The sun., 1909-06-18
TIE BATTLE or THE LEVELS.
Mr.. Gustav H. schwab on the Lesson
Taught BY the 500 Canal.


Mr.. Gustav H. schwab on the Lesson
Taught BY the 500 Canal.
To THE EDITOR or The SuN-Sir: The
recent serious accident by which the Cana
dian lock on the 500 Canal was wrecked has
awakened renewed interest In the present
lock plan for the construction Of the Panama
Canal aud hos foroibly presented the grave
objections urged by business men 90 we'll as
expert engineers TO this look plan
President Roosevelt In his message 10 the
Senate and House OF Representatives OF
February 10. 1905. In which he transmitted
to Con sress the report of the Board OF Con-
suiting Engineers. the majority OF which
favored sea level canal As against lock
canal. used the following words:
In my judgment the very able argument OF the
majority Of the Board OF Consulting Engineers
ID vtiated by their failure 10 pay proper heed 10
the lessons taught by the construction and opera
ton Of the 500 Canal.
What are the lessons taught by the con-
struction and operation OF tho 500 Canal
~ applied to the construction and opera
ton OF q world waterway across the Isthmus
Of Panama?
The answer is contained In the report Of
the majority Of the Board OF Consulting
Engineers in favor OF the sea level canal.
which report was rejected by President
Roosevelt In favor OF the lock canal plan.
The engineers signing this majority report.
in which they very emphatlcally protested
against the construction Of an interoceanic
waterway equipped with six locks. through
which all shipping using the canal must
necessarily pass. expressed their conclusions
hat II In Usl IN
recall their words, and to note that they
we're evidently fully alive to the lessons
taught by the construction and operation
OF the 500 Canal:
In the course Of the proceedings Of the board
It transpired that during the last nine years tn rec
accidents arising from collision between steamers
In transit and the lock rates and resulting In each
case In dangerous damage 10 these yates occurred
in the 81. Mary's Falls Canal and also that three
accidents arising from the same cause and having
the same result occurred In the Manchester ship
Canal In England.
Several OF these accidents were 20 serious that
disastrous consequences we're escaped BY q mar
row margin only. 1t is practically certain that
II the locks upon which these accidents took
place had been of the dim cnsonV and had con.
trolled the great differences OF level contemplated
for the locks OF the Panama Canal. not merely
serious accidents but disasters would have fol-
lowed in perhaps all these cases. throwing the
whole canal out Of operation for period which
cannot be estimated. and also wrecking the YES
sells In the path Of the resulting nood, while the
cost required to repair the damages Is not within
the limits OF reasonable computation.
The three accidents 81 81. Msry's Falls occurred
within period Of nine years, where there 10 only
one lockage Of about twenty feet. II six locks
should be adopted In plan for the Panama Canal,
each having q lift OF thirty feet or more ~ has
been proposed In several projects IL would not
be unreasonable. with an equal number Of vessels.
to look for SIX times the number Of accidents
In the same period OF time, which would be at the
be arranged In lights. Is has also been proposed
In some projects, the imminence Of DISASTROUS
accidents would be greatly enhanced. % would
be the amount OF damage TO the structures and
TO the vessels involved. Indeed. Il Is highly
probable that the grave disaster of great ocean
steamship breaking through the gates OF the upper
lock and pungine down through those below
might be realized.
II Is the unqualified judgment OF the board
that the United sAtes Government should not
construct an interocesnic waterway to sccommo-
date the commerce OF the world exposed 70
hazards OF this sort, These conditions become
even moro serious when II Is contemp plated that
this canal Is 10 be used for strategic purposes.
and therefore for the inte roceAnic transit OF
Consideration Of the growth In sire and weight
Of bsttleships during the last ten yean-and Of
the fact that this growth Is still progressing -
leads 10 the inevitable conclusion that In the not
distant future arnor clad vessels Of beam Of
% feet and with a displacement OF 2S.ooo tons
may be expected. The dimensions adopted by
the board for the canal prism and for the lock
chamber would admit Of the passage Of these
vessels.
Argument does not seem 70 be required 10 EN-.
phssise the necessity OF avoiding the process Of
locking these pondsrous and unwieldy ironciads
up or down In the Panams Canal The diniculty
OF handling them In the most favorable circum-
stances Is notorious, while IN the operations re.
qured for raising them In one series OF locks and
difnculty would come so psrilousiy near lmprscti.
csbii,y that In the opinion Of the board scheme
involving It should be accepted.
The conclusions OF the majority Of the
Board Of Consulting Engineers. which were
so summarly dismissed by President Roose-
welt. are amply confirmed bv the recent seri-
GUS accident TO the Canadian lock Of the
Sault Ste. Marie Canal. This accident was
caused by a steamer which spproa ched
the lock from below while one steamer was
in the lock chamber ready for locking down
and another steamer was entering the lock
from above, the upper gates. therefore,
being Open ! he steamer approaching
the canal from below struck the lower gate,
carrying it away, and both steamers in the
upper lock and the steamer entering the
lower lock were swept out of the cha amber
at a terrific speed BY the outrushng food,
and one Of them was seriously dan,as sed.
the others fortunately escaping with but
little injury; but the effect upon the look
itself was most unfortunate. as according
to last reports 1t seems that the entrance
has not been closed and the water Is running
the locks at great speed, and IL is
doubtful II the lock itself can be repaired
during this present season OF navisation.
The minority OF the Board OF Consulting
Engineers, the report Of which fsvorine the
lock canal as against the sea level canal
was accepted by the Preside ent, declares that
the carrying away Of a lock gate has never
occurred in the Al. Msry's Falls Canal" tup
to the date Of the report): but the enri,
neers composing this minority OF the consult
ing board evidently considered the sates
with which the locks At Panama will be
equipped dangerous feature. for they rec.
commended in their report the provision Of
two pairs Of gates, At the head and At the
foot Of each summit lock, with the intention
OF thus protecting one pair OF EStes by the
second and preventing . disastrous result
from such sn accident a. has now happened
In the Canadian lock Of the 500 Canal
The accident In the Canadian 500 Canal
lock. which consists only Of one lock cham
Der with lit Of twenty feet, is ohiid's play
with the terrible disaster that
would result from the carrying away Of ona
A.