Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-27
CANAL PROJECTS
PUSHED BY u. S.
$4,000, 900 May Be Spent
on Increasing Efficiency
and Linking Highways.

Panama Canal projects that may cost
up to $4,000, 900 are under construc-
ton, with the double objective of in
creasing the efficiency and capacity OF
the canal and of linking up the halves
of the Republic of Panama that were
severed when the United States OBJ
tanned a 10-mile-wide zone across the
IsthmuS.
The War Department is doing both
Jobs. the first to cost between $4,000
600 and S15,000,000 and which will
provide a dam on the upper reaches OF
the Chagres River to conserve larger
water supply for the canal and to OPP
crate a great hydroelectric plant to
generate electricity for the canal me-
chanical departments and all other
needs of electricity in the Canal Zone.
The second job is the building OF q
concrete highway across the Canal
Zone. a distance of about miles, and
the construction of a ferry boat system
across the canal near the Pacific end
so that the people of Panama may
move freely to and from all points in
the country. This job will cost ST.
100000, of which amount Congress IN
the last session appropriated SoOO,o0U.
VIII Be Highway Link.
The highway, when completed, and
the ferries will be a link in the ALL
American Highway from Canada to
South America. The Republic OF
Panama has completed the highway
from the border of Costa Rica to the
Canal Zone and on the other side OF
the Canal Zone for considerable as
lance toward the Republic of Colombia
Should the United States build a
canal in Nicaragua 1t will be necessary
then in the pole-to-pole highway to
have q ferry service across that canal,
which, because it will be sea-level
canal, likely will be wider than the APP
proaches to the Panama Canal. AT
Balboa, on the Pacific end OF the
Panama Canal, the ferry will have
about a mile of water to traverse.
Machinery to Come From u. S.
Two ferry boats will be constructed
at the shipyards in the Canal Zone, to
cost together about $250,000. Some OF
the machinery will be brought from the
United States. Each boat will have
capacity of 80 motor vehicles and &C
commodations for passengers as Well
The ferries will operate without tolls.
Opening a way through the jungle
fer the highway, grading and building
culyerts and bridges will cost $250,0O
This work is now under way. Concret-
ing will cost 1895 900 and the dredging
for the ferry channel and the landing
places will cost $165 600, to make for
ali items the estimated cost OF
81 900 OOO Representative Maurice II.
Thatcher of Kentucky, a former Gov
erncr of the Canal Zone. was the au-
thor Of the bill carrying the appro-
In preparation for the big dam to be
built on the Chagre River. a fine con-
crete highway already had been built
from the main highway IN the Canal
Zone up to the site of the dam, about
10 miles. Over this new highway the
materials for the dam and hydro
electric plant viii be transported. IL
will take four years or more to COM
plete the dam and plant.
Water Shortage Guard Sought.
while the present water supply OF
the canal is ample. the United states
is looking ahead to constantly M.
creasing use of the canal locks. wnicn
waste the water each time ship goes
through. The new dam will store up
SO much water in the rainy season
that danger of a shortage VIII De
aver4sd even in the event OF an UMPIRE
csdented drought or a maximum use
of the canal night and day.
The hydroelectric plant VIII nave 2
decided advantage over the preSens
viii use water that subsequently. VIII
now into the canal to be used again py
shipping. whereas the present plant at
the Atlantic end Of the canal near the
Gat,ln Dam, uses water from the canal
that thereafter spills into the ocean
AND so constitutes a drain upon the
water supply. Moreover, the present
plant is years old, viii be greatly ex.
ceeded in modernity Of machinery ana
CAPACITY by the new plant.
E. S. Randolph, chief designing en-
gineer for the new dam, Is In tne
fInited States now, studying dams in
the west for ideas to be incorporated
in the dam in the Canal Zone.