation.
A great deal has been said about the
danger TO the canal because Of the Gatun
dam. They purposely or through ignor-
ance omit all mention Of the Gamboa
dam, which is just as essential to the sea
level type rs the Gatun dam is to the lock
type. they failed to mention the neces-
SHY Of tidal locks at the Pacific end. the
destruction Of which will be just as detri-
mental TO the sea level type as to the lock
type. They also fRileu to mention the
additional length Of time and the addi-
tional amount OF money IL would take
to build it. and they failed TO mention the
increased difficulties because OF the enor-
nous fluctuations in the Chagrea River
in the construction Of the sea level canal
What will the canal cost completed?-
asked Mr.. Fitzgerald Of New York
For construction and engineering
replied Col. Goethals. -the cost will be
s297. zee. 600. IL We add to that sum the
cost OF sanitation and civil government
we reach figure. assuming completion
January /. 1915. as TO which there Ia no
doubt I'm the mind OF any one-essuming
that we will find the canal completed in
January 1915. we reach a figure Of $685.
FOL 600. Add TO that the $50, ,0OO, 900 pur-
chase price and you have the total cost
to the United States Of s375, ,20l COO i
How about the sea level typei" q
For construction and engineering alone
exclusive Of sanitation and civil govern
ment, which we estimate at the rate Of
81 800 900 a year and based on the fact
I hat the sea level canal will take at least
six years longer to build, the sea level
canal for construction and engineering
alone, exclusive Of sanitation and civil
government and the purchase price. would
cost H77, ,6O1, 900
And would take six years longer!'
Yes. six years longer. and $500 900
a year for sanitation and civil government