The daily sentinel., 1909-01-05
WASHINGTON NEWS


real panic among the leaders of the
republican party over the Panama
canal situation.
1nSiStent declarations of engineers
of high standing and recognized abil-
ity that the now famous Gatun dam
and its locks are gigantic and tre-
mendously costly engineering blund-
er have at last had their effect on
government officials who have in the
past depended wholly on these being
paid to build the canal for informa-
tion as to whether the work was be-
ing well done.
The administration finds itself
without material to combat the re-
peated charge that if the present
plans are persisted in the cost of the
canal to the American people will
reach the stupendous sum of $780,
100000 instead of the S145, 100000
originally contemplated and that
even with that vast expenditure the
canal will be an utter and disastrous
failure. That there appears to be
ample foundation for these charges
is regretted on all sides. Even many
republicans have expressed the hope
Congress will see fit to admit at once
mistake has been made, and have
the site of the dam changed before
more money is wasted on the present
location.
In the meantime every effort is
being made to suppress evidence of
discontinue on the part of the ad-
ministration. 1t is made to appear
in Washington that the rush visit of
President Taft and the Interstate and
Foreign Commerce committee-as
well as various prominent republican
members OF the House-to the 18th
mus at this time has no connection
hs &c. uifI hn =
charges. However the plans pro-
vided for the rushing of the party to
the Gatun dam site at the earliest
possible moment.
For a clear understanding of the
matter under discussion the relation
of the Gatun dam to the canal should
be explained The Chagres river,
which has its source well to the east
ward of the canal zone, flows into
the zone and through many valleys
and gorges to empty into the Carib
bean few miles west of Colon.
VIII, q the canal has its entrance.
Imagine V. the right arm repre-
senting the canal, extending from
Colon to its point of intersection
with the Chagres river at Gatun, the
left arm representing the Chagres
from Gatun to its mouth in the
Caribbean. At Gatun the river makes
"A high range of hills. The plan that
is now being so bitterly assailed was
that of throwing dam across the
river where it makes its way through
this depression and by this means to
impound the waters of the Chagres
into vast lake, which would he 50
feet above sea level, and of such
great depth that vessels could make
their way over il for eight miles, and
throughout that distance the i'm
pounded waters would be so deep
that there would be no need of eX-
caVation.
Now it is being asserted that the
dam is stupendous blunder; that
because of the geological structure of
the isthmus. the foundations are, by
nature, so unstable that no engineer
ing skill can overcome this inherent
fault: that the dam will be ever set
tling at one point or another, open
ing fissures through which the pent
waters will rush, and that all chances
are that it is more than likely to fire.
quently slough off its bulky sides.
Tho essence of opinion of engineers
of unquestionable standing and re-
pute is that, while the dam itself
might be so constructed that it would
be made to hold water. the surround
ing hills, which form continuation
of the dam, are so perVious that ii
will be impossible to impound the
flow of the Chagres or to imprison
its waters into n lake.
The fault is in the surrounding
hills which form a continuation of
the dam These elevations are de
scribed as being so porous in char
acter as to utterly prevent any i'm
pounding of the waters of the
Chagres. the seeping being such that
no considerable body of water could
ever be maintained. This is very
brief review of the criticism as relat-
ed to the writer by prominent civil
engineer who had been a member of
the canal commission.
1t may be added that the entire
plan under fire was authorized from
a minority report. distinguished
engineer recently extended to Col.
Geo. w. Goethals, the engineer in
charge. an appreciation of his self
sacrifice, dignity and silence