REPORT OF BOARD OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS, PANAMA CANAL.12


of the office of the Commission at Panama, and his knowledge of the canal projects and experience as a computer and draftsman should be of value to the Board.
 The Chairman further stated that the Sea-Level Canal Committee had no progress to report, inasmuch as they had been occupied continuously during the past week, but that it would at once actively resume its duties and results might be expected in a short time.
 The Board took under consideration the determination of the size of the tidal locks, and the following resolution was adopted:
 Resolved, That it is the sense of this Board that the tidal locks at the Pacific end of the canal shall have an available width of 100 feet and an available length of 1,000 feet.
 Mr. Stearns offered the following resolution, which was adopted:
 Resolved, That a committee composed of the Chairman and three members of the Board to be appointed by the Chairman shall prepare plans for a lock canal; that the project shall be prepared in outline form and shall be accompanied by a description and an estimate of cost.
 Each member of the Board was presented with a profile drawing of the Panama Canal and a sheet showing the total amount of excavation for the canal line between Colon and Naos Island at different levels and with different cross sections. These documents were prepared by Mr. Bertoncini, by direction of Mr. Wallace, and were used by the latter as a basis for the computation of quantities in his report.
 Mr. Parsons offered the following resolution, which was adopted:
 Resolved, That a committee of four, of which the Chairman shall be one, shall be appointed by the Chairman to prepare a series of arbitrary unit prices for the various component parts of the canal construction, and that said prices shall be used by the committees on preparation of plans for canals at sea level and with locks.
 Th e Chairman announced the following appointments:
 Lock-Canal Committee: Messrs. Stearns, Tincauzer, and Ripley.
 Unit-Prices Committee: Messrs. Parsons, Weicker, and Randolph.
 At 11 a. m. the Board adjourned, subject to the call of the Chairman.
 JOHN C. OAKES,
 Captain, General Staff, Secretary.


 FIFTEENTH MEETING.

 S. S. HAVANA, AT SEA, October 16, 1905.
 The meeting was called to order at 9 o'clock by the Chairman.
 Present: The CHAIRMAN, and Messrs. PARSONS, BURR, ABBOT, STEARNS, RIPLEY, RANDOLPH, HUNTER, TiNCAUZER, GU1'RARD, QUELLENNEC, and WELCKER.
 The Secretary read the minutes of the thirteenth and fourteenth meetings, which were adopted.
 The Chairman, on behalf of the Sea Level and Lock Canal Committees, stated that computations were being made, sketches were being prepared, and studies were being pressed.
 The Secretary stated that if the resolution of the Board to meet in New York after the first meeting in Washington was adhered to, it would necessitate considerable labor in the way of preparations, etc., and he would like instructions.
 Mr. Gue*rard said that the documents in Washington would be daily required; to transfer the Board from Washington to New York would occasion considerable delay compared with the short time remaining for studies. His mission should not last more than two or three months. It was necessary therefore that it should end on November 30 at the latest. Consequently there was no time to lose. If the Board should have to make a project, as there appeared to be none existing, and the duration of the work of the Board should therefore have to be increased, Mr. Guerard, the nature of his mission being clearly limited and whose duties and business did not permit him to remain absent indefinitely, would in that case be under obligation to take special steps and probably consult his Government.


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