The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-02-18
ENGINEERS APPROVE
THE LOCK TYPE
WATERWAY
CHANGE TO A SEA LEVEL CANAL
WOULD BE INEXCUSABLE
FOLLY, THEY SAY.

Washington, Feb. 17.-Any attack
made hereafter on the lock type of the
Panama canal, according to the opin-
ion expressed by President Roosevelt
in a message transmitting to congress
today the report made by the engin-
GERS who recently visited the canal
reality merely an attack upon the
uolicy Of building any c"nal at all"
The report in Mr.. Rooscvelt's opinion,
shows in clearest fashion that the
the congress was wise in the position
1t took and that it would be mex
cusable folly to change from the pro-
posed lock canal to a sea level canal
Il commend to you," he says to
congress. the most careful considera-
ton of the report. They show that
the only criticism that can be made
of the work on the isthmus is that
there has sometimes been an almost
excess of caution in providing against
peril. AS to the Gatun dam itself.
they show that not only Is the dam
safe, but that on the whole the plan
already adopted would make it un-
necessarily high and strong and GER
tain they are that the height be re-
duced by 20 feet, which change in the
plans 1 have accordingly directed"
President Roosevelt says that the
engineers who made the report, "are
of all the men in their profession
within or without the United States,
the men who are on the whole best
qualified to pass upon these very
Central Point.
The engineers report that as the
Gatun earth dam was the central
point of discussion they gave it un-
der instructions from Mr.. Taft, first
in the light of all new
evidence" and they add that the
type of dam now under consideration
Is one which meets with out unani-
nous approval
They say they are satisfied that
there will be no dangerous or objec-
-ionable seepage through the mater
ais under the base of the dam; nor
ire they so soft to be liable to be
pushed aside by the weight of the
dam so as to cause danger
,us settlement. We are also salts
led that the material available and
which it is proposed to use are suit
ible and can readily be placed to
orm a light, stable and permanent |
lam"
Dams and locks. lock gates and all |
,ther engineering structures involved |
n the lock canal project are "feas- |
BILE and safe" according to the en-
,ineers 'and they can be depended |
lpon to perform with certainty their |
espective functions"
They report that they do not find |
my occasion for changing the type
f the canal that has been adopted. |
\ change to sea level plan at the
resent time would add greatly to the
ost and time of construction. without
advantages, either in
apacity of the canal or safety of nav
cation and hence would be public
I'VE do find" they say, 'in the de-
allied designs that have been adopted,
r that are under consideration, some
ldlteTS where Ot1eT arrangements
han those now considered worthy of
ludy AS these proposed conditions
re of a tentative nature and do not
! any case affect the main ques-
ons herein discussed, they are not
aken up in this report"
Possible Shipping.
They declare that the most i'm
ortant question in the construction
the Gatun dam is the possible
tipping and sliding Of the materials
nderneath and In the body Of the
am"
In regard to this question they have
cached the conclusion "the design
pom which the work is now being
abundantly fulfills the re-
uired degree of stability and goes far
eyond the limits of what would be
egarded as sufficient and safe in any
IS important structure"
In regard to the stops which have
,curred at several times they assert |
lat they are "of no serious conse-
uence, either in the practical execu-