The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-01-05
CANAL
DAM A
DOSTLY
BLUNDE:R
Special to Daily Leader.

Special to Daily Leader.
Washington, d. G., Jan. 5-1Thcre y
d real panic among the leaders Of the
Republican party over the Panama
canal situation.
Inslstent declarations o. engineers
Of higt standing and recognized aDilI.
.ty that the nsw famous Gatun dam
and ITS locks are a gigantic and tfo
menduusly costly engineering hluuici
have at last had their effect on gov
eminent officials who have In The paft
depended wholly on those being rai
10 build the canal for information A.
TO whether tie w-rk was being we
done.
The administration finds Itself With
out material to combat rae repeated.
charge that n the present plans are
persisted In The cost OF the canal e.
The American people will react the
%stupendOus sum Of $3.50, 600, 600 instead
ot the si45,000 900 originally contem
piated-and that even With that yasi
expenditure the canal Will be an utter
and disastrous milure, That there Az
pears ~ be ample foundation for these
charges Is regretted on all sides Even
many Republicans ave expressed tht
hope Congress viii see IA 70 admit 81
once q mistake has been made. Az
have the site OF The dam changed be
fore more omney is wasted on ths
present location
III the meantime every effort Is he
ing made to suppress evidence Of dis
onmfIture n the pat OF the admins
ration. L II made to appear IN Wash
lrefon that The rush vlslt Of pfealden
| Tut and the Interstate aud ForelRi
Commerce. eommitee--as we'll as var
ons prominent Republican members
the Hcnseto the istlmns At this TINT
las no connection what's ever with fhe
gatun dam charges However tbs
dams provided for the rushing Of o.
patty % the Gatun dam site at tht
earliest possible moment
Fo- q clear understanding OF iht
matter under discussion me relation
81 the Gatun dam to the canal ~ ul.
be explained. The Chagres river
which has It's source we'll 10 the east
ward OF the canal zone. flows into th'
zone and through many valleys aut
e0rqes to empty into the Caribbean
few miles west Of golon where me
canal has It's entrance
Imagine 4 ". the rlgat arm repre
senling the canal extending fl N @
Ion 20 ltAi point Of Intersection VIII
The chagrea river at Gatun, the leii
arm representing the Chagres from
Gatun 10 It's mouth in the Caribbean
At Gatun The river makes It's WAY
through a deep depression 10 a big
range Of hills. The plan that Is nov
being so bitterly assailed was that d
throwing a dam aof IS the river where
1t makes It's way through this deprea
sion. and by this means 10 impound ths
waters OF the Chagres into a vast lake
k1ich would be So feet above SCI
level, and Of such great depth tha
F~easals could make their way over !
for eight miles, and throughout tina
distance the imp unded waters wouls
be SO deep that there would be ~
need of excavation.
Now II Is being asserted that thi
lam ID d ~stnpendans %nlunder: that be
eanse Of the geological structure q
the lstamus, the foundations ~ b
nature, sa unstable that no engineer
nx skill can overcome this lnhefen
ault, that the dam win he ever Sci
Hing Oh one point Or another openlnl
ISSUES through which the pent water
Viii rush. and that all chances ar
hat Il Is more tran likely 10 frequent
lis slough on It's bialty sides.
The cssenee a. opinion Of engineer
nnauexii nable standing aud reput'
s that. while the dan itself might y
10 constructed that It would he maa'
Il hold water, the surrounding hills
Witch form a continuation 81 the dan
are 50 previous that Il VIII be impof
8Ihie TO lmpound the flow Of hae ChAH
fea of to imprisou IL waters iuto
take.
The fault is Ia Tho surrounding nh
which form a continuation Of the dam
There elevations at described AZ ~
jig IS porous In character aH 70 utter
+ b2eveni any imp anding Of the va
isfs OF the chagrea the seepihH Pc
ne such that no considerable bod
i malnr could eear be maintained
mis- Is 4 very brief review Of the era
IeIsm ~ related 10 the writer "
monument elNil engineer who hal
been Il member Of the eanal commits
EIuuf
Is may be adsled that he eutif
man nuder nsc aas authorised ifNt
mlnofltf report. A distinguished q
~EiHeer recently exsended u Col Gat
s. Goethals. the engineer IN charge
III appreciation OF hts '~self.saerlfeE
d1enitys and Mlenaa
Brave FIRE Lsaeles.
taIkpe ,fecalfp severe burns. putting on