The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-23
THE PANAMA CANAL.
Work on This Immense Artificial
waterway Is STEADILY Advancing.
~. A.Ioo-a Dtoa VIVA

Work on This Immense Artificial
Waterway Is STEADILY Advancing.
New Orleans Picaytine.
There is not the slightest doubt that the
Panama canal will be an accomplished 1acI
within ten years." said Alfred Ahrling CIVIL
engineer, Of Stockholm, Sweden, who Is
stopping at the Cosmopolitan, to the Plea
yune representative last night: 80 :.
Mr.. Ahrling spent three years as one OF
the civil engineers of the great project. ana
only recently severed his connection With
the new Panama Canal Company, which 10
now prosecuting the work, he says, with
force of about two thousand men.
THE work is being now advanced with
great adroitness and remarkable economy
and SYSTEM" said he to the Picayune man.
And am free to say that II the first COM
pany had husbanded its $500 600 600 which It
expended on this project the Panama canal
would be very, very near completion to-
day. There was great deal of wastee as
first management, and the evidences of this
waste are, in fact, to be seen even unto
to-day. NJ. Hutin is now the director gen
eral, and M. Mauge the manager In chief
Their administration thus far reflects great
est credit upon their ability and Judgment.
With the means at hand, which are COM
parativey slender. they are accomplishing
wonders. They have spent about $5,OO0,OOO
up to date and If the funds hold out a little
be successfully brought to close, and 1t
cannot be possible that the funds for the
enterprise shall not be forthcoming.
THE work is now being concentrated
ador and Merofloures. a stretch of which
Culebra is the center and about the highest
point to be cut through. The hills along
here rise to a height of some six hundred
feet and about two hundred feet have been
shaved off this altitude, They are OF
sandstone nature, and blasting is done TO
advantage. The entire stretch yet to be cut
through is about nineteen miles, for the
canal on the Atlantic side has been COM
pleted to Bohiia and on the PACING TO Nero
iioures
''The water-level plain. which was that
first figured on, has been abandoned, ana
the canal will have according t later ana
better-advised engineers, to be dlVl9gu ny
seven locks, stationed at intervals ms 10
done for the reason that the difterence IN
the tide of the Atlantic and the racine IS
something in the neighborhood or twenty
two feet. The tide of the Paclnc coast
Atlantic rises to only two, ana ~ woulu
consequently result that. II the water-ievel
plan were adopted, there would at one unS
be an ungoyeTnabe flood pouring IN from
the Panama entrance on the Pacific side
and at another an ebb which would leave
the ships high and dry on the land
'fs'There has consequently been devised
series of locks. Two are placed on the At
lantic and Pacific outlets. and there are five
Of them In the intervening space. To Bonlo,
on the Atlantic side, the canal IS hiled with
water from the gulf, and TO Merofoures
the water of the Pacific ocean. The lock
is opened at Panama when the tide is COM
ing in and allowed TO I'LL the canal, ana
when il begins to ebb II Is closed down. al
lowing the water to remain inside. The
same thing Is to be done on the Atlantic
side The intermediate sections, which are
held in the embrace of the locks, are sup
piled by the water of the Rio Grande ana
Chagres rivers.
s'There will be sufficient water when these
works are completed for the heaviest snip
in existence or ever to be MADE as SCIENCE
calculates. The depth OF the canal Will be
fifty feet ,,,.
lit is hardly possible that the intelligence
and capital OF the world are going TO allow
this huge enterprise, which means TO much
to the commerce of all nations. to lag for
the lack of funds. 1t is too nearly COM
pleted and there IS possibility OF It's
completion in the too immediate future. II
the york is continued under such direction
as that II at present enjoys. the time Is not
far distant for its completion.