Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-12
FISH DISHES FOR TAFT
Famous "BuiIIabaise" to Be
Served at Banquet.
NEW ORLEANS AT HER BEST
Creole Dainty That Won Praise From
Thackeray.
LOCK CANAL DECIDED UPON
Panama Engineers Quick to Turn
Down Sea Level Plan-What
They Will Report.
oCK CANAL DECIDED UPON

being Friday. fish will be a notable fea-
ture Of the great banquet tonight In
honor of President-elect Taft, the city's
guest. and in the serving Of fish to a
distinguished visitor New Orleans will.
In culinary sense. be at her best. for
with the oyster producing waters Of
Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne and the
many bayous and inlets and banks Of
the Mexican gulf to draw from this
market has available marvellous variety
OF the finest fish in the world.
The recipe for "buillabaise" one Of
the principal dishes. includes six slices
Of red snapper. six slices Of reddish. half
a bottle Of white wine half a lemon, six
large. fresh tomatoes. three onions. three
cloves Of garlic and three bay leaves.
This is the dish that drew from Thack-
cray the remark that Gin New Orleans
YOU can get buillab aise, the like of
which was never eaten in Marseille or
Paris"
The reception to the President-elect
and his party having been we'll perform
ed, all energies were directed today
toward the final details in connection
with the eliminating event tonight.
With 1000 subscribers at s25 a plate,
the committee having the affair in charge
directed the chefs to do their best in the
"a Ia Creole" preparations and to spare
no expense.
When Mr. Taft awoke today he found
a delegation awaiting him to offer the
use OF several golf links IT is probable
that he will indulge in his favorite game
this afternoon. Today's program fol-
lows
Reception at Pelican Park under the
auspices Of the local negro Y. NJ. c. y.
at 10 o'clock.
Automobile tour of city at noon. fol-
lowed by luncheon at the Country Club
Banquet. 7:30 o'clock.
Escorted by Big Parade.
Soldiers. federal and state, and organi-
cations of all kinds met Mr.. Taft at the
foot of Canal street when the Birming-
ham arrived yesterday afternoon, and
paraded him through the crowded streets
of the Crescent city. Mr.. Taft enjoyed
all OF 1t. He had stood on the bridge OF
the Birmingham coming upstream and
stood in his carriage and bowed most of
the time on land
Several socialist banners displayed on
the line of the parade were ordered down
by the local authorities on the ground
that the inscriptions why Should One
Man Hold Another Mans Job?' and Ito
Abolish Poverty, Vote for the Socialist
Ticket, Haunted in the face of Mr.. Taft
did not conform to the hospitable and
non-partisan spirit Of the reception.
Mrs. Taft was taken in charge by i
separate committee and carried to the
Pickwick Club. from which she witnessed
the parade. Afterward she held recep-
ton in the club.
Of the city hall and went to his hotel
In the evening he and Mrs. Taft attended
the ELVES of Oberon' carnival ball
Neither danced, but observed the ball
from a box.
Lock Canal Settled.
Mr.. Taft. in his speech, said he had
been to the isthmus with seven of the
best engineers In the United States. and
had returned with them to tell the people
of the United States that the canal across
the isthmus will be built on the present
plan. The canal, he said, would be in
operation by 1915, and he believed, really,
that 1t would be finished during his adj
ministration-'my first term. he said.
with the Taft laugh, whereat his audi
ence laughed as heartily.
The seven engineers who went with
Mr. Taft had promised to have their re-
port ready when he arrived here. but
several of them were seasick and the
report is not yet in complete form. This
has caused Mr.. Taft to change his plans
The engineers went to Washington last
night.
Mr.. Taft will go to Cincinnati satur-
day morning, but instead of remaining,
as he intended. will be in Washington
Tuesday morning. The engineers have
promised to have their report ready at
that time. 1t will be submitted to Mr.
Taft and to President Roosevelt. 1t may
be said positively that the report will be
an Endorsement for the present lock sys-
tenn and an enthusiastic approval Of the
administration OF affairs on the isthmus
Engineers Recommend Changes.
The engineers will recommend these
changes:
I. That the Gatun dam be lowered
twenty feet from the proposed height.
which is fifty feet above the water line
The engineers asked why the dam was
being built as mountain. Col Goethals
replied that 1t was because unfounded
public opinion in the United States was
forcing him to it.
Regarding the substratunl, an entirely
new sort of investigation was made by
this set OF engineers to see If subter-
ranean lake or river might threaten the
dam. Test pits showed that for twenty
feet there is soil through which water
will percolate. but in such small quantity
as to be negligible. This soil, 1t is said,
will not shift. slide nor disintegrate Be-
low is a stratum of blue clay. absolutely
impervious 20 water. Then the engineers
came to the sand and gravel They
found it a composition similar to concrete
which. in its natural state in the ground.
is really rock.
- The engineers will recommend that
steel mule or some similar device be
used to pull vessels into the locks. 1t is
feared that If they use their own steam
they will be unable to check the momen-
tum a the proper moment.
3 They will recommend that the break
water at Colon practically inclose the
harbor. that 1t may shut out the rollers
from the northers.
Reasons for Lock Canal.
So far as the observation Of a layman
goes there is no reason why the lock
system should not be the better. All the
engineers on the isthmus, both visiting
and resident. gave what second to be
convincing reasons for the locks as
against the sea-level ditch. What shocked
and Jared was the expedition with which
the visiting engineers arrived at their
conclusion. They literally took two looks
at the canal and gave three cheers for
the lock system. Having done this. they
proceeded to examine the canal in detail.
The reasons that will be set forth in
the engineers report to the President
for continuing the work at present are
these:
l. The Chagres river. which winds its
way across the isthmus must supply