Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-19
WHAT OF THE CANAL?
To be Continued

Enoineerinq Problems Not Settled
vast Prospective Cost Of Enterprise.
Evidences multiply daily that the
most serious problem confronting the
new administration is that involved In
the construction of the Panama canal.
It is all we'll enough to talk about the
excellent sanitary conditions, the con-
tentment Of workmen who are receiV-
ing double wages, the unexpected
progress being made, the flying dirt
the -Roosevelt-we-Trust" medals
to be presented to every one VINO
works two years, etc. But what ABOUT
the canal? No sane man will be sur
prised to hear that any idea of ap-
proximating the ultimate cost has al
ready been abandoned. The original
estimates were not only crude, but,
we were informed at the time, delib-
erately minimized in the aggregate by
taking the lowest suggested In each
Individual case, so that the grand to-
cal would not paralyze both congress
and the country.
Secretary Taft indicated his appre-
citation of the situation when, after
visiting the isthmus, he dismissed the
question of cost with the remark that
1t was idle to discuss that phase, since
in any event, we were committed 10
the job. The original estimate OF
s145,O00,OOO faded into insignificance
long ago Lindon w. Bates, an en-
gineer of the first rank, now puts 1t
at $55O,OOO,O00, with careful reserva-
ton to the effect that probably much
larger sum will be required. The best
Judgment tlayman can form from
attainable information would fix the
total expenditure at little less than
billion dollars before a ship will pass
from sea to sea.
But, accepting Mr.. Taft's view that
we are bound to finish the gigantic
undertaking irrespective of cost, again
we ask, what about the canal? Is II
doomed to be failure in the end?
The army engineers continue to pro-
fess confidence. That Is but natural
and to be expected. But expert opin-
ions from other sources grow more
and more disquieting.
There Is no doubt that many
changes have been made in the plans
accepted, although by whose authority
or how material can not be ascertain
ed The chief point Of contention re-
lates to the foundations of the great
Gatun dam. This structure will be
more than a mile long and required 10
hold body Of water eighty feet deep
Ind covering several square miles OF
oasin. The pressure on some portions
will be $4,000 pounds or more to the
s1uare foot. The French engineer.
Bunau-Varilla, has maintained con-
sistently from the beginning that no
am could be built upon a foundation
of blue clay that would Withstand this
tremendous weight. Professor Burr
Of Columbia university and Mr.. Bates
both eminent men, confirm this judg-
ment. The original opinion to the
contrary was based upon a statement
that the deposit which would consti-
tute the actual foundation was not
plue clay, but mixture OF rock and
sand. The latest official report, how
ever, says:
Both the test pit and the borings
over the other portions Of the dam
site indicate that the top layer Is
fine sand with a large maximum depth
at one point of approximately eighty
feet Underlying this, for q distance
of one hundred feet or more, Is thlck
marine deposit of blue clay contain
ing little sand, and in some parts
considerable quantity of shells; this
material Is impervious. Under this
and directly everything the rock Is
deposit, varying in thickness up to
.Nenty feet of small powders and
gravel consolidated, and cemented to-
gether with finely divided clays and
silts.
Messrs. Bunau-Varilla and Bates
regard this as confirmatory OF thelr
Judgment, and so, to the lay mind, 1t
would seem to be. The official re-
port, however, pronounces the ma
terial encountered Of such character
as to be amply strong for supporting
the proposed structure" The state
ment is sufficiently explicit, but does
not sound convincing or like the ut
terance of q mind fully convinced IT.
self, Surely the condition is, as we
have said at least disquieting.-Har-
pers Weekly.