Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1910-03-23
THE PANAMA CANAL.
(Continued from page -

be adopted. Five American engl-
neers recommended a lock canal. VI
the eight in favor of the sea-leve
canal, one, an American, stated thai
if it were a commercial enterprise
for a private company he should
vote for a lock canal. One of the
foreign engineers qualified his vote
in favor of a sea-canal, in the re-
port, by stating that he considered
a high-level lock canal practicable
but that considerations of cost and
time of completion with such
canal should not be taken as the
governing considerations. This, not
withstanding the instructions to the
board from the President that in
addition to reporting on a feasible
plan, the prime consideration was
the shortest time of completion and
a minimum amount OF work; thai
is, minimum cost. In strict accord
ance with these instructions the
vote would have been Z for a lock
canal and 6 for a sea-level canal
The members of the Isthmian Canal
Commission, with one exception, re-
commended to the President the
adoption of the S5-foot level lock
canal recommended by the minority
of the Board of Consulting Engi-
neers and Endorsed by the then
Chief Engineer of the Commission,
for the following reasons:
/. It's first cost will be much
less-nearly s20O,00O,000.
2. 1t will be completed much
more quickly-fully six years.
3. Its cost of operation and
maintenance. including fixed charg-
es, will be less by several million
dollars per annum.
4. 1t provides greater safety for
ships and less danger of Interrupt
ton to traffic, by reason of it's wild.
er, straighter, and deeper channel.
3. 1t provides quicker passage
for large ships and large traffic.
In his message to Congress OF
February 10, 1906, forwarding the
boards report the President stated
THE law now on our statute
books seems to contemplate lock
canal. In my judgment lock canal
as herein recommended is advis-
able"
On June 20, 1905, the construc-
ton of lock type of canal was
authorized by Congress in accord
ance with the general plans Of the
so-called minority of the Board OF
Consulting Engineers and the worl,
has since been carried on along
these lines. During the three years
which have elapsed, nothing has oc.
Cured on the work which has oc.
casioned uneasiness on the part OF
init tnlu nd
IDLY concerned with the execution
of the work, or which has caused
them to doubt either the wisdom
of this choice or the ultimate sue
cess of the undertaking There il
no engineering, commercial or mill
tary reason for considering a sea
level plan at this stage of the work
The S5-foot canal which is being
built consists of sea-leyel entrance
channel miles long and 500 fee
wide on the Atlantic side to the foo
of Gatun locks. On the Pacific side
there is al corresponding sea-leve
channel to Miraflores nearly miles
long. For / miles the canal will
be sea-level. At Gatun the S5-foo
lake level is obtained by grea
dam. The lake is confined on thu
Pacific side by a smaller dam be
tween the hills at Pedro Miguel
80 miles away. These two dam
make great lake IS feet abov
sea level, with an area of 16
square miles. Ships pass from tn
sea level to the lake level, and vic
versa, at Gatun by a series of ad
joining locks, ''in flight" as it i
called, three in all, each with lif
of 28 1-3 feet. The locks are il
duplicate. On the Pacific side a
Pedro Miguel, instead of droppin;
down at once to the sea level, Their
is one lift, with duplicate locks, b.
which vessels are lowered to
small lake called Miraflcres Lake
which is So feet above the meal
level of the Pacific Ocean. One mil
from Pedro Miguel, through Mira
flores Lake are the Miraf1oreS lock
where, by two lifts, with locks il
duplicate, vessels reach sea level OF
the Pacifice side.
From deep water to deep waite
the distance is about SO miles am
it is expected that vessel cal
make the transit within less thar
twelve hours.
Inc AtldullC CIdEHel udS IL uCpt'
of Al feet below mean sea level
and the average range of tides j
not over a foot. On the Pacific sid
the tides have range sometime
as much as 20 or % feet, and il
order to provide ample depth tn
channel is to be dredged to deptl
of As feet below mean sea level
The elevation of both oceans is tn
same at half tide. At extreme higl
tide, therefore, the Pacific Ocean /
10 feet above the Atlantic and a
low tide 10 feet below.
Gatun Lake will be a body o
fresh water, and its level will b.
maintained at practically con
slant height by the rivers which
flow into it. The principal river
the Chagres, which rises in the hill
10 the east of the canal. 1t catche
all the rain which runs off an are
of about 1900 square miles. !
second large river is the Trinidad
which will flow into the lake fror
the west The Trinidad river has
drainage area of $40 square miles
Its headwaters extend within sigh
of the Pacific Ocean.
Elaborate Investigations and oil
servations have shown that the an
nual rainfall is entirely sufficien
to keep the lake amply supplied