28 REPORT OF BOARD OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS) PANAMA CANAL.


extending from Mindi through to the Panama terminus, a single'lift lock being placed at Mndi and another in the Ancon-Sosa saddle.
 The remaining project, B', bears approximately the same relation to project B that B does to project A. As B is derived from A by inserting an intermediate lock and summit level between the terminal lakes, so B' may be said to be derived from B by raising the summit level, introducing an intermediate lake between the Caribbean terminal lake and this level, and providing a second lock at Pedro Miguel. This project, therefore, contemplates two terminal lake levels formed by dams at Mindi and at Sosa Hill, already described in project A, with the elevation of water surface behind those dams 27 feet above mean tide; a dam at Gatun. behind which the elevation of water surface is brought up to 62, and finally a summit lake held by a dam at Bohio forming the summit elevation at 97 feet above mean tide, retained at the Pacific end by a dam and flight of two locks at Pedro Miguel. There are thus found six locks in this project, one at Mmndi, one at Gatun, one at Bohio, a flight of two at Pedro Miguel, and one at the AnconSosa saddle, it being understood that duplicate locks are contemplated throughout.
 After a comprehensive examination and study of these various projects the Board was unanimously of the opinion that if project A alone were to be considered it could not be preferred to a sea-level plan. The low elevation of its summit brings the volume of excavation so near to that necessary for a sea-level plan that the work required, combined with that involved in the construction of the two dams and the locks, possesses no economical advantages over that required for the canal at sea level. The Board, therefore, unanimously disapproves project A.
 This disapproval leaves projects B and B' only to be considered. As Mr. Bates himself indicates a preference for project B, the Board has centered on it the greater part of the consideration given to these two plans. The Board is unanimously of the opinion that the summit level of 97 feet above mean tide of project B' should not receive approval.
 The papers, including plans and other information first submitted by Mr. Bates, i o
include a detailed statement of the amounts of work required to be done or of the items of cost of the different classes of work included. Upon 'request of the Board, however, Mr. Bates submitted supplementary profiles and sections of prism of the three projects or parts of those projects, with a tabulation of approximate quantities of excavation required under the three different plans. These approximate quantities were not given in sufficient detail to enable the totals to be satisfactorily checked or confirmed, nor were those approximate quantities so classified as to exhibit the amounts of hard and soft material required to be excavated or the amounts of the different classes of work to be performed for the appurtenant structures such as locks, dams, and other main features. It has, therefore, been impracticable to verify the lump or partially detailed estimates of cost set forth in the papers and plans submitted by Mr. Bates. Under such circumstances it is impossible to deduce close approximate quantities of work required to be performed in the execution of the plans, or a reasonably close estimate of cost of the entire work or of its various parts. The Board has made as close a comparison as possible between the total itemized quantities of excavation submitted by Mr. Bates and the more or less corresponding quantities computed by the Board for its own purposes. It has further coordi, nated for use in estimating the cost of the work under plan B its own estimates of costs for such appurtenant works as locks, dams, breakwaters, and other similar main features of the canal p roj ect.
 The items of excavation given in his supplementary Graphic diagram of approximate quantities" appear to be less than those which the Board would estimate for the same purpose, but if the unit prices adopted by the Board be applied to the quantities for project B as given by Mr. Bates, the total cost of excavation alone, after deducting the useful French work, will be $85,289,500. To this sumn is to be added the estimated costs of the dams and locks at Mmndi, Gatun or Bohio, Pedro Miguel, near Panama, Ancon-Sosa, La Boca, and other large features of the plan, besides the breakwaters and other works at the two terminal harbors, and the regulating dams at Gamboa and other points on the Chagres, as indicated in his plans. His allowances for these various main portions of the work other than excavation seem to be insufficient. If these


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