The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-17
Final Cost of the Panama Canal
i Is Estimated.
Report of the Visiting Engin.
eerS Is Submitted.
COMPLETED IN 1915
No Cause for Changing to Sea
Level Is Found.
Every Criticism or Objection
Has Been Answered.

Washington, Feb 1I-Any alldch
made hereafter on the lock type of the
Panama canal, according to the opinion
expressed by President Roosevelt in
message transmitting to congress today
the report made by the engineers who
recently visited the canal zone with
President-elect Taft ''is in reality mere
ly an attack upon the policy Of build
ing any canal at all" The report in
Mr.. Roosevelt's opinion shows in clear
est fashion that congress was wise in
the position it took and that it would
be an inexcusable folly to change from
the proposed lock canal to a sea level
canal
II commend to you he said to con-
gress, "the most careful consideration
of the report. They show that the only
criticism that can be made of the work
the isthnus is that there has some
times been almost an excess of caution
in providing against possible trouble
AS to the Gatun dam they show not
only is the dam safe, but that on the
whole the plan already adopted would
make It unnecessarily high and strong
and accordingly they recommend the
height be reduced by 20 feet which
change in the plans 1 have according
ly directed
The engineers report that the
of discussion they gave it under instruc-
tions from Mr.. Taft first consideration
in the light of all new evidence and
they add that g the type of dam now
under consideration Is one which meets
with our unanimous approval"
Dams and locks, lock gates and all
other engineering structures involved
in the lock canal project are feasible
and safe" according to the engineers
and they can be depended upon to per
form with certainty their respective
functions.
No Cause to Change.
They report that they do not find
any occasion for changing the type OF
canal that has been adopted. A change
to sea level plan at the present time
would add greatly to the cost and time
of construction without compensating |
advantages either in capacity of the ca
nal or in safety of navigation, and
hence would be a public misfortune |
They declare that the most practica-
BILE question in the construction of the
Gatun dam is the possible slipping and
sliding of the materials underneath and
in the body of the dam In regard to
this question they have reached the
conclusion "the design upon which the
work is now being prosecuted abundant
ly fulfillS the required degree of stabil-
ity and goes far beyond the limits of
what would be regarded as sufficient
and safe in any less important struc-
ture."
In regard to the slips which have
occurred at several times, they assert
that they are "of no serious conse-
3uence either in the practical execu-
ton of the work or in the ultimate sta
bility of the structures.
Having considered the proper height
for the crest of the Gatun dam they
concluded that "it could be safely re-
duced 20 feet from tnat originally pro-
posed: namely. to an elevation of lis
feet above sea level or 80 feet above |
the normal level of the water against
the dam"
This change, they say. will facilitate
the work of construction and will re-
duce somewhat the cost of the pro- |
posed work..
AS to the change of the lower locks !
on the Pacific end of the canal from |
La Boca on the shore of Panama bay /
to Mirafores. about four miles inland |
they report that the settlements which /
occurred as a result of the change
"cause no reason to doubt the sta
bility of the proposed dam"
Ships Can Pass.
This change having been made be-
cause objection might be made from
q military point of view to placing !
locks on the shore of the bay exposed |
to guns of hostile ships, the board of
engineers estimate that it will in
crease the cost by about s1O.OOO.OOO.
but that it Will greatly lessen the
cost of fortification. Another change.
that of increasing the minimum width
of the bottom of the canal for about |
81
estimate will increase the cost of the
work by about $13,0O0.OOO. but they
say it will not delay the completion
of the canal. that it will permit ships
to pass one another in this portion of
the canal and will otherwise facilitate
navigation
"If slides occur after the COM
pletion of the canal they say. the
wider canal is not as likely to be
blocked as a narrower one" They
approve the change in the proposed
location of the breakwater al the At
1antic end of the canal.
Their estimate of the complete cost
of the canal is S36O,0OO.O0O. They
saw it is incorrect to state that the
original estimate of cost was s14O,-
100000. as this did not include
"sanitation and zone government"
They estimate the expense of SANTA
ton and zone government at S27-l
100000 while payments to the Re-
public of Panama and the new
Panama Canal company amounted /
to S5OO00,OO0 which would make the
difference between the present esti-
mate and the previous estimate with
Tnent and payments added only
s14S,O0O.0O0.
s'Of this amount" they say part
can be accounted for by the changes
in the canal and appurtenances, works
already referred to and the remainder |
is to be attributed mainly to the high
unit cost of the different items of the
work
Condition of the Work.
Commendation is expressed at the
present condition of the work and the
engineers voice the belief that I'm no
other great construction has so much
heeu done for employees in the way of