Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-01
CATUN DAM
Was Not Hurt By Settling
Of Panama Railroad:
Chairman GoethaIs is in Favor
Of Lock Canal.
Is Confident That Canal Will be
Opened Jan. 1. 1915.

Washington, March 3l.--Chairman
Goethals, nt the isthmian canal COM
mission, who is about to return to
Panama, said recently hat the 300 feet
Of cmbankment of III" rebuilt Panama
railroad which recent dispatches from
Colon reported had settled about 80 feet
was q mile ana a half from the Gatun
dam, and therefore has 30 direct bear
ing in connection with the construction
" that portion OF the canal water
ways
The settling occurred ut Il place
where the relocated road il: being con
stlucted over Il swamp and th,. trouble
is similar to that which has been cx-
perienced in various parts OF tins
country. The road is; being raised
from a height OF 6 feet to % feet
above sea level.
"I'nlcss there is some unforeseen
difficulty, such as labor trouble or an
epidemic Of some kind, feel confident
t}at the canal will be opened py
January l. 1915" said Col. Gocthals
I was originally an advocate of d sea
level canal lit Panama. That was at a
time when formed my Judgment on
what seemed to be the demand of COM
Icrce and from general information
concerning conditions that would be
encountered.
Going ID the iethnlus about two
years age observation and caretu
study convinced me that tn" construc-
ton If Il sta-lcvcl canal would involve
expense 50 great as to make it i'm
practicable. and. at the same time
would result less satisfactorily be
cause of difficulties connected with its
maintenance.
"s4in"c that time everything that has
come to my attention has strengthened
my belief in the advantages of Il lock
canal In the matter Of drainage alone
the sra-l"vtl project involves such
serious difficulty as to make necessary
plans entirely different from any that
have even been formulated
"Pruject; in tn" past have taken into
consideration the control Of the
thaGrrS river ANA other large streams,
hu: practically ignored many small
Waterways that one can step over at
times, but which have seen swell
within Il couple uf hours to torrents | }
or Is feet deep. The heavy rainfall
on The iSthmus makes each one of
thrst. WatrrWayS of the utmost impur-
t&nCc.
"lf they should be allowed TO nD,r
into the canIi. currents would be
created that would make navigation
impossible ut times. a large amount Of
material would be washed into the
canal prism, creating bars that fro
Qurntly would have to be ,iredged out
This matter or drainage is So great
That am cGnN need that the only
Ilncticuhlr plan for the construction
of II ScH-Icv"l project would involve
the building of It canal on each side of
the main waterway, these additional
canals to carry off excessive floods.
This Plan would involve expense 50
great that | feel sure the Americal
people would not stand for it, Yet, IN
my Judgment, anything less would
prove worthless. 50 far as its feast
blity is concerned
The lock project. on the other hand,
Includes provision for an enormous
lake, into which all the Surplus water
can flow without ondangcring tho
canal. This will avoid the torrentidl
flows which could not fail to prove
disastrous if not controlled in this
way"
Col. Cocktails declared that reports
" engineering difficulties that would
be met on tn" sthmus have frequently
been greatly exaggerated.
There is not a single thing in con
ncction with the lock canal" he said,
that can be called unusual beyond
the question of magnitude. Engineers
have performed similar work else"
where. There are no doubtful prom
TENS. There are no experimental pro