The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-25

the Old Problems Solved by Elec-
trical Devices-De Lesseps' Ma
chinery Badly Out Of Date.
Philadelphia Record.
dertaken in the United States which
are somewhat similar to the Panama
canal, and in connection with them la.
bor-saving machinery has been used OF
the same kind which will be taken to
the isthmus. The canal which carries
away the drainage of Chicago was a
difficult as the Panama. While this
ditch was considerably shorter, it was
necessary to cut thru an immense guam
tity of rock. The Illinois waterway
also had a Chagres river which caused
the engineers no little trouble to di-
vert from its original channel. This
is the Desplaines river, a stream SO
small at some seasons of the year that
all Of the water it contains would &C
tually flow thru six-ineh pipe. After
a day or so of heavy rainfall, however,
its volume increases as rapidly as that
Of some of the rivers Of the southwest,
and it's waters completely fill the chan
mel. One Of the reasons why the Chi
cago canal was so costly was because
1t was necessary to make an artificial
Desplaines from flowing into the canal
during periods Of high water and de,
stroying it. An idea of the extent Of
the Crock work. as the contractors
called it, on the Chicago canal can be
gained when it is stated that over
the excavation. On the Panama route
the famous Culebra cut contains the
largest amount to be removed, and is
really the greatest obstacle to the COM
pletion of the ditch; but careful meas
urements show that it contains only
about twice as much rock as was re-
moved in completing the drainage canal.
Other Big Undertakings.
Besides the Illinois project the sub.
way thru Manhattan island, the great
reservoir to supply the city. of Boston
with pure water, as well as that of
Jerome Park, New York, and the ia
nous St. Lawrence power canal at Mas
sena represent engineering feats which
are almost as difficult as will be re-
railroad construction work in this coun-
1 try where valleys have been filled to q
depth Of actually hundreds of feet and
immense bridges thrown across rivers
and gorges have given the engineers
and contractors chance to see what
human ability and skill combined with
modern mechanism can do at Panama.
Even the great dam, which must be
constructed to confine the waters of the
Chagres within bounds is paralleled in
some of the immense irrigation reser-
voirs in the west-walls rising to a
height Of 100 feet from their founda-
tons.
The construction Of the Panama canal
is merely question of how quickly and
how cheaply trench can be cut thru
the isthmus which will be- deep enough
to float ships drawing at least thirty
bridges to be constructed and no elab-
crate buildings to be erected. The har-
bors at each end will not be very costly
or difficult undertakings according to
the reports of the engineers. The prin-
cipal query is how to take out the sand,
already stated, this. has been decided
upon in the minds Of the engineers and
contractors who expect to take hand
in the work. The mechanical operations
are comparatively few. All Of the
loose material such as sand and earth
shovels. Much of the softer rock can
!. also be worked with shove1s, which
have been specially invented, while the
hard formation will be broken up with
explosives. AS the excavation is COM
pleted above the water level, the shall
low and deep-water dredges will begin
their work cutting away the bottom un-
til the requisite depth is reached But
the material taken from the ditch must
be carried away far enough to prevent
it from being washed back. Most of
this work, however, will be done with
out hte use Of single hand shovel by
mechanical power.
The Army Of De Lesseps.
The wonderful, capacity Of the ma
anna can be appreciated by contrasting
the labor it performs with the work
which was done by the army Of de
Lesseps. At one time it was estimated
-, that over 10000 men were employed
by the French engineer, while during
the last few years over 1000 men haye
payroll.
Locomotives by the hundred and cars
by the thousand were sent to the 18th
mus to- be used on the railroads built
to carry supplies to the contractors and
was excavated. The majority Of the
locomotives were so small that they
could not haul over seventyfve tons
even on level grade, while the cars
could carry but two or three ordinary
wagon loads I'M In place OF these s eie y,
has the power of a half dozen Of the
locomotives Trolley lines will be con
structed along the entire route, SO that
merely the services Of one motormar
will be needed to transport trainfoads
carrying six times as much as the steam
trains which were first used. The ust
of the electric current in this way alone
will greatly reduce the cost Of building
the canal, but it will also furnish power
to bore into the rock, to work the shov
els and dredges and the wonderful
earth conveyors which will remove thu
material to the canal bank as fast al
it is dug out by dredge and / shovel
1t is calculated that from one to two
lin a Class
by Themselves /!