The new South-news., 1909-02-27
REPORT OF engineers
Who Inspected Panama Canal
Submitted to Congress.
CANAL TO COST SS60,OOO,OGO
Lock System Declared - Be All Right
Catun Dam Endorsed--To BE
Completed in 1915

Washington. u. G. - Any aNeatA
made hereafter on the lock type OF
Panama canal, according TO the opin'
ION expressed By President Roosevelt
In a message transmitted 10 con
gress, the report made by the engi-
neers who recently visited the canal
zone with Prcsidentelect Taft, is IN
reality merely an attack upon the
policy Of building any canal at all
The engineers report that, a. the
Gatun earth dam was the central
point OF discussion. they gave II, un-
der Instructions from Mr.. TAFT, 'nrst
consideration in the light of all new
evidence and they said that the
type Of dam now under construction
/ Is one which meets our unanimous
approval.
They say they "are satisfied that
there will be no dangerous or colec-
tionable seepage through the mate
rials under the base OF the dam, nor
are they SO soft as to be liable 10 be
pushed aside BY the weight Of the
| proposed dam, so as TO cause danger
| Gus settlement. We are also salts
fed that the materials available ana
which It Is proposed TO use are SUIT
able and can be readily placed 70
form a tight, stable and permanent
dam.
Dams and locks, lock gates and all
other engineering structures inNolVeu
In the lock canal project are feasl
bic and safe" according to the enSi
ueers, "and they can be depended up
on TO perform with certainty their re
spectlye functions They report
that they "do not find any occasion
for changing the type Of canal tina
has been adopted. A change to sea
level plan at the present time wouIc
add greatly to the cost and time O
construction, without compensatlni
advantages, either in capacity OF TN
canal or in safety OF navigation.
They declare that the most practi
cal question In the construction o
the Gatun dam is the possible slippinl
J and sliding of the materials under
meath, and in the body of the dam
In regard to this question, they hay
reached the conclusion that "the de
sign upon which the work is now be
ing prosecuted abundantly fulflls tn
required degree of stability and goe
} lar beyond the limits Of what woul'
Ut ltkuiltu 40 tufhNfNh~N t'''' ~'~t~
any less important structure
In regard TO the slips, which hav
occurred at several times, they asser
they are "of no serious consequence
either in the practical execution Q
the work, or in the ultimate staDl
ity of the structures"
Having considered the prope
height for the crest of the Gatun dan
they concluded that "it could b
r safely reduced twenty feet from tha
r originally proposed-namely, to a
+ elevation of 1l5 feet above sea leve
: or thirty feet above the normal lev'
t of the water against the dam
+ This chance, they say. will facil
n tate the work of construction, al
3 will reduce somewhat the cost OF II
proposed work.
9 Their estimate Of the complete co..
5 of the canal is $3.50, 100000. Ine
X saw It is incorrect to state that u
r original estimate of cost was sl4'
l. 600. .0OO. as they did not include "sa
l. itation and zone government Tne
S estimate the expense OF sanltaue
l. and zone government at S21oUO,VO
@ while payments to the republic
s Panama and to the New Panama Z
II nal Company amount TO $5V,00V,Oo
4 which would make the difference .
tween the present estimate and u
If previous estimate. with cost OF sa
e itation and zone government and pa
d ments added, only $l43,000,0OO.
II 1--WE see no reason they sal
= "whv the canal should not be col
S. pleted. as estimated by the chief 9
h gineer. by January /, lslo--in IA
s. II seems that a somewhat earn
1t completion is probable. II all go
n we'll"
II The engineers who composed Z
board are Frederick P. Stearns, "a
d. Schuyler. Arthur p. Davis, isha
Randolph, Henry d. Allen. John
v~~oar,an opd Alien HaZeQ.