The Panama Canal 



463 



circumstances should the surface of the 

 canal be more than 60 feet above the 

 sea, and estimates that at this level the 

 cost would be $178,013,406. A 30-foot 

 level is estimated to cost $194,213,406. 



It is recommended that the Chagres 

 River be controlled by a dam at Gamboa, 

 built to a crest height of 200 feet, and 

 the waters of the lake thus created dis- 

 posed of through tunnels. The work 

 on the foundation of the dam will re- 

 quire from one to one and a half years, 

 and the committee reports should begin 

 at once. The dam at this place, it is 

 stated, involves no formidable obstacles, 

 which is not the case at the Bohio loca- 

 tion. 



The construction of a dam at Gamboa 

 in this connection would also control the 

 Chagres River, except that it would be 

 necessary to provide a safety spillway 

 by the construction of a tunnel some 

 eight miles in length through the divide, 

 discharging the surplus waters of the 

 Chagres into the headwaters of the Juan 

 Diaz, or the alternative plan of construct- 

 ing a tunnel four miles long through 

 the divide separating the Chagres Basin 

 from the headwaters of the Gatuncillo, 

 a stream which enters into the Chagres 

 Valley at Gatun. Should this latter 

 course be adopted, it would be necessary 

 to construct an auxiliary channel for 

 the Chagres from Gatun to the sea in 

 order to divert its flood waters into the 

 bay eastward of Colon. 



The dam would also provide the water 

 supply for the entire line of the canal, 

 including the cities of Panama and 

 Colon. It would also provide a plant 

 for the generation of electric power 

 sufficient to furnish ample power for 

 the operation of the Panama Railroad 

 and for the operation of any machinery 

 that might be used in the construction 

 of the canal. It would require two 

 years to construct this dam, and, roughly 

 estimated, its cost, including spillways, 

 would be between $15, 000, 000 and $16,- 

 000,000, not including the power plant. 



Actual work in the Culebra Cut has 



demonstrated that the entire excava- 

 tion can be done at a saving of $15,- 

 000,000 over former estimates, and is 

 given as a justification for the recom- 

 mendation for a sea-level canal. 



Immediate work is recommended at 

 Colon in constructing a safe harbor. To 

 this end, an outer breakwater is sug- 

 gested, as well as the construction of 

 an inner harbor at the entrance to the 

 canal. It is recommended that bids be 

 invited for this work. 



Other minor features of canal con- 

 struction recommended include com- 

 pleting the Gatuncillo diversion chan- 

 nel, begun by the old canal company to 

 divert from the canal the Gatuncillo 

 and Mindi rivers and other smaller 

 streams. In connection with this, three 

 small dams must be built — two across 

 the Chagres River near Mindi and one 

 across the Boca Mindi. All of this work 

 is independent of the decision as to a 

 level for the canal, and its immediate 

 execution is recommended. Other sub- 

 sidiary features depend on the level 

 determined on and are not discussed. 



The committee makes these observa- 

 tions in summing up : 



' 1 The practicability of certainly and 

 satisfactorily controlling the floods of 

 the Chagres by so simple and econom- 

 ical a method as the Gamboa Lake and 

 its outflow channels, and the reduced 

 cost of excavation as actually demon- 

 strated by the work of the Commission 

 in the Culebra Cut, makes the construc- 

 tion of a sea-level canal at a reasonable 

 cost far more available than has hereto- 

 fore appeared possible. These recent 

 developments in the conditions attend- 

 ing the construction of the canal are so 

 important as to be almost controlling in 

 character. The remaining element is 

 that of the time required to make the 

 great summit excavation. 



" It is to be carefully observed that 

 the results thus far obtained in the 

 Culebra Cut have been reached under 

 disadvantageous conditions of both or- 

 ganization of plant and force. The 



