The sun., 1916-11-20
General GOethals stakes HIS Repu-
tstion on the Stability OF
the Psnams Canal.

General Goethals stakes His Repu-
tation on the stability OF
the Panama Canal.
General GEORGE W. COCKTAILS 3
The subjolned language in his report
40 Governor Of the Panama Canal for
tire year that ended June 30 to record
his satisfaction with the measures
adopted to overcome the earth slides
and to relterate his belief that the
ditch across the Isthmus Is destined
b permanent usefulness:
AS predicted at the time the great
Culebra movements occurred. the slides
Win Be- overcome finally and for all
dine, Notwithstanding the calamity
howiers and in spite Of the disastrous
predictions of the 'know-it-alls.'"
This paragraph follows IN interest
ing discussion Of the history Of the
slides, In which General GoErHALs's
unquestiOning faith In the stability
Of the canal and the professional wis
dom of Its constructors Is cOnvlncingly
apparent. The theory Of subterra-
mean gases seeking outlet and carrying
with them eruptlve material. advanced
BIZ ex-senator THOMAS kEARNs OF
Utah in The SUN Of June Ia. Cen
oral COCKTAILS dismisses, after the
consideration due to any statement
from a man Of Senator KEARNs's wide
practical experience, thus:
'sUnder the circumstances. those on the
work still adhere to their belief that SUBJ
tsrranean gases nave nothing Whatever
70 do with the movements that have
occurred"
For the opinion Of BENJAMIN LEROY
MnLEl, professor Of geology Mt Lehigh
University, who declared that "practi.
cally all Of Gold Hill and much Of
Zion Hill must be removed" and that
III dredges alone are employed, the
canal may be kept clear during the
months when rainfall Is l%ightened, but
for many years to come the rainy sea-
son Is almost certain to cause such
slides az to close the canal for weeks
or wen months" General COCKTAILS
appears to have less respect. He says
that 1.-THE greatest injury was done the
canal" through Professor MILLER; and
his statements were considered "errO-
neous, unwarranted and unfair" Gen.
eral COCKTAILS hoped that Professor
NnLEa's conclusions would be counter
balanced by the final report Of a COM
mittee of the National Academy OF
Sciences, whose preliminary findings
were submitted to the President In
January. but this document was not
available on September II, the date
on which General COCKTAILS wrote.
It 10 plain that General COCKTAILS
% contented with the manner III
which the work at Panama has been
done, the plans adopted for the guild
ance of the custodians Of the canal
in the future, and Is convinced that the
route and the prism are practicable.
Yet he records the fact that in August
of this year "a general movement oc.
Cured at the east Culebra slide, and
consisted of a settlement from twenty
to twenty-five feet vertically down at
the rear portion Of the area affected,
ON 1900 feet from the prism, by
which a mass of material from the
lower part was projected into the
canal beyond the centre line, reducing
the depth Of water along this line an
average Of Ave feet" The width and
depth of the new channel prevented
interruption of navigation but from
this incident ar Idea Of the amount
of material involved may be obtained,
and in General GoETHALs's opinion
the imposslbllity Of artificial devices
for holding 1t back from the prism
must be recognized.
Yet General COCKTAILS has no doubt
that the difficulties will be overcome,
the snake subjugated; on this he
stakes a professional reputation he
would not willingly sacrifice. We hope
he Is right; and w hope that before
many years have passed the validity
Of bic judgment will be demonstrated
In q way to convince calamity howlers
and even the knOw-it-alls.