554 



THE PANAMA ROUTE FOR A SHIP CANAL. 



the easterly .side of the canal the French plan contemplated an exca- 

 vated channel to receive a portion of the waters of the Chagres as well 

 as the tlow of two smaller rivers — the Gatuncillo and the Mindi — so as 

 to conduct them into the Ba}' of Manzanillo. immediately to the east 

 of Colon. That so-called diversion channel was nearly completed. 

 Under the plan of the Commission it would receive none of the Cha- 

 gres flow, l)ut it would be available for intercepting- the drainage of the 

 high ground easterly of the canal line and the flow of the two small 

 rivers named, so that these waters would not find their way into the 

 canal. There are a few other small works of similar charactei' in dif- 

 ferent portions of the line, all of which were recogiiized and provided 

 for by the Commission. 



The total length of the Panama route from the 6-fathom curve at 

 Colon to the same curve in Panama Bay is 49.09 miles. The general 

 direction of the route in passing from Colon to Panama is from north- 

 west to southeast, the latter point being about 22 miles east of the 

 Atlantic terminus. The depression through which the line is laid is 

 one of easy topography, except at the continental divide in the 

 Culebra cut. As a consequence, there is little heav}^ work of excava- 

 tion, as such matters go, except in that cut. A further consequence 

 of such topography is a comparatively easy alignment; that is, one in 

 which the amount of curvature is not high. The smallest radius of 

 curvature is 3,281 feet at the entrance to the inner harbor at the 

 Colon end of the route, and where the width is <S( )() feet. The i-adii of 

 the remaining curves range from 6,284 feet to 19,()29 feet. 



The following table gives all the elements of curxature on the route 

 and indicates that it is not excessive: 



The principal items of the total amount of work to be performed in 

 completing the Panama ('anal, under the plan of the Commission, can 

 be classified as shown in the following table: 



Dredgiiifi t-nbic yards. . 27, 659, 540 



Dry earth ^lo 14, :58B, 954 



Soft roc-k ,lo 39, 893, 235 



Hard rock do 8, 806, 340 



Rock under water do 4, 891, 667 



Embaukiaent and back filling do 1, 802, 753 



Total do. . . . 97, 440, 489 



