Show SEA LEVEL OR LOCK CANAL FOR PANAMA ISTHMUS distinguished engineers assemble at washington to advise government on best course for construction washington sept 1 A notable board of distinguished engineers assembled in washington today upon the request of president roosevelt to determine the relative feasibility of a sea level or sock canal in the division of the american continent at the isthmus ot panama constituting the consulting board of engineers for the plan these men gathered from both america and europe were picked from among those foremost in their profession the first of the meetings at which they will grapple with the great problem began this morning in a small room at the office building of the isthmian canal commission the proceedings were opened by the reading of the letter of the president callins them together and a letter from chairman sot the which gives in detail the purpose for which the engineers are convened in the presidents order it is called th consulting board of engineers but the letter of chairman la addressed to tha advisory board of engineers on plans for the panama canal the letter in part says in accor danca with the directions of the president dated april 1 1905 the isthmian canal commission han the honor to lay before you physical data concerning the isthmus of panama and to your opinion as to the best plan to be followed in the completion 0 the panama canal within reasonable limits of cot and time As you his question has been the subject prolonged and elaborate studies tor many years by numerous able engineers A vast amount of labor has been expended in the collection ot information concerning the physique othe isthmus and digesting it and formulating it into plans for a cabal r during the year additional surveys and observation hii been mado on the isthmus thee ayli of which is laid beloro you it may be stated horelik general that the information which they furnish does not involve any radical change in the plans previously favored among throb lons alluded i to may be included the experience of the last ceaf in excavating the CulA drw which some ot ib our engineers have drawn unwarranted conclusions as to the probable cost of the work there Is nothing in this experience to justify the belief that the unit prices used in previous estimates were too high or that the estimate of the time required tor completing the work was too liberal Nevert beleas this acceptance has been used aa an argument in a aea level canal which plan has been condemned by the two commissions mentioned above it becomes necessary to consider once more the sea level canal scheme the plan described in the first pamphlet which is submitted among other papers iscoe was adopted at least by inherence inthe act approved june 28 1902 it is the plan under which the work is now progressing and under which all work ot construction has been done since the united states acquired the property it closely resembles the plans of the comite technique described in the second pamphlet in many essential particulars but differs in of the pahio dam and the important results which flow the advantages which its authors expect to derive from this change were 1 to take fuller ad vantage of the topography of the country by which it was possible to make the gigante spillway automatic instead of mechanical and adequate tor the discharge of the greatest floods with ono channel to the sea 0 two 2 to increase the distance of lake navigation from seven to nearly thirteen miles plans have in common Is that be rapid developments of naval turo made it difficult to the proper dimensions of the lock chambers it is to b considered however that present time such development hampered by deficient depth in of he corid and that development is not possible to dispense alta locks entirely the canal a tade required at taft panama ena in aboyba mentioned tio ned a has been prepared by london datts figures given sketch 0 s plan pro possel by interesting on account of lt novelty and la there ilore laid it does not fabre fibre i detail enough for a bosq anatasi nor tor cost to obtain this extensive additional surveys to cupy at least a years time would be 1 necessary A pamphlet bas to the president by P bonan varilla which explains a method by a i canal constructed at he first with locks may be subsequently altered to a sea level canal this paper also Is submitted for your consideration mr shouts at this point calls attention to that portion of tho act of congress which prescribes the cal features emhe proposed canal and directs that the work already begun shall be utilized as far as possible he concludes his letter as follows the commission expects to visit the isthmus of panama sailing bonx new york during the last week in september the exact date to ba fixed hereafter you are cordially invited to accompany them this method of presenting the sui eject to you by offering well digested plans has been adopted be cause it seemed to be the method by which all essential information could be conveyed in the most condensed possible form it Is needless to say that ane commission desired your opinion not only upon these plans but upon any variation ot them or upon any entirely different plan which may suggest itself to you it requests jour views as to what plan it is most expedient ent all things considered for the united states to follow in the con st ruction of the panama canal |