Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-28
CONTINUED

unueullul VI lStLuiuS luut S'Sh e"e ""'
tile press began to show n change II
heart on this score. with the result thai
the immigration of workers largely In
creased. Recruiting agencies. already
had been opened in the West Indies
Europe and the principal American cit
les. More than 1900 men were i'm
ported In 1906 on contract with the
commission The common lnbor was
estimated by Mr.. Stevens to be abou,
33 per cent us efficient as similar Amer
lean labor. 1t was not until 1906 thai
the wives and families Of the Ameri
cans began coming to the canal zone
In considerable numbers, although
there had been heroic band Of them
throughout the trying days before the
tropical terrors had been conquered.
Early in his connection with the
canal MIR. Stevens discovered that
practically all the material IN the Guile
bra cut would have to be blasted be
fore 1t could be handled by the steam
shovels. He had to be careful In Sc
lecting dumps so as to insure that they
would not become IN obstruction t
any type of canal or route that might
be selected
The high wages and salaries fol
which the canal zone Is noted originat
ed under MIR. Stevens. So bad name
had been given the isthmus In the past
that extra Inducements hud to be made
to attract workers, free quarters, pay
from 80 per cent to 90 per cent higher
than In the United States and a rate
of $40 from New York to Colon or
steamers operated by the government
with other perQulsites. being some OF
the advertised attractions. Besides. In
the latter part of Mr.. Stevens regime
the United States was enjoying unex
ampled prosperity. the palmy days be
fore the panic Of 1907. Mechanics and
all kinds Of workers could obtain EN-
ployment ut home at high wages and
would not come to Panama unless fol
the unusual inducements enumerated
and, In addition, vacations with full
pay. sick leave on pay and cheap food
and other necessnries.
Although the French had abandoned
the idea of sea level canal In favor
Of lock type, there still was n good
deal Of life In the idea among the
American people. For one thing. sea
level canal was so much more easily
graSped by the popular mind. and ther
all engineers concede tnat 1t Is the
Ideal canal where 1t is practicable. In
Panama division Of opinion arose over
this point Of practicability.
A sea level canal aptly has been de
scribed MS "a wide and deep passage
navigable ut all times. day or night. al
all seasons and in all weathers by al
sorts and sizes Of vessels" The lock
type involves operations not readily
portrayed to the lay mind. but emil
nently simple when seen In practica
use.
The Walker commission OF 1901 haC
estimated the cost of sen level cana
Mt S145OOo.OO0. The commission OF
1905 recommended a sea level type tt
cost So3O. 100000 Mr.. Wallace later es
timated the cost Mt sen level at $500.
OOO. 600. exclusive Of the S50.00O,OOt
paid for the canal zone and French
property.
That these American estimates should
come. in the main. under the amoun
actually spent by the French. who III
tie more than scraped the surface.
shows. for one thing, that the Ameri-
cans believed there had been gross ex-
travagance and inelliciency In the
French operations and, for another
thing. that the Americans had no ade-
Quate grasp upon the task they were
undertaking. This same insutficiency
of estimates continued until l00S,
when Colonel Goethals faced the situ'
alton frankly and announced the cost
for lock type to be S31o,OOO,ooo'
which was far ahend OF the highest
estimate for sea level canal. In
1909 Colonel Goethals said sea Level
canal would cost $563. 100000 and take
six years longer to build than lock
canal, which was before the slides IN
the Culebra cut became so formidable
and n sea level canal had been shown
thereby to be all but impossible.
President Roosevelt took II charac
teristic step to end the dispute. On
June "a. 1908. few days before the
appointment of Mr.. Stevens as CHIEF
engineer. he named nn intcrnationa
board Of advisory engineers to recon-
mend type Of canal.
Out of this board five were foreign
ers and eight Americans. The boarc
visited the isthmus In October, l0Oo
nnd reported to the president on Jan
10. 1906. The majority, composed o.
eight engineers and comprising oil o
the foreigners. recommended SET
| level canal. Messr5. Davis. Burr ant
Prisons were the three Americana
who signed the majority report. TIT
minority Of five Americans recon
mended lock type canal with lak'
Mt cighty-iive feet above sen level form
ed by a dam across the Chagres rive
ut Gatun. They estimated the exca
yation at 1O3. .795 900 cubic yards ant
the cost. exclusive Of sanitation ant
| civil government, Mt S139,7oo.Zoo
Nine years, or until 1915, was the TIM
estimated for completing the canal
There were to be three locks In high
ut Gatun. each 95 by 100 feet usabl'
dimensions and on the Pacific side on
lock at Pedro Miguel and two at Ii
Boca, at the entrance, the distance be
tween Pedro Miguel and La boca
eight miles, to be a second artihcia
lake. The Culebra cut was to be ~
feet wide for five miles and Soo rec
wide for four miles.
Chief Engineer Stevens and Oil ou
one member of the commission con
Cured In the minority report secre
tary Tafts visits to the isthmus ha'
converted him to the lock type ant
President Roosevelt consistently ha'
favored It.
The situation was one where IN
choice would be decided by the weigh
the president should throw to eithe
report To reject the majority repor
fayoring sea level canal and to ad
vocate the minority renort for q loc