The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-18

occasion for changing the type of the
canal that has been adopted. change
to sea level plan at the present time would
add greatly to the cost and time OF con-
struction, without compromising adTah-
tages. either in capacity of the canal or
safety of navigation, and hence would
be public misfortune.
I'VE do find" they say. lin the detailed
designs that nave been adopted, or that
are under consideration, some matters
where other arrangements than those now
considered worthy of study. As these pro-
posed conditions are of tentative ma
ture and do not in any case aftect the
main questions herein discussed they are
not taken up in this report
They declare that the most practical
question in the construction of the Gatun
dam is the possible slipping and sliding OF
the materials underneath and in the body
of the dam"
Stable and Safe.
In regard to this question they have
reached the conclusion 1.-THE design upon
which the work is now being prosecuted
abundantly fulfills the required degree OF
stability and goes far beyond the limits
Of what would be regarded as sufficient
and safe in any less important structure.
In regard to the slips which have oc-
Cured at several times they assert that
they are "of no serious consequence, eth
er in the practical execution of the work
or in the ultimate stability of the struc-
lures"
Having considered the proper height for
the crest of the Gatun dam. they conclude
that lit could be safely reduced twenty
feet from that originally proposed, name
ly. 10 an elevation of lis feet above sea
level, or thirty feet above the normal
level of the water against the dam:
This change, they say, will facilitate
the work of construction and viii reduce
somewhat the cost of the proposed work
CHANGE of the Locks.
As to the change of the lower locks or
the Pacific end of the canal from La
BOca, on the shore of Panama bay to
Miraflores. about four miles inland, they
report that the settlements which oc-
CURED as 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 of view to placing locks on the shore
of the bay. exposed to guns of hostile
ships" the board of engineers estimate
that it will increase the cost by about
so O00. coo. but that it will greatly lesser
the cost of fertilization.
Another change, that OF increasing the
minimum width of the bottom of the ca
nal for about a. miles in the Culebra cut
they estimate will increase the cost OF
the work by about Sl3oO0.0o0. but they
say il will not delay the completion OF
the canal that IL will permit ships tC
pass one another in this portion of the
canal, and will otherwise facilitate navi-
cation. IF slides occur after the conf
pletion of the canal" they say, the wider
canal is not as likely TO be blocked as
change in the proposed location of the
breakwater at the Atlantic end of the
canal.
Cost Raised to $36o,o00,ooo.
Their estimate of the complete cost OF
the canal is $3.50, 100000. They say 1t is
incorrect to state that the original esti-
mate of cost was 100000, as this does
not include sanitation and zone govern
ment." They estimate the expense OF
sanitation and zone government at 1900
600, while payments to the Republic Of
Panama and to me new Panama Cana
company amounted to Sj0,090, 600, which
would make the difference between the
present estimate and the previous csti
mate. with cost of sanitation and zons
government and payments added, only
43,O00,O COO "Of this amount" they say
nearly one-half can be accounted for
by the changes in the canal and appur-
tenant works already referred TO, and tho
remainder is to be attributed mainly &c
the higher unit cost of the different items
of the work.
Communication is expressed at the pres
eut condition of the work and the engi
neers voice the belief that in no Other
great construction work has so much
been done for employees in the way oil
furnishing necessaries, comforts and lux
uries of life at the cost of the work a
has been done in this work This is one
reason for the high cost of the canal
In their opinion. the work is well or
ganized and is being conducted energet
They commend the medical and SAM
tary department for its success in ex
terminating. yellow fever and controlling
malaria
Completed Jan. /, 1915.
l I'VE see no reason" they add. ''wh,
/ the canal should not be completed, a
! estimated b. the chief engineer, by Jan
I I, 1915: in fact, it seems that some
/ what earlier completion is probable if al
/ goes well"
I Considering the cost and time of con
/ struction of a sea level canal as com
/ pared with the lock type. they hold tina
most of the factors which have operates
/ to increase the cost of the lock cana
would operate with similar effect to in
/ crease the cost Of the sea level canal
and at the present time there are add
tional factors of even greater importanc
/ to be considered as affecting the time o
completion and cost of sea level ca
nal
One of these they find in the Gamboi
dam, the work on which is to be starte
as soon as possible. They declare
/ could not be completed until after tn
time required for the completion of tn
/ lock canal
Further than this, they say a change,
/ type would result in abandoning WOrl
which represents large expenditures.
! They claim that by the change tn
] River Chagres and the rivers on the 18th
mus tributary thereto, instead of beini
allies. would be enemies of the canal
and floods in them would greatly inter
| fere with the work
Earthquakes Not Feared.
! Replying to the criticisms that the ca
/ raj region is liable to earthquake shock
and that sea level canal would be les
subject to injury by earthquake than
! lock canal" they assert that dams am
l locks are structures of great stability an
little subject TO damage by earthquake
| shocks" but that. even if they coul
/ regard earthquakes as a source of seri
/ Gus damage 20 any type of canal on tn
! isthmus. their effect upon the dams
/ locks and regulating works proposed 70
Z the sea level canal would be much tn
same as upon similar structures of tn
Z lock canal.
/ As to the question Of water supply the
say lit is so much greater than any nee,
/ that can be reasonably anticipated tina
! the best method of securing more waite
/ when the time of need arrives does no
| require to be CONSIDERED now. They re
! port that they can find no reason to ap
] Drehend important loss of water by seen
l age through the ridges surrounding tn
/ Gatun dam. while, in our judgment
/ they add, the bed of the lake will b
practically impervi0us TO water
/ The engineers who compose the boar
are Frederick Steers, James G. Schuyler
Arthur =. Davis, Isham Randolph. Henri
| D. Allen. John r. Freeman and Allie
| HaZen.