The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-11-20


canal, which was before the slides in
the Culebra cut became so formidable
and sen level canal had been shown
thereby to be all but impossible.
President Roosevelt took charac-
teristic step to end the dispute. On
June "A. 1905. few days before the
OF Mr.. Stevens as chief
engineer. he named an international
board Of advisory engineers to recon-.
mend type of canal.
Out of this board FIVE were foreign
ers and eight Americans. The board
visited the isthmus in October, 1905.
and reported to the president on Jan.
10, 1906 The majority. composed OF
eight engineers and comprising all OF
the foreigners, recommended sea
level canal. Messrs. Davis. Burr and!
Parsons were the three Americans
who signed the majority report. The
minority of FIVE Americans recon-
mended lock type canal with lake
ut eighty-fiye feet above sea level form
ed by dam across the Chagres river
Mt Gatun They estimated the exca'
vation at 1O3, ,795. 900 cubic yards and
the cost. exclusive of sanitation and
civil government. at $l39, 1O0.2OO
Nine years, or until 1915, was the time.
estimated for completing the canal
There were to be three locks in flight
mt Gatun. each 50 by 100 feet usable
dimensions and on the Pacific side one
lock ut Pedro Miguel and two at La
Boca, ut the entrance, the distance be-
tween Pedro Miguel and La Boca.
eight miles. to be a second artificial
lake. The Culebra cut was to be 200
feet wide for five miles and 300 feet
wide for four miles
Chief Engineer Stevens and all but
one member of the commission con-
Cured i'll the minority report. Secre-
tary Taft's visits to the isthmus had
converted him to the lock type. and
President Roosevelt consistently had
favored it.
The situation was one where the
choice would be decided by the weight
the president should throw to either
report To reject the majority report
favoring sea level canal and to ad-
yocate the minority report for lock
type canal was a responsibility of I'M
usual magnitude for an executive who
professed to have no technical engi
neering knowledge. Yet Presiden'
Roosevelt made the nOmentous deci
sion without hesitation, sending
strong message recommending the mi
nority report.
Congress debated the issle until June
q, when the senate by the close vot'
Of SO to 81 decided for lock type, ant
ON June % the house concurred, tn
| bill becoming law on June 20. 1906.
Two years and two months had pass
| ed from the time the Americans cam
to Panama in May, 1904, to July
1906, before this decision was made
| and at last the commission knew wha
plan Of canal was to be followed. Il
September, 1906, Mr.. Stevens starte'
the excavations in the sites for tn
Gatun locks, the Pedro Miguel loci
and the Gatun dam spillway. Survey
were begun for relocating the Panam
railroad, which for considerable dis
tance would be swallowed mp by tn
completed canal. The fifteen month:
preparatory work was beginning
tell In the increased excavations in th
Culebra cut, as the organization wa
getting its stride. Commissaries, whic
sold everything the canal employe
needed, were in operation in the pril
cipal towns, the hotels for the bacht
lors were well organized, quarters ha
been erected until all were housed
though at times rather crowded: MI
chinery. supplies and equipment wei
on hand or ordered to the extent of 6
per cent of what would be needed
complete the canal, health condition
were admirable, and the whole situ'
ton was shaping for the real work I
building the canal.
President Roosevelt paid the can'
zone visit in November. 1906. 1t wa
a trip of exploration for him, and IL
way he ignored the formal plans fl
his entertainment delighted the en
plOyees Subordinate officials wei
rather anxious that he should inspe
just the things they had spick al
span for him to inspect, but from Il
time he landed at Colon he ate ar
nosed in and out of every part of Il
canal and led them merry chas
| The enthusiasm for the "daddy"
! the project was boundless. and Il
j shortcomings he noted resulted in bt
!. ter conditions of employment for Il
men.
One evidence of the growing luxu
of living conditions in the canal 20
was the installation on Jan /, 1907,
. electric lights in the quarters OF t
t married and bachelor employees
| Empire and Culebra. Other tow
/ soon were furnished with electriclt
! The first public school had been ope
: ed year before this event. or on ia
] 2, 1906. The summer and fall OF 19
and the winter OF 1907 saw anOtf
| great controversy raging around I
/ | canal. which. like the battle Of
{ levels, was to be decided arbitrarily
o President Roosevelt.
! chairman Shonts long had enterta
! ed the opinion that the canal shot
D be constructed by private contracto
b He pressed the plan so vigorously a
the popular opinion Of the inefficler
4 Of The government was SO strong Il
4 the president authorized Secrets
i Taft to ask for bids on Oct. 8. 1905
! Bids for constructing the canal
i private contract were opened at Wa
I. ington on Jan. II, 1907, and rejec
10 on the ground that they failed to M
,r the requirements of the governme