54(> 



THE PANAMA ROTTTE FOR A SHIP OANAL. 



is shallow. With the Commission's requirement of a mininnim ciepth 

 of water of 35 feet, a channel about i miles long from the mouth of 

 the Rio Grande to the 6-fathom line in Panama Ba}- must be exca- 

 vated. This channel would haVe a bottom Avidth of 200 feet with side 

 slopes of 1 on 3 where the material is soft. Considerable rock would 

 have to be excavated in this channel. At 4.41 miles from the (Vfathom 

 line is located a wharf at the point called La Boca. A branch of the 

 Panama Railroad Company runs to this wharf, atid at the present time 

 deep-draft ships lie up alongside of it to take on and discharge cargo. 

 The wharf is a steel frame structure, founded upon steel cylinders, 



The Bohio dam site. 



carried down to bed i-ock by the ])n('umatic process. Its cost was 

 about $1,284,00(». The total cost of the excavated channel leading 

 from Panama Harbor to the pier at I^a Boca is estimated by the Com- 

 mission at $1,464,513. As the harbor at Panama is considered an 

 open rcxidstead, it requires no estimate for annual cost of maintenance. 

 Starting from the harbor of Colon, the prism of the canal is exca- 

 vated through the low and for the most part marshy ground to the 

 little village called Bohio. The prism wouJd cut the Chagres River 

 at a number of points, and would require a diversion channel for that 

 river for a distance of about 5 miles on the westerly side of the canal. 



