The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-13
BUILDING The PANAMA CANAL,
JsTHNIAN COMMISSION TELLS
or THE WORK BEING DONE.
About 100 Laborera Nov Employed on
the Biz Ditch-Ameriean Putting the
strip In Good Sanitary Conditi0n-Pians
for an Improved HaFb0r AZ Colon.

for an Improved Harbor AZ Colon.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 12.-The Isthman
Canal Commission called upon the Presi-
dent to-day and left with him the follow
ing memorandum showing the condition
n the work on the Isthmus In connection
with the construction OF the canal.
"We have now between two and three
hundred engineers and Others sent down
from the United States engaged In the
engineering and construction WORK and
upon sewerage and water supply with
force of from 1000 to 1900 aborers, &c.
This does rot include the sanitary force
nor the force OF the Governor OF the zone
nor Of the material and supply department.
Surveying parties are at work in the
vicinity of Colon, making plans and esti-
mates for an inner harbor. and also for the
work to be done In the outer bay at Gatun
surveying and boring at the various pro-
posed dana sites in that neighborhood and
cut of known as the Tiger Hill line, be-
tween Gatun and Tie: Hill; at Bohio, max
fnr detailed surveys and studies and in
rcstigating the various dam sites that have
teen proposed in that locality; at GaInboa
making detailed borings and surveys, and
estiratinE for a dam at that point; also
making a survey of the watershed OF the
Chagros River, above Galnt GA, and surveys
ard Investigations to determine the posi-
ility OF splways into the Pacific on the
orc side and the Carsl can on the other;
also u survey ard examination with esti-
mates for the proposed dam at Allie juela.
An engineering corps along the II ain
line OF the canal in the vicinity of Culebra
il making surreys TO determine the feast
hility OF straig htening the line OF the French
company and to determine the amount
" material removed and to be removed
in accordance with the different canal Of
plans under consideration.
An engineering force in charge OF
sewerage and water supply for Panama
and Colon Is constructing reservoir in
the valley of the upper Rio Grande which
will furnish a II nimum supply of ?,OO0,OOO
gallons day for the city OF Panama also:
distributing reservoir for the city of
Panama at Ancon, and is II aking surveys,
ans and estimates for sewerage system
for the city OF Colon, and surveys and esti-
mates for establishing official grades for
the streets of Panama.
Plans are being prepared for the con-
struction OF harbor at Colon, for which
tenders will be asked early in December,
FOR the construction Of wharvcs and docks
and protect the material which will be
shipped TO the LIST hmus
he average amount Of material taken
ON Of the Culebra cut has been from 200
10. l.5oo, cubic yards day, and when every
hing favors, at times 1000 cubic yards
'het is with the Use OF the old French ma
Chiner" that is available
We have bought three modern steam
-hovels. one that has gone down to the
iahNus and two others that will follow
shortly for use in The Guile bra cut. They
will increase the output fiycfold Nc
have al 40 opened bids for eleven more
steam ahoNels, but the contracts have not
Let been awarded.
Eve have sent down large amount OF
l'Ther al II oNimateiy go CO feet OF yellow
inc, Is 00, iIGss ties. 700 switch ties, 500
Pc nni so ietes Of cypress, and opened
nos CIV avs ago for ?,1r0.oho feet bids
will sho fly be as ed for about ,0OO, 900 feet
additional ThsJumber is needed for piles,
Iaircai ties, Ierairs to buildings, wharyes
ind dec :, some new buildings to be
crectsd. Sc.
4 ,nachinery department has been Or
Canized. and the old shops of the French
comp any are being put in repair and orera..
ton. end the old machinery supplemented
bv now and modern machinery, in order
that the repairs to cars and equipment
may t,e Prof. eriy taken care or
"A binding department has also been
organized under a supervising architect.
who has charge OF repairing the existing
buildings, of which there are 2.20 along the
limo Of The canal, warehouses, barracks, DC,
and planning and experimenting the
construction OF such additional buildings
as may be necessary. When we took over
The work the French were removing
about $4,000 cubic yards a month. We
removed in August abont $1,000: in Sep
ember smaller amount, because the
weather was bad and there were some bad
slides, which broke up some of the exca-
vators. We cut the unit cost OF excavating
material in July to 6o% cents per cubic yard,
in August to 5Ol% cents per cubic yard The
French cost was 10 cents per cubic yard.
One month we cut the cost down to As cents,
but that was due to there being no rock
excavations.
In addition to officers and men in the
construction department there are n men
attached to the general staff tgovernors),
10 to the sanitary star and 10 in the de-
partment of material and supplies. These
do not include laborers. of whom there are
probably some 400 employed The larger
number are employed in sanitary work Of
cleaning up and putting the Isthmus in good
sanitary condition and as nurses and at
tendante in the hospitals
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