The San Francisco call., 1909-02-18
LOCK SYSTEM FOR
CANAL INDORSFD
President Transmits Engineers
Report of Panama Undertake
ing to Congress
Experts Declare Big Ditch
Should Be Completed by
First Part of 1915

WASHINGTON, Feb. Amy attack
made hereafter on the lock type of the
Panama canal. according TO the opinion
expressed by President Roosevelt in a
message transmitted TO congress to-
Gay with the report made by the en-
'Eineers who recently visited the canal
zone with President elect Taft. lis in
Faality merely an attack upon the poll
icy Of building any canal at all" The
report. in Roosevelt's opinion, shows in
clearest fashion that congress was
. wise in the position il took, and that
4. would be ineNcusable folly TO change
from the proposed lock canal TO a sea
level canal
Il commend 10 you," he says to con-
.gress. the most careful consideration
:sof the reports. They show that the
s1ly criticism that can be made of the
work on the isthmus is that there has
sometimes been an almost excess of
eaNtion in providing against possible
) Jroglble. AS TO the Gatun dam itself
i:fhey show that not only is the dam safe,
!: bpt that on the whole the plan already
adopted would make ii unnecessarily
-6iSh and strong, and. accordingly. they
Recommend that the height be reduced
by 20 feet, which change in the plans
L -kave accordingly directed"
HIGHEST AUTHORITIES
- President Roosevelt says that the en-
gJneers who made the report are Of all
= the men in their profession within or
without the United States the men who
are on the whole best qualified to pass
upon these very questions which they
examined"
-. Dams and locks lock gates and all
osher engineering structures involved
}n.Jhe lock canal projeot are feasible
and safe" according 10 the engineers.
.-@and they can be depended upon to
p perform with certainty their respec-
tire functions"
,. They report that they do not find
any Occa sion for changing the type of
1.-THE canal that has been adopted. A
change TO sea level plan at the present
time would add greatly 10 the cost and
time Of construction, without compen-
.saring advanta ges, either in capacity
. % the canal or safety of navigation.
- and hence would be a public misfor-
+tune.~
::DK5I Is APPROVED
. IS 10 the change Of the lower locks
on the Pacific end of the canal from
ia BOca, on the shore Of Panama
bay. 10 Mfrahores. about four miles in
land. they report that the settlements
.gg3}ick occurred as a result of the
change cause no reason 10 doubt the
= stability Of the proposed dam This
change having been made because ''ob-
.sectien might be made from a military
:. point OF view 10 placing locks on the
sshore Of the hay. exposed TO guns Of
,~hostile ships. the board Of engi-
neers estimate that il viii increase the
.-.ossC By about sl0.0O0.OO0. but that it
=.yatu greatly lessen the cost of fortih-
cation.
Another change. that OF increasing
the minimum width Of the bottom Of
the. canal for about ~ miles in the
Culebra cut, they estimate. will in
crease the cost of the work by about
SJS;000.o0o, but they say it will not de-
lay the completion of the canal, that il
will permit ships 10 pass one another
in this portion OF the canal and viii
!. otherwise facilitate navigation.
. ESTIMATED COST OF WORK
- Their estimate OF the complete cost
of the canal Is s3s0.000.0o0 They say
Fl IS incorrect to state that the origi-
nal estimate OF cost was $4,000, 600
as this does not include sanitation and
zone government" They estimate the
,: expense Of sanitation and zone gov
2 eminent at $4,000. 600, while payments
TO the republic Of Panama and to the
new Panama canal company amounted
TO $50. o00. 900, which would make the
d. difference between the present estimate
and the previous estimate, with cost
Of sanitation and zone government and
payments added. only $14s. 600, coo.
Commendation IS expressed at the
present condition OF the work and
the engineers voice the belief that 'in
no other great construction work has
so much been done for employees in the
wsy Of furnishing necessities, com
. forts and luxuries OF life at the cost OF
the work as has been done in this
fc fnr he 4u1
cost OF the canal
EXPECT EARLY COMPLETION
They commend the medical and sani-
..tary department for its success in ex-
terminating yellow fever and control
F.. ling malaria" we see no reason, .
they add. why the canal should not be
: completed, as estimated by the chief
: engineer, by January l, 1915. In fact
= Il seems that a somewhat earlier COM
pfetion is probable II all goes we'll"
Considering the cost and time Of con-
.stFuction OF a sea level canal as COM
pared with the lock type, they hold
=. that most Of the factors which have
; operated TO increase the cost of the
<leck canal would operate with similar
effect 10 increase the cost of the sea
= level canal and at the present time
there are additional factors of even
greater Importance to be considered as
anecIlnE the time OF CoIupl6l1On dHl
cost Of 2 sea level canal"
:: OPPOSE SEA LEVEL PLAN
-: Further than this. they say change
- III the type would result in abandoning
work which represents large expendi-
%: lures.
They claim that by the change the
river Chagres and the rivers on the
a.: 3sthmus tributary thereto. instead OF
being allies would be enemies of the
canal and floods in them would greatly
- interfere with the work"
As to the question Of water supply
they. say: Tt is so much greater than
any need that can be reasonably an
ficipsted that the best method of Sc
curing more water when the time OF
need arrives does not require to be
. considered now"
The engineers who compose the board
are Frederick Steers, James G. Schuyler
Arthur p Davis, Isham Randolph
Henry d. Allen, John r. Freeman and
Allen Hazen.