Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-02-17
Those Who Attack it Attack
Policy Of Building Any
Canal Whatever.
DECLARES PRIEST. ROOSEVELT
Enuineers Who Visited IsthmuS
with Taft Unanimously in
Favor of II.
ro-t Estimated at SSGO.O0O, OOO--Date
or Completion. Jan. -, 1915
Construction Commended.

Washington, Feb. 17-Any attack
made hereafter on the lock type Of
OBJ. Panama canal. according TO the
opinion expressed by President Roose-
.aIt in a message transmitting 90 Com
a..ss today the report made by the en-
..uears who recently visited the canal
zone with President-elect Taft. els On
reality merely an attack upon the poll
,ev OF building any canal at all' The
report, in Mr.. Booseyelrs opinion.
shows in clearest fashion that the Con-
-ress was wise in. the position it took
aud that it would be inexcusable folly
10 change from the proposed lock canal
OBJ sea level canal
~ commend TO YOU he says TO Con-
Ercss. "the most careful consideration
Of the report OF the engineers. They
show that the only criticism that can
Dr. made Of the work on the isthmus is
tHlt there has sometimes been an al
most excess of caution I'm providing
AGAINST possible trouble AS to the
iItun dam Itself they show that not
only Is the dam safe. but that on the
whole the plan already adopted would
Nuke Il unnecessarily high and strong
md accordingly they recommend that
.1e height be reduced by 20 feet. which
hanged plans 1 have accordingly dt-
r.etcd."
President Roosevelt says that tho
.HEineers who made the report. ARE OF
D. the men IN their profession within
-. without the United States the men
Who are on the whole best qualified 10
ass upon these very questions which
they examined"
GATUN DAM
The engineers report that. as the Ca
.uu earth dam was the central point
IF discussion, they gave It under in
-tuctions from Mr.. Taft. FIRST con-
sdaration I'm the light Of an new evil
lauga' and they add that "the type Of
i.m now under consideration Is one
which meets with our unanimous ap-
.goy7l,'
They say they are satisfied that
here viii be no dangerous or obiec-
Inual seepage through the materials
under the base OF the dam: nor arr
they so soft as 10 be liable 10 be push
90 aside by the weight OF the proposed
a1m go as 20 cause dangerous settle
ment We are also satisfied that the
material available and which IL ia
proposed 20 use are suitable and can
rlully be placed 20 form a tight,
stable and permanent dam
Dams and locks. lock gates and an
other engineering structures involved
lH the lock canal project are feasible
and safe" according 10 the engineers,
and they can be depended upon 10
perform with certainty their respec-
tive functions"
NO CHANGE OF TYPE.
THE report that they Edo not find
amy occasion for changing the type of
i.e canal that has been adopted A
,auge 10 sea level plan at the pres
aHt time would add greatly 90 the cost
#ad time OF construction, without COM
I"nsatng advantages. either in capa-
city Of The canal or safety Of navlga-
lion. and hence would be a public mis-
fortune
we do fined" they say "in the de-
tailed designs that have been adopted.
or that are under consideration, some
matters where other arrangements
t1au those now considered are worthy
oi study As these proposed condl-
lions are OF a tentative nature and do
not Ia any case AFFECT the main Ques-
N"n herein discussed they are not TAX
el up in this report"
They declare that the most prac-
teai question In the construction Of
the Gatun dam Is the possible slipping
md sliding OF tho materials under
meath and In the body OF the dam"
lu regard 20 this question they have
reached the conclusion 1.-The design
upon which the work is now being
prosecuted abundanuy fuldus the re-
guired degree ~ stability and COOS far
beyond the limits Of what would be re-
rlrded as sufficient and safe In any
.Hsa important structure
Ion regard 10 the slips which have
occurred at several times, they assert
Hlt they are "of no serious oonse-
Hucnco. either in the practical execu-
lion Of the work or 90 the ultimate
stability Of the structures
HEIGHT or DAM
Having considered the proper height
f'r tho crest OF the Gatun dam. they
.nuciude that "lt could be- safely re-
0ucod 20 foot from that originally pro-
posed. namely 20 an elevation OF no
f"nl above sea level or so feet above
.na normal level OF the water against
iHa dam"
This change. they say "wll facilitate
mo work of construction and viii re-
auce somewhat the cost OF the proposed
work"
.A It'd inc NlNNNt NI NNn INhfA lNNhn
ODD ihe Pacific end of the canal from
l.1 Ensa, on tho shore 0f Panama bay
I' Mlmh1res. about four miles inland
They report that the settlements which
occurred al result of the change
cause no reason to doubt the stability
ui DIE proposed DAM
This change having been made TO-
.Hu. objection might ho made from
military point of view to pacing
locks on the shore of the bay, exposed
no gums 0f hostile ships," the board 1f
engineers estimate that m viii iurrease
mo cost of about 100000. bat that 70
vim greatly lessen the cost of forth
uoAtion.
MINIMUM WIDTH
Another change. that OF increasing
Pie minimum width OF the bottom of
lhe canal for about a. miles ln the
.oluebra cut they estimate viii in-
crease the cost of the work by about
liaoo000o but they say it Will not de-
Hy tho completion of the canal, that
10 VIII permit ships 90 pass ono an-
IlNDr iu THIS portion Of the canal and