Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-18
President Roosevelt Transmits to
Congress Report Of Engineers.
ALL ENDORSE eATUE DAM SITE
URaninOus verdSct Of Experts En-
dOrses WOrE New Being Done,
Only Criticism Being Possi-
ble Excess of Cnution.

Taft is In reality merely an attack upon
the policy of building any canal at all
The report in Mr.. Roossvelts opinion
shows N cisarest fashion that the con-
gress WAS wise in the position il took and
that II would be an inexcusabls folly 10
change from the proposed lock canal to
sea level canal"
Il commend TO you, he said TO congress-
The most careful consideration Of the re-
T,ort. II shows that the only criticism
that can be made Of the work on the
isthmus is that there has some times been
almost an excess OF caution in providing
against possible trouble. AS to the Gatun
dam itself. they show. that not only is
the dam safe, but that on the whole the
plan already adopted would make il un-
necessarily high and strong. and accord
ingiy they recommend that the height he
reduced by twenty feet which change in
the plans have accordingly directed
President Roosevelt SAYS that the en-
gineerz who made the report ARE Of all
the men in their profession within or with
out the United States. the men who are on
the whole best qualified to rass upon these
very questions which they examined"
An Approve Gatun site.
The engineers report that. as fhe Gatun
I
sion they gave #. under instructions from
Mr.. Taft. first consideration in the light
Of al new evidence" and they add that
the type Of dam now under consideration
is one which meets with our unanimous
approval"
They say that they are satisfied that
there viii be no dangerous or objection
able seepage through the materials under
the base Of the dam; nor are they 10 soft
as to be liable 10 be pushed aside by the
weight OF the proposed dam so as 10 cause
dangerous settlement. We are also salts
fie5 that the materials available and which
II ia proposed TO use are suitable and can
be readily placed TO form a tight, stable
and permanent dam"
Dams and locks, lock gates and all other
engineering structures inrolvel in the lock
canal project are feasible and safe" &C
coreing to the engineers. land they can
be depended upon TO perform with Certainty
their respective functions" They report
that they 40 not find any occasion for
changing the type Of canal that has been
adopted A change 10 sea-levei plan at the
present time would add greatly TO the cost
and time of construction, without compen-
ssring advantages. either IN capacity OF the
canal or in safety Of navigation. ans hence
would be a public misfortune
I'VE do find they say, -dn the detailed
designs that have been adopted, or that are
under consideration. some matters where
other arrangements than those now con
sidsrsd seem worthy Of study As these
proposed changes are Of q tentative ma
ture and 90 not, in any case affect the
main questions herein discussed. they are
not taken up in this report.
Plans More Than safe.
They declare that the most practical
question In the construction OF the Gatun
dam is the possible slipping and sliding OF
! the materials underneath ard In the body
! OF the dam" In regard to this question
they have reached the conclusion the de-
sign upon which the work rs now being
prosecuted Rbundantly fulffls the required
degree Of stability and goes far hey ond the
limits Of what would be regarded as suffi-
cient and safe IN any less important strDo-
( ture~
/ In regard 20 the slips which have oc-
CURED al several times. they assert that
they are "of no serious consequence. either
in the practical execution OF the work or
in the ultimate stability Of the structures" q"
Having considered the proper height for
( the Gatun dam they concluded that II
could be safely reduced twenty feet from
1hst originally proposed: namely. to an
elevation Of lib feet above sea level. or
thirty feet above the normal level OF the
water against the dam"
This change. they said. will facilitate the
work Of construction and viii reduce some
what the cost Of the proposed work
As TO the change Of the lower locks on
I the Pacific end Of the canal for la Bocs
on the shore Of Panama bay OF MiraflOres
about four miles inland. they report that
the settlements which occurred as a re-
suit OF the change cause no reason TO
aouba the stability Of the proposed dam i"
This change having been made because
..objectjon might be made from a military
poins Of view TO placing locks on the shore
os the hay, EXPOSED 10 guns Of hostile
Ehips." the board OF engineers estimate
that il vii increase the cost by about Sl0.-
O0aoO0 but that il win greatly lessen the
cost OF fortificarion-
1 Another change that Of increasing the
I minimum width Of the bottorn Of the canal
for about four ana seVen-tsnths miles in
the culsbra cut the estimate win Increase
the cost Of work by about Sls.00o.s00 but
thsy say II vii not delay The completi0n
of the canal thai il viii permit ships 70
mass one another In tins portion Of the
canal ana wiz otherwise facilitate nHvigA-
tion. II slides occur after the completion
/ Of ths canal" they say. the Wider canal
IA NOD as likely 10 be blocked aE a mar
rover one" They approve The change IN
ths proposed location Of the break-zFater
n the Atlantic END Of the canal
CompArtson of Estfma1eA-
I T-aeir estimate Of the c0mple1e cost OF
the canal is xsS0.O00.o0o They say IL is IN
correct 10 stale thai me original estimate
Of cost was x4o0o.Soo. ss they did not
include -'sAnjtktion ana E0ns government q"
They sstimRie the eXpanse q sanitation
and none government Al te7.0o0S0O. while
payments 70 the republic Of Panama and
10 the new Panama canal company
amounted 10 S500O.0o0 which would make
the differencs herWesn the present estimate
ana the previous estimate. with cost Of
sanitation and zone government and pay
msnts ADDED only u2.0n0o- -'Of this
amount" they say, nesrly one-hah can
be Accounted for by the changes in the
7 canal and HppurtenEnt works already
referred 10 and the remainder Il 10 be al
trsbuted mainly 10 the higher unit cost Of
the diffsrsnt items q the work
7 CoInneucAtion Il expressed al the preaenf