The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-02-12

New Orleans. Feb. n-wnliam 4. Taft
was welcomed homo by New Orleans
with demonstration record breaking for
the city.
President Mckinley was cordially re-
ceived here in 1sa and President ROose-
welt IA Iss. but neither of them stirred
up the town the way Mr. Taft DIG to-day.
In q sense. New Orleans was represent
ing the country in extending the GLAD
hand 10 the President-elect upon his safe
return. and she did II in fine style.
Mr. Taft, on the other hand. had few
encouraging words TO give the Southern
ers On the Panama Canal. He told them
in effect that the report OF the seven en-
gineers who accompanied him VIII in
dorse the lock type OF construction, ard
will mean the speedy pushing Of the work
70 completion. Mr. Taft vas speaking 70
= crowd OF I5.0o from the steps OF the
city nail He said:
Canal Complete in 1915.
7 am here on NY way from the great
constructive work. the greatest entered
upou bv any nation in the last two cen
turies. I an glad 70 say TO you. who
perhaps are more interested II that work
than any other people in the United
states. that the work Is going on as yoa
would have II 20 on: that on the 1st DAY
Of January, 1915, al least. Il not before Il
AZ, very much interested in having i n
the next four years, that canal win b
{ eompIeted. and you viii see floating down
this river your great commerce going on
through those straits 70 the west coast
OF America. to the vest coast OF south
America. 10 the Orient. and TO Australia
The board Of engineers that accom-
panied ne have examined the whole work.
! and they say that Il = good. that il shah
/ 20 on as Il has done on. and that the
esprit de corps the feeling on the 18th
mus. the organization. and the American
push that are there eonvinces them that
the canal IS now progressing rapidly"
/ The seven engineers who accompanied
Mr.. Taft 10 the isthmus landed with him
at New Orieans and left tonight for
washington. They had promised Nj.
Taft on leaving Panama that they would
have their report ready TO put in his
hands bv to-day but most Of them weTs
seasick on the way Up and MT- Taft, out
OF kindness OF his heart, extended the
time
Taft Alters Plans.
The delay has caused Mr.. Taft %
iaIter his plans. Instead OF remaining n
Cincinnati until February . he VIII leave
that city on next Monday for Washing
ton. where he vii receive the report
from the engineers and hand Il 10 Presi-
dent Roosevelt
Although the report has not been form
ally drafted. as outline is known Tbs
engineers not only viii indorse the loclS
tvpe canal. but they VIII commend highly
the efficiency OF the present canal sd-
mjnistratioa. They viii recommend fer'
minor changes n the plans, which VIII
in no way, however. affect the general
type Of the canal
One Of the recommendations VII be that
the height of the Gatun dam can be les
seued bv twenty feet. making Il thirty
instead OF fifty feet in height above the
water line The engineers decided that
! Of money and energy. The pairing Will. OF
course. considerably lessen the weight
which the nluch-talked-of suhstrata- VIII
have 70 bear
The seven engineers. II Is declared. Eill
settle once and for all in their report the
: talk about the impOssibiiity Of construct
inp the great Gatun dam because Of Sc
ipage through the substrata- Before the
engineers visited the isthmus knowl-
edge OF the formation deep down under
/. 1.-THE dam was obtained only by Washing
: iup" the material through pipes driven 2e
fleet into the earth
: Gatun Dam Feasible.
The material obtained from these pipes
was sand and gravel, which might indi-
Icsse a s,ibterranean lake. While the board
OF visiting engineers vas on the isthmus.
. however, q sample Of the rock vas
: brought I'D intact IN the pipe, and It was
found that the gravel and sand we're
mixed with natural cement. which made
them absolutely impervious TO water. That
| settled the question ef the feasibility OF
1.-THE Gstun dam in the minds OF the engf-
Ineers. and they viii approve it in every
respect in their report
The engineers win recommend. further.
that some sort OF electric apparatus be
employed both for stopping big vessels
before entering the locks, ard also for
towing them into the locks after they
have come 10 a standstiIL This apparatus
VIII save the lock gates from danger of
collision.
The engineers win recommend q change
! in the plans OF the breskwater IN LiTcn
Bay, eft Colon. They s-iIl suggest that
the breakwa1er he run of iaterally from
the Colon and Point Toro shores. 50 as
/ TO cap the canal channel and practically
snclose the bay. The old plans provided
for the breakwzter running parallel With
the canal channel
Present work Endorsed.
There viii be other recommendations 0.
minor Importance. but FOR the most part
the report will be citation of condi-
tiens on the isshmus as the engineers
found them, and strong indorsemsnt Of
r the present canal administrator.
Mr. TAFT does not hesitate TO snow HI,
pleasure at the results Of the trip 20 thc
centinued on PAGE 3. Column 4.