The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-14
COLONEL GOETHALS IS
 CONFIDENT IF SUCCESS
If the Dam Is Completely Successful the Credit Will Be Due the Chief Engineer for His Ability
 to Judge.
By WILLIAM ROSTER, Chief Core.
 spondent of the New York American, who accompanied MT Taft to Pan

spondent of the New York American,
 who accompanied Mir. Taft to Pan
 anna.
 New Orleans, February 13-(Special.)- For practically ten hours during his n- spectlon of the Panama canal, the Pres- dent-eleet and his party walked and rode over the region around and about the site of the Gatun dam and locks.
 Here is the greatest problem of the in- ter-oceanic canal. From Limon bay the Atlantic entrance to Gatun, the canal will run at sea level. At Gatun it is proposed to erect a gigantic dam, one mile across a valley which opens up be- tween the hills at this point. walling in the valley and creating in its place through a diversion of the waters of the Chagres river and tributary streams a lake whose ultimate proportions will be upward of 200 square miles. To the level O. this lake ships will be raised by a series of three locks, totally height of s5 feet, whence they will proceed dis tance of 13 miles: then through the fa- nous culebra cut and on to Pedro Mi guel where one lock will drop the ships S5 feet when they will proceed to Mira fiores where flight of two more locks will drop them down to the level of the 1 Pacific ocean.
 Though the dam at Gatun will be a mile across and half mile in thick ness, engineering opinion has divided over the question of the safety of the dam and refuse to come to an agreement. One body of the worlds eminent engsx neers and it may as well be admitted ! 1a, safeguarded by thickness of half q mile, the pressure of the water in the manufactured lake will be irresistible and ultimate catastrophe will come.
 The Other Contention.
 The other contention, of course, is that with either end of the dam built of rock and the intervening space of 1900 feet filled with silt the dam will be absolutely safe
 To the lay mind be 1t said at once the latter contention seems the most plausible The ordinary mind cannot grasp a proposition tending to prove that anything short of convulsion of ture could beat down wall half mile in thickness.
 Unhappily, however, there occurred re- 
 the dam which revived all of the fears that had been expressed concerning lock canal and seemed to give particular point to the charge that the dam would not be safe with the mass of water that will be confued behind it. A brief portion of the rock which had been piled up as a foundation for the upper toe of the dam that nearest the lake-caved in or slid away and the experts who had predicted disaster point to the slide confirms tion of their fears.
 Taft Studies Slide.
 It was of this slide that the visit of President-elect Taft was born. the purpose being as he explained, to make thorough investigation of the dam site and all the features of the work to ascertain whether any circumstances had arisen since the lock canal was decided upon to render a change of plans necessary or desirable
 President Roosevelt appointed the en- gineering commission and they will prob ably report to him before he retires from office Regarding the canal as the chief problem of his administration, the Presi- dent elect accompanied the engineers to Panama to go over the work thoroughly before entering upon the presidency on March A.
 On Sunday these engineers -four of whom are said to have been prejudiced against a lock canaD paid visit to the site of Gatun dam. and as already re- ported reached unanimous conclusion that not only was the dam and the entire lock system feasible and practical, but that with particular reference to the Gatun dam itself, it is perfectly safe, and that more precautions have been taken 1 to make it safe than the conditions really demand.
 Personal Inspection. Under these circumstances, then, the InAa elf rr make a personal inspection. The en- ! gineeis accompanied him. The chief ob- ject of attention, of course was the point on the top from where the slide oc- cured.
 To the unpractced, inexperienced eye 1t undoubtedly looks serious. About the 1 center of rocky foundation 60 feet hisl there is a depression of about 10 feet, 20 feet across. semi-ctrcular in form, which beyond doubt looks as though 1t had i sunk of it's own weight. The suggestion l of the opponents of the dam that the ufl- deriving soil is not strong enough to sup 1 port the dam. and will give way under i pressure, is clear enough.
 1 But there is another side to the mat ter I asked Colonel Goethals what he | thought of 1t.
 Goethals Explains.
 "T have never regarded it as important" he replied ''rhe slide was out and down. | As a matter of fact we have had five of the same kind It was to be expected. | The foundation piled up here loosely. because the intervening space that you 1 see here (pointing to the gap of 1200 feet | between the two walls of the dam), is to l bel ilied with silt, which is impervious to 1 wd.er Had there been any support for this rock foundation the slide would not l have occurred.
 Tt would have been held up. the pres 1 sure being supported on all sides. There | will be absolutely no danger of any slide >-~--~~--~--~--~---~---- CONTINUED ON FACE A)