THE PRESENT ASPECTS OF THE PANAMA CANAL. 741 



tion of tho suniiiiit level if a canal with locks should bo built, and the 

 number, location, an.d lift of those locks. Manifestly, the solution of 

 some of those problems must depend upon the rate at which excava- 

 tion can be made, either in rock or in earth, and its nnit cost. Fui-ther 

 than this, in the event of building a lock canal, it is highly probable 

 that a great dam will be re(piired across the Chagres near Hohio, 

 whose Cimstrnction would involve nnprecedented methods upon a 

 large scale in consequence of the great depth of bed rock at that 

 place. 



Prej)aration for construction was begun by the Commission last 

 May by organizing engineering field parties which sailed from New 

 York during June and the early part of July. At the same time Mr. 

 John F. ^^'aIlace, formerly general manager of the Illinois Central 

 Railroad Company, past president of the American Society of Civil 

 Engineers, was appointed chief engineer of the Isthmian Canal Com- 

 mission, and he entered upon his duties the latter part of June. 

 There were five of these parties, besides the engineering force organ- 

 ized for the purpose of designing and constructing waterworks and 

 sewer systems for the cities of Panama and Colon. 



Taldng these forces in the order of their location from Cristobal, 

 the American port at the Caribbean end of the canal, the first is lo- 

 cated at that point. This party is charged with the duty of making 

 all the requisite surveys and investigations, including jet borings, 

 both on land and water, needed for the development of the complete 

 plans for the interior harbor at the mouth of the canal, for the deep- 

 water channel leading to it from the harbor of Colon, and for any 

 advisable realignment of that portion of the canal between Cristobal 

 or Colon and (latun, about 6 miles inland. The second party was 

 intrusted with the surveys and investigations required to determine 

 the feasibility of building a dam across the Chagres Valley at Gatun 

 and to ascertain whether it is desirable to confirm the location of the 

 French companies between Gatun and Bohio or to adopt the Tiger 

 Hill alternative between those points. The third party has under- 

 taken to make exhaustive investigations, including sur\eys, neces- 

 sary for the location of a dam across the Chagres near Bohio, also 

 to make certain other surveys connected with some minor details of 

 relocation in the same general vicinity. This party is making many 

 jet borings on a number of profiles, so as to secure complete informa- 

 tion regarding the deep bed rock under the river. In this manner 

 the most favorable location for the Bohio dam, should it be con- 

 structed, may be conclusively determined. The fourth party has 

 been assigned to the responsible duty of making extensive surveys 

 and other investigations from Gaiuboa, where the Chagres River and 

 canal line intersect, about ))0 miles fi-om CV)lon, V2 miles or more up 

 the Chagres Valley. This woi-k will cover the continental divide 



