Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-20
Engineer GoethaIs' Views Laid
Before House Committee.
TOTAL COST $375,201, 900
Sea Level Construction Attended
With Greater Obstacles.
SIX YEARS LONGER TO BUILD
Expense Estimated at 1858 zoo, 900
Completed - French Machinery
Salvaged and Put to Use.

That traffic through the waterway will
pay for the Panama canal;
That the total cost when completed
will be s375,2O1. 900, including the pur-
chase pfice paid to the French govern
ment and expenses Of sanitation and
civil government until January 1. 1915;
That greater and perhaps insuperable
obstacles would attend sea level construc-
ton, in the stead Of the lock type. and
would require six years longer to build
and cost completed $5S3. 100000:
That the estimated cost Of fortifying the
canal is 1882, $50. and maintenance about
s.. OOO.O annually:
These are opinions expressed by Col.
Cocktails, chief engineer Of the Panama
canal. before the House appropriations
committee last week. when he discussed
the relative merits OF the lock ana sea
level types. His testimony was made pub
lie today.
Sure Advocate Of Lock Type.
You had heretofore approved the lock
type of canal" suggested Chairman Taw-
ney.
Yes, sir" replied Col. Goetha1s.
Then Mr.. Tawney asked this question:
Have you or any Of your associates
the work of constructing the canal upon
which you have been engaged that would
tend to change your opinion regarding the
wisdom and practicability of lock-type
canal since you first commenced work on
the canal?"
NO, SIR the colonel replied. ION
the contrary. the longer We stay the more
convinced we become thu the lock-type
canal is the proper type of canal to build.
THE great problem in the construction
# ic,f 10 nf a
river. The Chagres river by the lock type
of canal is controlled by lake. formed
by the construction of the dam at Gatun.
the lake level to be at eighty-five feet
in the sea-level project. the control Of the
Chagres river is effected by the dam at
Gamboa.
Obstacles to Sea Level Canal.
1.-THE dam there is $500 feet long Seven
hundred and fifty feet in the length Of
that dam has pressure against it due to a
possible head of 40 feet, or practically
twice the head of water that acts on the
Gatun dam. The resulting canal from the
lock type has a channel LOCO feet wide
for practically fourteen miles. a channel
500 feet wide for about four miles, a
channel 500 feet wide for about twenty
miles and 800 feet wide at the bottom for
nine and one-half miles.
I'm other words. we have a canal with
a minimum crosS-sectiOn of 800 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-half of the length of the canal. the
balance of it being about 200 feet in
width at the bottom. The sea-level canal
is tortuous and will be difficult of navi-
CATION.
"A great deal has been said about the
danger of the canal because Of the Gatun
dam. They purposely or through igno-
rance omit all mention Of the Gamboa
dam, which is just as essential to the
sea-level type as the Gatun dam Is to the
lock type.
They failed to mention the necessity
of tidal locks at the Pacific end. the de-
struction of which will be just as detri-
mental to the sea-level type as to the
lock type. They also failed to mention
the additional length Of time and the adj
ditional amount of money 1t would take
to build 1t. and they failed to mention the
increased difficulties because of the enor-
nous fluctuations in the Chagres river in
the construction of the sea-level canal.
Cost Of Canal When Completed.
Asked what the canal would cost COM
pleted. Col. Goethals said:
For construction and engineering. bas-