The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-03

been made at various points along the line Of the
proposed canal, little more than the eleven miles
already referred TO has been accomplished.
.0n every hand may be seen evidences of mis-
management and gross extravagance. Money is
literally thrown away and signs of jobs are
more plentiful than mosquitoes in July. Much
OF the work Is let out by contract and all sorts
and kinds of people secure the contracts. Take
the matter of digging and dredging. The Amer
lean Dredging Company has the contract OF ex-
cavating the lower part of the canal, and for that
purpose employs about seven dredging machines
and abont 1900 men. and contracts TO do the
work OF excavation for SO much per cubic metre,
providing no rocks stumps or other distractions
are encountered. IL these are found,
the dredging company is to receive 81
minute. Each dredging machine Is
provided with tower on the grain elevator prin-
ciple, and to the top of this tower. usually from
fifty to eighty feet in height. the mud is lifted
and thence dumped into chute about two hun
dred feet IN length. a stream of water also being
pumped through the chute to help propel the
earth on it's downward slide and to prevent
clogging. One of the many stupid expedients
which the canal company adopted for holding the
mud was TO put up ordinary wooden fence,
fastened with bamboo withes and stakes. OF
course IN little while the pressure OF the half
liquid mud became too great for the weak bar
rier to withstand and down came fence, mud
and all into the canal again. to De once more
dredged out at an enormous expense.
IA yet more curious state of things exists at
places further in-shore, where other cuts have
been made by several different contractors.
There have been no specifications in these con-
tracts as to what shall be done with the earth
after it has been excavated. What is the result
of this omission2 The contractors simply load it
on hand-carts aud run il back little way in the
cut which they have made and leave IT there.
The consequence is that all this earth. all these
stumps and 'stones, have to be excavated all over
again. to the immense profit of the contractors.
On every hand are seen evidences of this shift
lessDess, incapaeity and gross extravagapce. if
not of downright dishonesty. Here is another
instance: The railroad runs close to the
course Of the river. and also to the pro-
posed canal, and in the road the canal company
holds the principal interest As walked
along saw several new locomotives which had
been side tracked and allowed to go to ruin.
They were built at an expense of thousands of
dollars each. and were simply left here without
so much as shed or covering of any kind for
more than a year. They are now masses OF
rust and are worthless. There was probably no
reason for their construction in the first place,
and it looks like job for somebody.
'All along the line of the projected cut are
piles of iron, tons upon tons, for which there is
and can be no use. Every steamer brings it in,
and just as was leaving the isthmus for home
noticed that the last steamer from France
iron. 1t is SO cheap that nearly all the barracks
and houses of the lAoorers along the line are
reofed with corrugated iron. The French con-
tractor, under whose supervision the work was
carried on, has been removed for extravaganza.