( 850 ) 



if not in all, lockage would be necessary. A canal, therefore, which 

 probably would have resembled more closely to the loekcanal pro- 

 posed for Suez but not executed and strongly opposed, than to the 

 present open Suez-Canal. 



The question therefore presents itself whether the Panama-Canal, 

 like the Suez-Canal might not have been made open and without 

 sluices. 



The technical commission of the International Congress of Paris 

 in 1879 deemed a lock near the Panama-terminal an absolute neces- 

 sity, because it was supposed that, without it the tidal motion of the 

 Pacific would cause currents in the canal of a velocity of 2 to 

 2.50 M. per second l ). 



On the other hand the Board of Consulting Engineers of 1905 

 rightly judged that the necessity of such a lock was not established 

 but, owing to lack of time, it was not able to investigate the matter 2 ). 



( )n page 56 of the report we find as follows : 



"The question of the necessity of a tidal lock at the Panama end 

 "of the canal has been raised by engineers of repute, but the limited 

 "time available to the Board has not permitted the full consideration 

 "of this question which is desirable. It is probable that in the 

 "absence of a tidal lock the tidal currents during extreme spring 

 "oscillations would reach five miles per hour. "(2.24 M. per second)" 

 "While it might be possible to devise facilities which would permit 

 "ships of large size to enter or leave the canal during the existence 



1 ) This opinion clashed with that of the original projectors Messrs Wijse and 

 Reclus. In a statement made by the latter at the meeting of the Technical 

 Commission of May 19, 1879 he explains that the inclination of the high and low 

 waterlines in the Panama-Canal will be about the same as on the Suez-Canal, as 

 a consequence whereof velocities of the current might be expected in the Panama- 

 Canal which would not exceed very appreciably those of the Suez-Canal. The latter, 

 as far as they are due solely to the tides, usually do not exceed 0.90 M. pet- 

 second; under the influence of wind they may increase to 1.30 or 1.35 M. 



2 ) At the time of the meeting of the Consulting Board competent experts were 

 still of opinion that a lock at the Pacific-terminal would be necessary. Such appears 

 clearly from the letter of Mr. T. P. Shonts Chairman of the Isthmian Canal Commission 

 received by the Board at the beginning of its labours. In this letter occur the 

 following lines : 



"A disadvantage which the two plans have in common is that the rapid develop- 

 ments of naval architecture make it difficult to determine the proper dimensions 

 "of the lock chambers. It is to be considered, however, that up to the present 

 "time such developments has not been greatly hampered by deficient depth in the 

 "harbors of the world, and that development here after will have that obstruction 

 "to contend with. Moreover, it is not possible to dispense with locks entirely. Even 

 "with the sea-level canal a tide lock will be required at the Panama end". 



