The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-09-19
BY WILLIAM r. SCOTT
lcontinued from yesterday.l


Right then 1t was realized that the
canal involved more excavation than
the minority of the board Of advisory
engineers had estimated. Several Inn
portant changes in the plans for the
canal came within the first eighteen
months of the Goethals administra,
tion to make the job far more stu
pendous than contemplated in the
plans OF 1905. Colonel Goethals recon-
mended and President Roosevelt APP
proved on Der. 20, 1907. change in
the location OF two OF the Pacific locks.
The revised plans changed two locks
from La Boca. on the Pacific coast, to
Miraaores. about seven miles inlhnd,
which not only would make them safe
from bombardment, but was a more
practicable engineering plan. A ,mile
and ahalf farther inland were the Pc
tdro Miguel locks, which would raise
ships the final height, to the great Ga.
tun lake at It's Pacific terminal, and be,
tween the Pedro Miguel and Mirafores
locks was a small artificial lake. From
Miraflores to the Pacific sea level
channel 500 feet wide was to be dug.
Another change In the plans was APP.
proved by the president on recommen-
dations by the navy board on Jan. 10,
1908. The locks were ordered enlarged
from % by 900 feet to ITO feet by 1000
feet, disable dimensions, to meet the
anticipated increase In the size of com
mercial and war vessels.
The Pennsylvania of our navy will
be ninety-seYen feet wide. or six and
one-half feet on each side of the ship
in the locks. The Imperator OF the
Hamburg American line is SO feet wide
and 919 feet long. so that 1t appears
that the locks may become too narrow
before they become too short. The cost
Of the locks was increased $4,000, 900
by the change in plans.
A third vital change in the original
plans came on Oct %, 1908. when the
president authorized the widening of
the Culebra cut for five miles from
200 feet to 800 feet at the bottom. This
would enable ships to pass going in
opposite directions anywhere in the
cut and increased the cost of this part
of the canal by $14,0OO0OO. Since these
three important changes there have
been no substantial changes in the ca
nal plans except the decrease in the
proposed height of the huge Gatun
dam. Additional excavation to the ex-.
tent of 1851, 1914 cubic yards was ne.
cessitated by the new plans over the.
estimate of 103,7950O0 yards made in
1896, or a total of 174,666,594 yards for
the completed canal. But slides that
later developed and further changes in
the plans since 1908 have added a.
100000 yards to that total, bringing It
up to 221, 100000 yards. Thus Colonel
Goethals has had to dig more than
twice as much dirt as Mr.. Stevens ex-
pected to take out and has done it in
less time than was estimated for tie
original yardage.
Basing his figures on al. pvisel
plans, Colonel Goethals III l9US issued
the following estimate Of the cost of
the Panama canal:
ATLANTIC DIWsIoN-sEvEN MILES.
Breakweter in Limon bay....... 81, 4s2c 600
From Caribbean sea channel to
Gatun locks ...............s.......5 1915 900
Gatun locks, three twin Iuclss... 25,S2400O
Gatun dam ........................ 13,572OOO
ses.5s4ooo
CENTRAL DIVISION = THIRTY-Two
MILES.
Channel from Gatun locks to
BIAS Obispo .............."..,.... S7IsTz, 900
Culebra cut. nine miles, Bias
obispo to Pedro Miguel lock-. sO,4s1, 900
SIS, 4ssoOo
PACIFIC DIvIsIoN-EIGHT MILES.
Pedro Miguel lock. 81, 500 OO0
Pedro Miguel dam.................. 25l,OOo
Mlrntlores locks .................... 1eTl5OOO
hllrafioTes dam ..................... 2,I56OOO
| Channel, Pedro Miguel to Pa
ctfic ......"................... 13,1TOO 600
;a7.aS. 900
New Panama railroad. $S,164,ooO
Land damages .................... 100000
GENERAL ITEMS.
Municipal improvements ......... $12,114,Ooo
Buildings 14651.oOO
General expenses, salaries, sub
sistence, etc. ...................... 23,7S00 900
Loans to Panama railroad. $4,000
Contingencies ...................... $4,000 900
Lighthouses. ships, wharves...... s.s5O,OO0
Double tracking, land and stock
purchases ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1,45o.ooO
$S4,O 900
Grand total cost of construction. s297. 900
ALL OTHER ITEMS.
Sanitation ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. s2o,o53voo
Civil administration ............... 7,3S2,o00
Paid for French property......... 100000
Paid for canal zone.............. 100000
sH.4s5, 900
Total cost for completed canal. .S315. 20l, 900
Ito be continued.)