The Irish standard., 1909-02-20
President Transmits Canal
Report to Congress.
DEFlES ATTACK ON METHOD
Chief Executive Accepts Statement Of
Taft Engineers on lsthmus Project
-Gatun Dam Is Approved-Bar to
Sea Level Plan.

Panama canal. according to the opin-
ion expressed by President Roosevelt,
in message transmitting to congress
neers who recently visited the canal
zone with Fresident-elect Taft, lis
In reality merely an attack upon the
policy Of building any. canal at all"
The report, in Mr.. Roosevelt's opinion,
Shows in Clearest fashion that the
congress was wise in the position IT,
took, and that It. would he an inexcus-
able folly to change from the pro-
posed lock canal to sea level canal"
81 comend to YOU" he says to con
gress. "the most careful consideration
of the report. They show that the
only criticism that can he made Of the
work on the isthmus is that there has
sometimes been almost an excess OF
caution in providing against possible
trouble. As to the Gatun dam itself,
they show that moi only is the dam
safe but that on the whole the plan
already adopted would make it neces-
sari1y high and strong. and according
ly they recommend that the height he
reduced by 20 feet. which change in
the plans have accordingly directed"
Approve Gatun Dam.
President Roosevelt says that the
engineers who made tho report ARE
Of all the men IN their profession. with
in the United States, the men who arc
on the whole best qualified to pass
upon these very questions which they
examined"
The engineers report that, as the
Gatun earth dam was tho central
point Of discussion, they gave It, under
instructions from Mr.. Taft, first con-
sideration in the light Of all new evil
dence," and they add that 'the type
OF dam now under construction liz one
which meets with our unanimous ap-
prevail" They say they are sails,
fled that there will he no dangerous
or objectionable seepage through tho
materials under the base Of the dam:
nor are they SO soft az TO be liable
to be pushed aside by the weight of
the proposed dam ST as TO cause dan
gerous settlement. We are also salts
fed that the materials available and
which 1t ia proposed to Use. are suit
able and can he readily placed to
form a tight, stable and permanent
dam"
Dams and locks. lock gates and all
other engineering structures involved
In the lock canal project, as "feaR-
ihle and safe" according to tho en-
gineers, land they can be depended
upon TO perform with certainty their
respective functions" They report
that they edo not find any occasion for
changing the type OF canal that has
been adopted
Sea Level Plan Costly.
"A change TO sea level plan at the
present time would add greatly to the
cost and time of construction, without
compenEating advantages. either IN ca.
pacity of The canal or in safety of navi.
cation, and hence would be public
misfortune
1--WE do find they say, '1n the de-
tailed designs that have been adopted,
or that are under consideration, some
matters where other arrangements
than those now considered seem
worthy of study. AS these proposed
changes are Of a tentative nature and
do not in any case affect the main
questions herein discussed, they are
not taken up in this report"
They declare that the most prncti
cal question in the construction Of
the Gatun dam is the possible slip.
ping and sliding of the materials nm.
derneath and In the body of the dam"
In regard to this question. they have
reached the conclusion that che de.
sign upon which the work is now be,
ing prosecuted abnndantly fuIfiIls the
required degree Of stability and goes
far beyond the limits of what wo,1J.
he regarded as suf1oient and safe In
any less important structure"
"sIps Are Not Serious"
In regard TO the slips which have
occurred at several times, they assert
Guencn either In The practical execu-
ton Of the work or IN the ultimate
stability Of The structures
Having considered tho proper height
for the crest of the GatUn dam. they
concluded that vt could be safely re-.
duced 20 feet from that originally pro
posed namely, to an elevation Of liz
feet above seas level, or 30 feet abovs
the normal level Of the water agaIpE
the dam ..,
This change, they say, will facjlt.
tate the work of construction and will
reduce somewhat the cost of the pro.
posed work"
AS to the change Of the lower locks
on the Pacific end of the canal from
La. Boca, on the shore of Panama bay,
to Mirafores, about four miles inland,
they report that the settlements which
occurred az a. result of the change
"cause no reason to doubt the stability
Of the proposed dam" This change
having been made because objection
might be made from military point
- :.