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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Admiral Mordecai T. Endicott^ civil engineer, U. S. Navy; Brig. Gen. 

 Peter C. Hains, corjjs of engineers, U. S. Arnw (retired) ; Col. Oswald 

 H. Ernst, corps of engineers, U. S. Army (retired) ; and Benjamin M. 

 Harrod. A vacancy in the commission that had heen caused by the 

 resignation of Mr. John F. Wallace had not been filled. 



This commission determined on February 5, 1906, by a vote of 

 five to one, to recommend to the president the lock canal project of the 



Lniox Bay fkom the De Lesseps House. Sketched April 10, 1904. The ships at 

 nnclior are the Ncivarkj the Montgomery and the Marietta, all of the U. S. Navy. 



minority of engineers. The dissenting member was Admiral Endicott, 

 who favored the adoption of the sea-level project. 



The recommendation of tlie commission was accompanied by a re- 

 port of Mr. John F. Stevens, their cliief engineer, who favored the lock- 

 canal plan. 



I'he secretary of war approved the recommendation of the com- 

 mission and the president was not slow in acting. On February 19, 

 1906, the reports and papers were transmitted to Congress with a state- 

 ment of his conclusions that the type of canal to be built is the canal 

 with locks. 



On June 21, 1906, the senate, by a Aote of 36 to 31, passed an act 

 authorizing the construction of a lock canal. This act was a few days 

 later concurred in by the house without division. It provided 



That a lock canal be constructed across the Isthmus of Panama connectina- 

 the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, of the general type proposed by 

 the minority of the board of consulting engineers, created by order of the 

 President under date of .lanuary 24 (June 24), 1905, in pursuance of an act 



