Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-03
WOULD CHANGE BREAkWATER
Mr.. TAFT SEES A HEAVY
NoRTHER AT COLON.
Believed That Atlantic End of the
Panama Canal Needs More
Protection.

PANAMA February 3.-The civil en-
gineers who accompanied William II.
Taft to the isthmus at the request of
President Roosevelt to inspect the canal
operations and plans will recommend
that the breakwater walls at the At
lantic end of the canal. instead of paral-
Icing the channel. be built diagonally
from the Colon and Point Toro shores
thus forming a cap for the protection of
the canal channel. 1t is estimated that
the cost of doing the work in this manner
will be S1OOOO,OOO which is about the
same estimate as for parallel walls.
heavy norther blew over Limon bay
yesterday. Vessels not been able to dock
for three days Mr.. Taft and his party
watched the tremendous sea that was
running and the engineers concluded that
a change in the plans was necessitated
by the force of the surf kicked mp by the
north wind. Furthermore Col. Goethals.
the engineer in charge Of the work. urged
that a change be made
Eight Hours in Big Ditch.
Mr.. and Mrs. Taft spent eight hours
in the ditch yesterday.
Mr.. Taft went to Gatun after his visit
to Colon. He was much pleased with the
work that had been done there. He
viewed the portion of the dam foundation
that sank a short time ago during the
prevalence of extraordinarily heavy rains.
The engineers told him that the sinking
was due merely to the natural settling OF
the new work and that the substrata were
not involved. They declared that the
same thing happens in ordinary railroad
construction.
On several occasions a work train
hoe drill a. r.
poses. Mr.. Taft being "a spectator. They
have with a steam shovel loaded seven
teen cars of dirt in seven minutes and
have moved 100 yards of track with u
steam shifter in fifteen minutes.
Last Nights Banquet.
Mr.. and Mrs. Taft attended last even
ing a banquet given by Mr.. Squiers,
the American minister. Among the
guests We're the leaders of the rival
Panama political factions, who became
quite friendly under Mr.. Taft'S inflI
ence.
Taft Will Sail Sunday:
Mr.. Taft will have completed his in
spection of the entire line of the canal
by this evening. for today he will visit
and examine the Pedro Miguel and Mi
rafiores lock sites and the Pacific en-
trance to the waterway.
In the course of the afternoon Mr.
Taft will receive at Culebra the men,
bers Of the Isthmian Red Cross Society.
Mr.. Taft will leave Colon for New Or
leans Sunday afternoon instead of Mon
day, as previously arranged. The en-
gineers of his party today are at Gu
Zebra, examining data and reports con-
corning the work on the canal
Reception. at New Orleans.
NEW ORLEANS. February :.-Mr Taft
and party will arrive here Thursday after
noon. February II, from the isthmus on
the cruiser Birmingham, transferring
from the battleship North Carolina at
South Pass.
The speakers selected for the banquet
in honor of Mr.. Taft at the Grunew walk
in this city February l. are Gov j. Y
Sanders of Louisiana, Mayor Martin
Behrman of New Orleans, Secretary Luke
+. Wright and Mr.. Taft.
1t has been decided that the menu shall
consist solely Of Creole and Louisiana
dishes. The banquet will cost $.5 plate,
and it is estimated that 2,C0O will attend.
One of the features of the day will he
an automobile parade and a tour of the
city by Mr.. and Mrs. Taft in a special
auto car.
Invitations to the Taft banquet have
been sent to President Roosevelt, Vice
President Fairbanks, the governors of six
teen southern states and to a number of
prominent editors, railroad officials and
public men.