THP: PANAMA ROUTE FOR A SHIP CANAL. 543 



from the Atlantic end'of the canal, and another Hi^-ht of two locks at 

 Obi.spo, about 14 miles from Bohio. thus reachinj>- the .summit level; a 

 single lock a^ Paraiso, between (> and 7 miles from Obispo; a ilight of 

 two locks at Pedro Miguel, about 1.25 miles from Paraiso, and linally 

 a single lock at Miraflores, a mile and a (juarter from Pedro Miguel, 

 bringing the canal down to the ocean ele^■ation. The location of this 

 line was practically the same as that of the old company. The a\'ail- 

 able length of each lock cluunbtM' was 738 feet, while the available 

 width was 82 feet, the de})th in the clear l)eing 82 feet 1(» inches. The 

 lifts were to vary from 2«) to 33 feet. It was estimated that the cost 

 of finishing th(> canal on this plan would ])e $101, 850, 0(H), exclusive of 

 administration and financing. 



In order to control the floods of tlu^ C'hagres Kiver, and to furnish 

 a sup})ly of water for the summit le\'el of the canal, a dam was planned 

 to l)e ])uilt at a point called Alhajuela, about 12 miles from Obispo, 

 from which a feeder about 10 miles long, partly an open canal and 

 partly in tunnels or pipe, would conduct the water from the reservoir 

 thus formed to the summit level. 



Although the plan as described was adopted, the "Comite Tech- 

 nicpie" a])parently favored a modification by which a nuu-h d(M^per 

 exca\ation through Ckdebra Hill would be made, thus omitting the 

 locks at l)oth Obispo and Paraiso and making the le\el of tlu> artificial 

 Lake Bohio the sunnnit level of the canal. In this modified plan the 

 l>ottom of the sunnuit level would 1)e al>out 32 feet al)ove the sea, and 

 the mininuun elevation of the sununit le\el (51.5 feet al)o\e tlu^ sea. 

 This modification of plan had the n.aterial advantage of (diminating 

 l)oth the Obispo and Paraiso locks. The total estimated cost of com- 

 pleting the canal under this plan was about $105,500,000. Although 

 the Alhajuela feeder would be omitted, the Alhajuela reservoir would 

 be retained as an agent for controlling the Ohagres floods and to form 

 a reserve water supph'. The difference in cost of these two plans was 

 comparatively small, but the additional time required to compl(>te 

 that with the lower sununit lev(d was probably one of the main 

 considerations in its rejection by the conunittee having it under 

 consideration. 



This brings the project u|) to the tim<' when the Isthmian ( anal 

 Commission was created in isitll and when the forc(\s of the New 

 Panama (^anal C'ompany were employed either in taking cai'c of the 

 enormous amount of plant bequeathed to it by the old company or in 

 the great excavation at pjUiperador and Culebra. The total (\\ca\ation 

 of all classes, made up to the time when that Commission i'endei'(Ml its 

 report, amounted to at)out 77,00<»,000 cu])ic yards. 



The work of the Connnission consisted of a conq)rehensive and 

 detailed extunination of the entire project and all its accessoi'ies, as 

 contemplated by the New Panama Canal Company, and any moditica- 



