The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-01-17
Panama Canal Bafel Worlds Engineers for Centuries

bia was signed, whereby the United
States was to receive a lease Of the
necessary strip OF land for 100 years,
renewal at the pleasure OF the Unit
ed States. This treaty was rejected
by the Colombian congress in August.
1903.
Then followed the establishment OF
the Republic OF Panama. A canal
treaty between the United States and
Panama was signed on November IS,
1903. 1t provided for the construc-
ton and maintenance of the canal,
as follows:
Panama grants in perpetuity the
use Of zone i've miles wide on each
side Of the canal route, and, within
this zone, the exclusive control for
police, judicial, sanitary and other
purposes. Other territory is ceded
for subsidiary canals. For the de-
Tense Of the canal, the coast line OF
the zone and thei stands in Panama
bay are ceded.
Panama Paid $4,000, 900.
The cities of Panam and Colon re-
main under the authority of Panama,
but the United States has complete
jurisdiction in both cities and in their
harbors in all that relates to santa
ton and quarantine. In return for
these grants the United States paid
Panama $10,O00.000 on the ratifica-
ton of the treaty, and will pay $780,
900 yearly, beginning after nine
years
Following the ratification of the
treaty between the United States and
Panama, the President appointed an
Isthmian Canal commission to take
charge of the construction of the ca
nal and the government of the canal
zone. This commission remained in
Office until April, 1905, when new
commission was appointed.
Engineer Board Appointed.
A board of consulting engineers
was appointed on June "a, 1905,
composed of eminent engineers of
the United States, England. France,
Germany and the Netherlands. The
foreign representatives on the ad-
visory board were appointed by their
respective governments on the invi-
tation of the president of the United
States. These engineers were to con-
slider and decide the type of canal to
be built
The work of 1905 and 1906, while
the actual working plan of the canal
was still unsettled, was largely Ill
rected to the sanitation Of the 18TH
mus; to the building of hospitals for
the sick, and of homes for the Off
GERS and workmen; to the collecting
of machinery and supplies, and to the
preparation of surveys and plans.
HIS w DIS III ltScil q 5iCdI anu iuuio-
pensable task, but it was thoroughly
beyond question.
President Decides Issue.
The board of consulting engineers,
in it's final report, was divided, the
majority recommending a sea-level
| canal, and the minority lock canal.
On account of the greater cost and
| longer time required for constructing
sea-level canal, President Roosevelt
recommended to congress the lock-
canal plan.
| Congress passed an act, which be-
came a law on June 20, 1906, au-
nal in accordance with the proposals
of the minority of the board of con-
sulting engineers. The plans under
which the canal is now being built
may be thus summarized:
From the Atlantic terminus in Lii
mon bay, near Colon, 10 the Pacific
terminus in Panama bay, the channel
will be about SO miles long. The
isthmus at the canal zone runs near
ly east and west, but the course of the
| canal is from northwest to south
east, the Pacific terminus being about
20 miles farther south than the At
lantic opening.
Distance Only 35 Miles.
The distance across the isthmus
from Colon to Panama in a straight
line is about 35 miles. The highest
point of the divide, Mt. Culebra, was
originally $50 feet, but this has been
cut to $50 feet Beginning on the
Atlantic shore line, the canal has a
width of 500 feet for three miles to
Gatun. At Gatun a duplicate flight
of three locks, each having a length
of 1000 feet, width of 100 feet, and
a lift of 2S1z feet, will carry vessels
| up to a lake IS feet above the sea.
This lake is to be formed by hold
/, ing back the flood waters of the
Chagres river and its tributaries by
means of a monster dam at Gatun.
The lake will be 80 miles long, in
p1aces as much as eight miles wide