GREAT PROGRESS WITH PANAMA CANAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2064, 31 March 1909, Page 5

GREAT PROGRESS WITH PANAMA CANAL.

... ~ HOW ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC WILL BE UNITED. “On New Year’s Day, 1915, ship will bo passing through the Panams Canal.” This boast is attributed, to Co lonel Gaethals, the chief or my engin eer of the United States/ who is, o: course, largely responsible for the car rying out of this gigantic enterprise As all the world knows, the cutting o: a canal uniting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans is now a United Stfitef. Government project, which, when - completed will radically alter her position" toward) the world’s commercial problems. Great progress has been made with the cuttings. But the most difficult of th< enormous engineering problems have not yet been dealt with. The United State) engineers, -however, approach the tael? in an optimistic spirit, and not the least doubt is entertained that the enterprise will be carried to a successful conclusion. Attention is now drawn tc the stage which the canal has reached by the visit of Mr Taft, President-elect to the scene of operations. The Prestf dent-elect is described as saying:— “I am more than delighted with the progress of the work. The plans are working out just as they should, and the work is going ahehd as it ought to. The engineers tell me there is nothing to be criticised.” As now being constructed, the Panama Canal, says the New York Herald, will be a kick canal about 50 miles long from the Atlantic terminus in Limon Bay, neaf Colon, to the Pacific ter-t minus in Panama Bay. Beginning on the atlantic shore line, the canal has a width of 500 feet for three miles to Gatnn. At the latter point a duplicate flight of three locks, each having -a lift of twenty-eight and one-third feet, will lift vessels up to a lake to be formed by a dam which is to be built at that point. The lake thus formed* will corntain 118 square miles, is 30 miles long, and at various, places nearly eight miles wide. From Gatun locks the steamer channel will be through this lake for about 23 miles, and for 16 m’les it wilt have a minimum width of 1000 ft. From San Pablo to Juan Grande it will be narrowed to 800 feet, then to oQO foei* to Bas Obispo, then to 300 feet to Las Cascades, and then to 200 feet to Paraiso. This carries it through theCulebra cut. Fram Paraiso to San Miguel it has a width of 000 feet. Here a. lock with a lift and descent of 30 feet forms the connection with Scea Lake, 55 feet above sea level. Here again vessels are to have lake navigation ?or fivemiles to Sosa Hill, in which are contemplated two locks, each of a lift or descent of 27% feet, which are to carry ves-, sp]s down to the sea level of the Panama Bay section of the canal. Sosa Lake is to be formed by a system of dams across the Rio Grande near La Boca.; One of the chief difficulties to be deal* with is in relation to the projected dams at Gatun. If the reader will imagine _ the right arm of a gigantic V as representing the canal, extending from Colon to its point of intersection with the Chagres River at Gatun, the left arm will represent the latter river in the Caribbean Sea. At Gatun this river* makes its wav through a deep depression i* a high range of hills: and the question arises whether the dam will he able to withstand the river when it is swollen io a raging Qc.od. The plan, that has been eo vigorously criticised, contemplates the building up of a monster earthen dam at- the point where the' river winds through the depression. Sheet piling is being driven to the core of the dam to help it in averting the effects of the violent action of the river. The opponents of this scheme fa-$ vor a sea-level canal. But the lock-; canal plan has been finally approved of.