Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-31

ut $lil0C0.0)0. The commission OF
1905 recommended n sea level type to
cost $3.50. 100000 Mr.. Wallace later es-
iiniated the cost at sea level at $780,
0O0.0O0. exclusive OF the $io.000.OO0
paid for the canal zone and French
property
That these American estimates should
come. in the main, under the amount
actually spent by the French. who Ilt-
tie more than scraped the surface.
shows. for one thing. that the Ameri-
cans believed there had been gross ex-
travagance and meffieiency IN the
French operations and. for another
thing. that the Americans had no ade-
auate grasp upon the task they were
undertaking. This same insufiiciency
Of estimates continued until 1908.
when Colonel Cocktails faced the stu
alton frankly and announced the cost
for lock type to be $3T5,000,0 600.
which was far ahead OF the highest
estimate for sea level canal. In
1909 Colonel Goethals said a sea level
canal would cost $563, 100000 and take
six years longer 70 build than lock
canal. which was before the slides In
the Culebra cut became 50 formidable
and a sen level canal bad been shown
thereby to be all but impossible.
President Roosevelt took a charac-
teristic step to end the dispute. On
June a. 1905. few days before the
appointment OF Mr.. Stevens as chief
engineer. be 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 is,hmus In October. 1905.
and reported TO the president on Jan.
10. 1905 The majority. composed OF
eight engineers and comprising al 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 a lock type canal with lake
at eighty-flve feet above sea level form
ed by a dam across the Chagres river
at Gatun. They estimated the exca-
walton at 103. T95. 900 cubic yards and
the cost. exclusive Of sanitation ana
civil government. at $3.50. 10000.
Nine years, or until 1915, was the time
estimated for completing the canal
There were to be three locks In light
at Gatun. each % by 100 feet usablo
dimensions and on the Pacific side one
lock at Pedro Miguel and two at La
Boca, at the entrance. the distance be-
tween Pedro Miguel and Ia Boca.
eight miles, to be second ARTIFICIAL
lake. The CuIebra cut was to be 200
feet wide for i've miles and 300 feet
wide for four miles.
Chief Engineer Stevens and all but
one member Of the commission con-
CURED In the minority report. Score
tary Taft's visits to the isthmus bad
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
fayoring sea level canal aud to adj
vocate the minority report for a lock
type canal was a responsibility Of I'M
usual magnitude for an executive who
professed to have no technical engi-
neering knowledge. Yet President
Roosevelt made the momentous deci-
sion without hesitation. sending
strong message recommending the MI
nority report
Congress debated the issue until june
p, when the senate by the close vote
OF 30 to 81 decided for a lock type, and
ON June % the house concurred, the
bill becoming law on June %. 1906
Two years and two months bad pass
ed from the time the Americans came
to Panama in May, 1904. to July l.
1906. before this decision was made.
and at last the commission knew what
plan Of canal was to be followed. In
September. 1906. Mr.. Stevens started
the excavations In the sites for the
Gatun locks, the Pedro Miguel lock
and the Gatun dam spillway. Surveys
were begun for relocating the Panama
railroad. which for considerable dis
tance would be swallowed up by the
Completed canal The fifteen months
preparatory work was beginning to
tell In the increased excavations In the
CuIeBrn cut. as the organization was
getting It's stride Commissaries. which
sold everything the canal employee
needed. were In operation In the prin-
cipaI towns. the hotels for the bache-
lors were well organized. quarters had
been erected until all were housed.
though at times rather crowded: ma-
chinery. supplies and equipment were
ON hand or ordered TO the extent OF 50
per cent of what would be needed to
complete the canal. health conditions
were admirable. and the whole situa-
ton was shaping for the real work Of
building the canal.
(To be Contfnued