The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-06-19
DEEP WATER FROM
LAKES TO GULF.
tMemphis Commercial-Appeal.)

S~A~~~ N~~~~~>~~s
For several years the people Of ten
states in the Great Valley and Of sew
eral other states related thereto have
been agitating the subject OF DEEPEN
| ing the channel of the Mississippi.
At the waterways convention held
here, there were present Theodore
Roosevelt, the governors OF twenty
two states, and many OF the leading
senators and representatives. Nearly,
| if not quite, fone-haf of the people
of the United States were represented
at that great convention. The prest-
dent committed himself earnestly to
the project, and since then 1t has had
the endorsement OF President Taft
and Mr.. Bryan.
There can be no doubt that the
deepening of the channel OF the Mis-
sissippi so as to give US fourteen feet
through the valley would add hun
dreds of millions of dollars to the
wealth and commerce of the valley
states and those contiguous. Either
directly OF indirectly every part OF
the country would be benefited.
The people of the valley are now
confronted with an unpleasant con-
dition. A board of engineers has ex-
amined into the deep waterways pro-
ject, has Sound it entirely feasible
and has estimated the cost. But in
stead of contenting themselves with
mere presentation of facts and fig
ures, these engineers have cayalierly
declared that they do not regard the
project as advisable
The question therefore presents it
self, will the millions of people in
this country who earnestly desire to
realize this admittedly feasible pro-
ject allow a small bunch of engineers
to checkmate their, desire and with
wave of the hand wipe out an enter
prise of more value to the country
than the Panama canal?
We very much mistake the temper
o. the people if they tamely acqui-
esce in the dictum OF the engineers.
In the first place, when it comes 90
estimating the cost, or even the feas-
Utility of a project OF this kind. en-
gineers differ like a lot of chorus
singers. Their judgment is reason
ably good as to whether thing can
be done; but they seldom agree upon
how 1t can be done or what it will
cost.
The history of the Panama canal
shows how variable and unreliable
is engineering opinion. 1t was orig
inally estimated that the cost Of q
lock canal at Panama would be $685.
000,000 After DeLessepS had been
working on the canal for nearly
decade, funds gave out and the engi-
neers estimated that about $3.50, 000,-
600 more would be needed to COM
plete the canal on the lock, system.
But French engineers differed among
themselves as to the cost, some put
ting it $150,O00,00e highef than 9TH
ers.
The United States commission ap-
pointed in 1897 reported at first ad-
veTsely 10 Panama, though it declar-
ed it feasible. Subsequently the
commission pronounced in favor OF
Panama and declared that after pay
ing $4,000, 900 to the Panama COM
pany, the canal could be finished for
S144 1873, 35S. These experts had fig
ured it down to a fine point; and they
| only missed it from $150,000,000 to
| SOC, 900, 900.
Ever since we embarked upon the
Panama enterprise, the engineers
have been flooding the newspapers
with criticisms showing the utter i'm
possibility Of constructing d lock ca
nal, though the canal commission
had unanimously pronounced in fay-
or thereof. Before we had begun to
dig dirt an eminent engineer con-
excavate more than the French had
done, and that accordingly 1t would
take US about Forty or fifty years to
make the Culebra cut AS a matter
| OF fact we are digging ten times
more dirt in a month than the French
company was digging in a year.
We could multiply instances OF the
wild divergence of opinion among en-
gineers on propositions of this-kind,
but these are enough to show that
their opinions are not worth a hill OF
beans. except as to the possibility OF
doing a thing.
In estimating the cost of work to
which they are favorable, they place
the figure Invariably too low. They
for some reason do not consider four
teen feet through the valley "adyis-
able. hence the chances are that they
have placed the cost too high.
But at any rate the ACCESSIBILITY OF
deep waterways is no business OF the
engineers. This is a matter for the
| people through their government to
decide and they are not likely to let
| several years hard work 20 for
naught at the dictation Of board OF
engineers.