Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-07
Geology Of the Panama Cana,.


Geology Of the Panama Canal.
lChief Engineer Roux to New York Herald Inter
viewer1
The geological formation Of the isthmus had
been laboriously studied before myself went
out by the German. DR.. Moritz Wagner, by Gar
ella and by N. Boutan. can only claim to have
completed the labors of these eminent men. l
find that from Colon to Tiger Hill the route
adopted for the canal runs almost entirely
through alluvial soil. Here and there you have
volcanic tut, however. From Tiger Hill to San
Pablo we have conglomerate soil, clays, etc.
Between San Pablo and Matachin we come to
the alluvial formation of the Chagres, whence
for some distance the level of the district ira
versed is very little above that of the sea-25
meters, or say so feet at most. At Matachin the
canal will run through the most difficult part of
the route Here we have to do with solid rock
"a most characteristic specimen of which is
met with closeto the cataract Of the Rio Obispo
The rock Is hardest just beyond the cataract
on the Panama side. Next comes more clayey
ruff, everything the doorite Of the Serro Culebra,
Here interrupted M. Roux to ask him what
he had found to be the formation in the canal
bed.
''Clayey tuH," was the reply; 'such as visitors
may have seen at Panama at low tide. may
mention" continued NJ RouX, that it is pro-
posed to utilize this clayey tuff in very striking
manner
The Panama canal congress. as you NAV re-
member, was much exercised by the Numerous
ana periodic foundations Of the Chagres To
oppose them 1t was suggested that an artificial
barrage should be constructed at Gamhoa If
bI3 peen proposed that the enormous amount of
clay at Culebra should be transferred to Ga1uboa
Being water tight, it would make an admirable
barrier. and no masonry would be needed The
engineers incline to the idea of constructing a
railroad. with at least eight parallel lines close
to the Cuebra mountain. and Of shoveling the
clay into the ChaGres valley.
But to return to the canal ronte. There Is
not much more to be said about it, From
Culebra to Panama it will run through solid
pyroxenic rock and sandstone TUT, such as you
NAV see on the Bovedas promenade at Panama
SO much fer this part of our subject"
TO come TO more general questions" said l.
may ask you how much work has been really
done so far?'
Certainly. AS regards the actual execution
or our plans" said NJ. RouX, I'VE have as vet
not done very much. But the ground has been
thoroughly prepared and we shall now 60 ahead
last. Operations, as you know, have been be
gun on the Colon side of the sthmus. The ex-
cavators are at work and work shops have been
erected for fitting together and repairing the
immense quantity of machinery we have Or
Gered. The eXcavatOrs and drags selected by
hessrs: CouVreux and Hersent are of the most
powerful kind. The drags will be capable of re-
moving from eighteen hundred to two thousand
cubic meters of subaqueOus alluval matter daily
From this You will see what amount OF mammal
labor we shall be able to dispense with. and as
consequence how great will be the economy
effected This is all important jim q country
where the unhealthy climate is SO great an OBJ
stacfe to labor. AS regards the rock, nv idea
was to use the compressed air perfOratcrs en-
ployed SO successfully at FreggiO, the Prato the
Mont Gems and the st. Gothard. Nothing is yet
deinlteiy settled about these periorat0rs We
had not pierced through any rock Up to the
present we have been busted with preliminary
Investigations, soundings, photographic surveys
and so forth.
;, How How long" inquired, "do you think it will
about seven years, if the health of the work.
men continues fairly good. This of course de-
pends greatly on the climate"
mat is point am most anxious to hear
something about" continued
II will tell you all can" answered N. Roux
''and speak from experience We have two
dlstinct seas0ns-the rainy and the dry. 1t
rams, as it rains in the tropics. for about five
months in the year. Contrary to the stories set
afloat yellow fever is not epidemic On the 18TH
mus We have had few cases, to be sure, but
several of them were imported from countries
where the yellow jack is an epidemic-the
Antilles, for instance.
THE local fevers are chiefly these: First. a.
FEVER peculiar to the country and called the
caientura Or Panama fever. 1t is not dangerous.
and comes generally from wearing wet clothes
and living In damp districts. A more serious
disease is the remittent bilious fever This is
often mortal, but it chiefly affects drunkards,
Paludean fever occurs too, and as is in all parts
OF Central America people with liver complaints
vii! find the climate dangerous. / may re-
mark, added NJ. Roux. ''that all I am telling
you merely confirms the data supplied by the
local papers,"
canal route?"
1--WE have at present between 500 and 600
men in our employ. The majority are natives
negroes or Indians. Among the number are
by, make excellent workmen), some Chinese.
and number of Europeans-English. French
ana Germans principally. The mercantile in
stlncts OF the Chinese. however, lead them
generally to prefer opening stores to working
The influx of Europeans to the isthmus from
Peru aud Chilli has been one of the most curious
anu dlsheartening facts in our experience so
far. The war has, as / need not tell yOu ruined
most OF the Europeans who had settled in Peru.
and there has been sudden rush to the canal
The misery that has resulted from over
cfowding has been fully described by the Pana-
ma Star ard Herald SO will not say much
about it, except this: The supply OF labor is SO
much in excess Of the demand that IL the COM
pany were fnhunaane ana cared to do so they
could lower wages to almost nothing"
People OF Lewiston, Idaho, tell with some
emotion the story Of Eagle. an old Eez Perez
Indian, who, having the smallpox aud being
deserted by his tribe. calmly dug his own grave,
lay down In 1t and died.
An old resident OF Milford, Del. lie auoted "a
saying: About fifty years ago was bartender
IN hotel Ia Milford. Through the week we
generally took IN about So but one day when
we sold over eaoo werth Of iiqnor"