The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-03-23
ISTHMIAN CANAL WORK
HOW THE ENGINEERS WE'RE ORGAN
IzED AND THE PLANS PURSUED.
Natives Stole Their Evaporsting Pans
and Made Washtubs OF Thcn--Test-
Ing Sediment in Lake Nicaragua.

| Eo01. publishes 8 very interesting paper by
! Frederick Moore, summarizing the reports
| Of the various surveyors. photographers,
| geographers, biologists. topographers and
! other assistants engaged In the engineer
| ing work of the proposed lsthmlan canal.
| The printed material covering the worh
| Of the sthmiau canal commission Is very
! yoluminous, and with maps, diagrams, etc,
! It's value is propcrtionate TO Its abundance
! A resume OF the work accomplished 10 az
/ follows;
A chief engineer was appointed for the
| report on each OF the canal routes TO which
! the commission was directed TO give espe
! Cial attention, He was directed TO MAKE
/ MS headquarters In his respective terri
I tory. and 10 take general control or the
field operations therein. Considering tine
! results OF the numerous surveys made In
tne past, IL was decided by the commits
[ sion to limit the explorations In search fol-
/ other possible routes" as congress direct
/ cd, to that part OF Colombia known az
! the Darlen country. lying between Panama
/ and the Atrato river, and third engineer
| was appointed to direct the neld work
there.
| Competent assistants, whose education
! and experience had fitted them for the
special work to be done, were assigned
/ to service under the three chief engineers;
! and aborers, bostmen. and other work
/ men were hired wherever their services
/ were required. Twenty working parties
/ wore organized In Nicaragua, including 1853
engineers and assistants. and 456 laborers.
I Five PARTIES were organized in Panama,
/ with twenty engineers and assistants and
/ forty-onc laborers. Six parties we're sent
/ To The Darien, numbering fifty four engi.
neers and III laborers
The chief engineers we're directed to eI-
| anime. with the aid Of these working par
! ties. the geography, NEUROLOGY, topography.
and other physical features Of the different
/ countries The schemes already planned
U bal Z fgH nj Inap
/ yeys were made In order TO vary the line
| ana select better locations wherever the
conditions were found to be unsatisfactory.
| Accordingly, complete project for each
I route, aud the center line of each canal
was marked where that had not already
been done
The study involved examinations Of the
terminal nurhors and approaches, the loca
tions selected FOR dams locks embank-
ments, aud other auxiliary works Bor-
lngs 10 determine the nature OF the sub
surface at the sites Of the locks and along
the canal lines. and observations OF rain
tHIi, stream flow, Sentimental deposits, and
lake ana ocean fluctuations were in the
main. the work to be done Attention was
also given TO the supplies OF rock. tim
Der, and other materials on the canal lines
| available for construction and mainte
nance.
The results Of these examinations and
| oberyations, and the material and data OBJ
tanned, were sent from time to time to
me headquarters OF the commission at
washington, whore they were arranged and
entered upon plates and prohles under the
direction of The committees ~ mo .t,,l,,,is
I sion In charge Of the respective canal sur
yeys How the engineers did the work is
interesting and their life In the isthmus
/ indeed an experience.
Each Of the parties was allotted Ger.
tam territory They would establish n
in tents rms ~ ~ icn' 'outes' llvlng
a village Ina Soma "hat - tI,asrt, II rI uSat
these hey would work from fhra 5s 70 t STn
miles In eorh dira.t,nr anI M sv W NV
a., , ,.c, 49,, va 's.I'oh anu men move on
the Dr,+ norfv or w.. va untlI lhey met
The iargsst 49, cue , ugAt pity WORK.
Nirarlguan line bpcsuso IL ~ ~ VI -, ny
est because The many ranorts VI t5 'I Iis
WON, .t vsris,, ."'n' 'tpoIls on the Tine
outainahle from the Worifl,no co rnG uara
nVir- ia j,5ccSrW, 10 ne OF httle value,
-..t ,i no INHecalgrleS age. and the fact
canal V.bfrb S' ue3lE4s were Tor a
Doe lf.alnss tn1,r' ~ ~ Sna.l1NueSs would
iic surveys thai have bonn me, 4l aulh t,
Panama limo I.e,,+i,i '.gn HlSur on the
ruflon,i ian,r,t. itii','",iS Ih3t OF the inter
fuu ana sufGrinn+ AL ..E,"JuSrsl, ana the
pany holds made Isrr I'G f, rana ina com
necessary. VI"
ana dis@harn" ~ tb UoSerying tue regimen
4 stout line was stretched f,o,n ,P, ~
bank, or from trees on tbe III tprI p'ph 70
was placed a yyin5igg ~ punhS' helow
trolley car ir a,bi'I, I" haui out the
Dr r6fifse noit "'gu 'ut s3ugers rode.
as possible Ia the looaHon a. III IL as near
edge was desired bsviTg az at , wnuch khowl-
conditions az the stream Mn, 70 me
Roiug to secure HIGH ma ,a 49,, tne ann
~, .f" S,'eH' as straight 2 channel with
ue found and oyoid,s anu HeinlIty, as could
was short distonre 80 "~f igCatloh which
NJ Importance which migb+ " nso tIinItary
water A gauge. gradnafed ~ oack,
ienihs, was placed In fbe stros az Ieet ana
hauk and so situated as 70 I ha near one
vrnicntly from the sborS w Ieau con
possible 10 fasten such n ,a,,.mas usually
iic1l position I'm deem wn+er -, ~ ~ YER
Of an overhauging tree -" - 10 tne trunk
the banks and even In ~ 10y grow over
tral America The hoigbt raiuS 10 'en
twice . dav and Tho 49, Nns recorded
gauges taken rs the riva,;s boi W me Two
uay. ''' "'lEht Tor that
At various iutervats d,,,
change II the ganoo uupehulng on the
with curre, 'au" rom the trolley ears
taken n known dis,, cummings were
Sumed Initial poIni md - rom an as
nred nv suhmerging an eIoctrI,i meas
meter at dT-tenths Of the moa current
ana holding 10 iR mar eSfuIeh 9epth
length of timr-usUaIlv ~, non Tor a
Or more sufficient 10 mali seconds
reorganization of the vaIoaTt goon
ro'ni. The operation va az that
snort Intervals fnr the v-iJtL - speAted NJ
9pa from them The discbarea' W. tue stream
per second was COMMITTED -, vi CUBIC feet
ny multiplying the dnn.b rHc0 sect on