Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-17
a lock and sea-level canal Col Cocktails

lock and sea-level canal Col Goethals
says:
lie estimated cost by the present conn
mission for completing the adopted prof.
ect, excluding the items let out by the
board OF consulting engineers. is placed
at S29I. 100000. If TO this be added the
estimated cost OF sanitation and civil gov
eminent until the completion of the work.
and the s5o.OO0oO0 purchase price. the
total cost TO the United States or the
lock type OF canal will amount to $375-
2ol,oo In the prepa ration of these esti-
mates there are no unknown factors.
The estimated cost OF the sea-level
canal for construction alone sums up to
s47I.6ol 900, and If to this be added the
cost of sanitation and civil government
up to the time of the completion of the
canal. which will be at least six years
later than the lock canal. and the pur-
chase price, the total cost to the United
| States will aggregate $563.OOo.o00"
Answering the criticisms regarding the
| increased estimates for completing the
canal. Col Goethals says that these have
arisen largely from a failure To analyze
the two estimates or to appreciate fully
the actual conditions. For instance. he
cites the increase in the wage scale, based
on an eight-hour day instead of ten
hour day, as originally. Then he says
subsequent surveys and various changes
| increased the quantity of work by 30 per
| cent. In addition. municipal improve
ments in Panama and Colon, advances To
the Panama railroad and moneys received
and deposited to the credit of miscel-
laneous receipts aggregate $l5oo0.00o.
| which amount. he says, will eventually,
and has in part, already been returned to
the Treasury.
| Finally" he says mo such system OF
housing and caring for employees was ever
| contemplated as has been introduced and
| installed inprpa ia r.
head charges and administration
/ Concerning the probable effect of earth
quakeS on the canal, about which Col.
! Goethas says much has been written,
the report states that the last earthquake
| of any Importance in Panama occurred
| In the seventeenth century and that ex
listing ruins in Panama demons rate clear
| ly that no shock of any violence could
have occurred during the eighteenth or
nineteenth centuries.
/ Again revelting to the question OF sea-
! level canal, Col. Cocktails says the idea
appeals to the popular mind, which pic
| lures an open ditch offering free and un-
| obstructed navigation from sea to sea. but
| no such substitute is offered for the pres
| ent lock canal. AS between the sea level
and the lock canal, the latter can be con
| structed in less time, at less cost. will give
easier and safer navigation. and in addi-
| ton secure such a control of the Chagres
river as to make friend and aid of what
| remains an enemy and menace in the sea-
level type.
| Col. Goethals. I'm concluding, pays a
high tribute to his employees. The or
ganization for tire prosecution of the
work, he says, approaches the perfection
! of a huge machine. and the manner i'm
which the work is done and the spirit of
! enthusiasm that is manifested by all fore
IDLY strikes every one who visits the
| works.
| The main object of our being there"
| he says, lis the construction of the canal;
| everything else is subordinate to il, and
| the work of every department Is directed
| to the accomplishment of that object"
| After declaring the Canal Zone to be one
of the healthest communities in the
| world, Col. Goethals concludes:
| Il assure you that several years hence.
no later than January 1. 1915. even the
| most ardent sea-level advocate will, In
| making the voyage through the canal. ad-
nit that the ability TO navigate battle
| ship at a high rate of speed through the
/, lake and wide channel from Gatun to
| Pedro Miguel far outweighs the small in
convenienceS of the safe lockages up to
and down from the summit level.