New-York tribune., 1909-03-17

dam. Why then go TO the expense Of the extra
height of the dam. and what was to be gained
thereby?
NAVIGATION IN TWO TYPES.
As there had never been any question raised as
to the safety and stability of dams at Pedro
Miguel and Mirahores with the Gatun dam ac-
oepted. other things being equal the relative merits
Of the lock sea level canal rested upon the
ease and safety of navigation offered by the two
types.
On this point Colonel GoethaIs said:
tvB In the 9sG se syei type offered in lieu Of the lock
GI GG9rL1a og ga "a masonry dam across the valley al
Ject 10 a pressure due TO a head of 170 feet dur
ing the extreme flood stages of the river. Proper
INTO the canal The difference in tides is overcome
by means of lock on the Pacific side in the VI
tl!lltN OF SoSa Eilll. While provisions made fOr
damrning or diverting some of the streams that
than twenty-five fow directly into the canal, with
stages.
The prism of the canal is to have a bottom width
Of 80 feet through the earth sections nearly
half its length, and 2e-foot bottom width through
the rock sections. Nineteen miles Of the length are
MADE MADE Of curves SO that the the PROPOSED a sea D leDe
ditch, with varying currents of unknown strength
ing pressure due TO head twice as great as that
To be sure the partisans of the sea level type
proposing to eliminate both the Gamboa
dam and the tidal lock by making the channel so
the discharge of the Chagres and the difference
tides, fail explain how they purpose to
control or divert the Chagres. the bed of which
Will fifty feet above the water surface of the
canal at the juncture. AS data not available for
preparing accurate estimates for even such a sea
level type as Originally offered, neither they
nor any one else offer any figures as TO time
and cost for the construction of such canal as
they advocate.
In any comparison. therefore must confne
our attention the lock type as now building, anc
q level canal offered 10y the board OF enSi-
neers and not ly the ideaiisL r,,sr,,a- for easa
and safety of navigation the lock type IS better
because of the greater widths Of channels. ieWer
and easier CURVES ard freedom from Objectionable
and troublesome currents. both from the ChaSreS
and its tributaries This must be admitted by all
bur the exponents of the sea level type concen-
rat their attention the Instructions and dan
gers tfat the locks constitute in the lock tyne and
also dangers that will result from the i'tll
Of the Gatun dam. forgetting that At least
equally great disaster follow the failure of
the Gamboa dam The lock in the sea level canal
is not mentioned, probably because the danger Is
not 50 great. since there is but one.
FNperience shows that the risks to ships in mar
row WATERWAYS material and important In
LAYS and losses 10 commerce We're great and the
danger shins considerable although the beneht
Of the widening Is striking. this IS true even now
Il is well known that the narrow channels con-
Meeting the Great Lakes have been obstructed re-
raatedIv hv vessels aground wecked IN such a
manner as TO block traffic Even in the entrances
to our seapnrts there is frequency of accidents,
which illustrate the difficulties encountered in naV-
eating and tortuous channels
Accidents in locks have been relatively feW. ana
ATarv's Falls Canal during ffty-four years OF its
usl The risks TO SldpS in such a narrow water
wav as proposed for the level canal at Pan
anna far outweigh all hazards in the proposed lock