The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-01-29
OFF TO THE
CANAL ZONE
PRESIDENT-ELECT TAFT TOOK
FIRST STEP TOWARD ASSUME.
TON OF HIS DUTY.
WITH COMPANY OF EXPERT EN.
GINEERS ALL WORK WILL
BE INVESTIGATED.

Washington, Jan. 25.-When viii
liam H. Taft and his party Of en-
gineers sailed for Panama from
Charleston today, the President
leect took the first step toward tn,
assumption of a tremendous respon
sibility that will bear heavily on hi
shoulders throughout his admins
tration as chief executive of the ma
ton. The coming four years viii
be the critical ones in the great pro
Ject for dividing continent anC
changing the course of the world
commerce. The Panama canal is
likely to be the glory or the shame
Of the Taft regime.
That Mr.. Taft realizes this great
responsibility is evidenced by the
present trip and his further deter.
mination to make tour OF inspec.
ton of the isthmus each year Of his
term and to take with him eminent
civil engineers who are not connect
ed with the work. There is some
danger, he believes, that unless this
close supervision is maintained re.
garding the physical features of the
project that grave mistakes might
be made. The problem that will re-
ceive the greatest consideration dur.
ing the present trip relates to the
engineering feature of the Gatun
dam. There has been some expert
criticism as to the quality of the
foundation which can be found for
this structure and it is Mr.. Taft's
Intention to obtain from the most
reliable sources available as much as
may be known.
1t is generally admitted among
those having authority to speak on
such topics that Mr.. Taft is espec-
tally fortunate in the selection of
the engineers who are accompany
ing him on the trip commenced to-
day. These men are Arthur p
Davis, chief engineer, reclamation
service, Washington, D. c.; John X
Freeman, Providence, r. T.; Allen
Hazen, New York; Isham Randolph
Chicago; Jas. Dix Schuyler, Los An.
geles, Cal, and Frederic P. Stearns
Benton, Mass.
Upon the shoulders Of Mr.. Taft
and these six men rest the RESPONSE.
bility for deciding one Of the most
momentous questions ever presented
by an engineering problem. AS a
result of the inspection, the plans
for the gigantic waterway may be
completely changed. In case the
engineers should fail to agree upon
the desirability of proposed changes
as is entirely likely-the decision
will be up to Mr.. Taft. If time
proves the wisdom Of his decision
his name will be forever linked with
the canal project and he will thus
gain immortality. If he should fat
admitting the existence of such 6
word in the Taft lexicon-then OBJ
livion Is the kindest fate he may
hope for.
OF all the problems presented, the
Gatun dam offers the most Difficult
ties. This dam, according to plans
is to create giant reservoir cover
ing 10 square miles, the water com
ing from the Chagres river. The
water in the reservoir will be 12s
feet above the level Of the sea ant
far above the highest level of the
canal. If this dam should give way
it would precipitate a flood tha
would wreck millions Of dollar.
worth Of property and cost hun
dreds of lives.
Whether this dam can be built il
such manner as to be entirely safe
and it's breaking rendered impossi
ble,is the problem Mr.. Taft and hi
engineers will have to decide, ant
their regulations will hang in thu
balance. If an adverse decision Il
made in the Gatun dam project. /
will necessitate the entire abandon
ment of the present project and thu
loss of thousands of dollars alread,
expended.
Among the engineers who have al
ready made thorough Investigation
Of the canal work, there is Wild
difference Of opinion as to the feas
Utility of the Gatun dam. Lindol
Bates, the most famous of the engin
GERS who has thoroughly inspected
this part of the project, dismisse
it as unsafe and impracticable, 70
the following reasons:
1.-The dam is on alluvial founda
tons, proved treacherous, yielding
artisan and permeable; becaus
there is great underground flo,
through conduits of porous sand
and soils impossible ocurtain of
because of the stupendous labo
force and equipment needed to fin
ish it; because of the dangers G
subsistence, fitting, settlements an
assures, Of overlapping, percolatio
and erosion of sand veins under
meath; because the old Chagres be
just below was once 581k feet deel
exposing permeable strata under tn
site and the high lake will increas
the underflow."
Homestake Buys Picking Plant.