The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-11
A GREAT ENTERPRISE.
EXTRACTS FROM A COUPLE OF PAN
ANA CANAL REPORTS.
What Has Been Done and What Still Re
Understanding the Chagres-The
Probable Cost, and Time Re-
quired for Completion.

WASHINGTON CITY, May l1.-Tbere ar
now in possession of the navy department
two reports ON the Panama canal, both mad,
since the beginning of the year. Each re-
port was made by a lieutenant, assisted by
TWO lesser officers The earlier report was
made by Lieut.. Francis Winslow. who. Feb.
., had been ordered from the Yantic by
Commander Wildes to make an inyestiga-
ton. Lieut.. Winslow says the amount o.
excavation already made on the eleven sec
lions into which the work is divided is
IL, 1922, 500 cubic metres, and there
still remain l2S, 000, 600 cubic metres to be
taken out. The number of employees at the
time the report from which these figures
were taken was made was IL, l50 The
lieutenant also says that De Lesseps claims
that ~, 900 900 cubic metres of the remain
ing excavation can be taken out by dredges
To do this in three years would re.
quire forty machines There ara only
ten employed now, hut eleven others
are expected. With these and Others
all numbering twenty seven, it wouli take
five years to accomplish the work. But
there are $500, 900 cubic metres OF stone to
be taken out by hand and by excavators,
and assuming that 700 cubic metres-a large
estima te-would be taken out each day, it
would require the constant employment of
121 excavators for three years At present
there are only forty-two excavators availa-
bic, and they cannot do the work in less
than nine or ten years
AT Panama and Aspinwall it was the i'm.
preston that the company was getting
short Of money. The average cost of ex-
cavation is more than 81 per cubic metre
More than 1000, O00 has been spent. A
. not too liberal estimate of the cost of work
to be done is $1,000, 900; so that the canal
| will cost $22O, 900, 900. There is no doubt
that the cost will greatly increase the
| original estimate of 600,000,000 francs,
| or Sl20, 100000. There is no reason to ex-
| pect any radical change. He assumed that
the excavation of 5000, 900 cubic metres for
the last year is not likely to be exceeded. If
it We're doubled, and 10000 900 were exca-
waited each year it would take fully twelve
| years to complete the work.
Another examination and report were
made soon after that which had just been
sketched. Commander G. C. Wiltse of the
Swatara sent out Lieut. r. H. Mclean,
Ensign W. s Sims, and Assistant Engineer
tain accurate information regarding the
progress of the work, and such information
as might be valuable in determining
the ultimate success of the undertaking
and tho obstacles to be overcome Thi.
board of inquiry was afforded every faciL
ity for examining the work, reporting the
entire willingness of all the officers of the
company to afford information. Lieut. Nc
| 1 L., 9 .,,1
to he excavated is not accurately known
The official statement puts it at Ill. 00O,0 0t
cubic metres Mr. D:ngler, the director
general, has expressed tue opinion that i
will be l20, 900, 0OU cubic msres. The orig
inal estimote was IS, 900, 900 cubic metres
The "barrage' or dam at Gamboa is TIL
subject of long and interesting chapter
describing the structure to be erected to ar
rest and divert the River Chagras. In tn
= dry season the Chasres is insignificant
stream 200 feet wide and two feet deep. A
Gamboa nature favors the constructors
Two large hills-Obispo and Santa Cruz
about a mile apart, stand at the foot 0
the valley drained by the river, an
Just above where the river crosse
the line OF the canal The two hills an
others are to be connected by large embark
ment mile long AMI 235 feet high Be
meath the dam, at the water level of tn
Chagres a solid masonry tunnel or culver
fifty feet wide will be constructed, wit
chute gates of iron By closing these tn
flow of water from the upper valley can /
temporarily stopped By opening them til
water can be drawn off and carried ava
through channels parallel to the cana
| The rainfall is incredible to one accu
toned TO the fall of temperate latitudes
BY observations the maximum fall of or
| rainstorm in 1854 was 5. IS inches, the storl
lasting four hours and thirty-five minute
Tic great body of water falling in such
short time must be kept out of the can;
until it can be taken away grad ually
noted above. The sudden flooding of ii
| work by such masses of water would swee
the whole enterprise away in few hours.
Lieut.. Mclean concludes that, conside
ing the difficulties that are met, the lars
amount of money spent in preparation
material. etc, has been we'll spent. +
thinks, however, that ample preparation
have been made, and sees no reason VIII
with plenty of money, the work should II
proceed rapidly He does not think
possible that the canal can be finished
1855. Even if completed in 1888
cost nut he at least S3l0, 900, 90
and it is his opinion that it will be $3.50, OK
900. 1t was hoped that in Ma
1885, the two dredges working on the Col
ana Gatun sections would meet, and tn
the portion of the canal excavated won
be op, ned. having only half depth of watt
II was generally believed that that part
the canal would be opened with ceremol
by De Lesseps in person, and that the de-
- onstratipn together with the confidence
N spir.d by NJ de lie sep5, would so help t
canal companys credit that new loa
great enough to carry the work to comp
ton, could be negotiated.