New-York tribune., 1905-11-10
PROGRESS OF CANAL WORK
Chairman Shonts addresses Hard
scare Manufacturers.

the American Hardware ManuTacturefS <A9'o
citation and the National Hardware Association
st the New Willard Hotel tonight. There was
large attendance of members Of both asso-
Citations by whom Mr. Shonts was given
hearty reception as he entered the hall. Presl-
dent julius C. Berge. of st. Louis called the
assennbiage to order. and Nice-President Henry
3 Lupton. Of Pittsburg, introduced Mr.. Shohts
: After describing the sanitary redemption OF the
isthn,us effected under the administration oi 1oN-
ernor Magoon-as already forth in the stan cor
respondence of The Tribune-Mr- Shonts spoke N
detail of the material progress made toward ac'aai
canal construction in part as follows
But in addition to these fundamental tasks of I'M
psrosiisre for the phVsicai comfort and webeing
OF all classes of employees another essentlal pre- pre-
earnest attention. refer to the enargemen55
sho e imense IN oen oanfes of materials
supplies which will enter into the construction
The only really valuable instrument essential to
canal building acquired by our government IN ITS
road. But this instrument, like all the others whose
wrecks cover the isthnus had been neglected ana
its equipment allowed to become obsolete: If the
docks wharves. warehouses, terminal yards. loco
in good rensfr which thev were not they still
would have been entirely inadequate to properly
moor as tbey were were rendered less efficient by
the entire absence of any mechanical appliances on
the docks TO assist in receiving or discharging the
power employed: he was at once the only hoisting
machine and the only travelling crane in use
ensued when the accumulated orders in the States
the isthmus- To aggravate the situation while the
deluse Of arriving material was at its height the
80 per over the year before. and the moment
when we thought affairs could get no worse two
cases bubonic plague La Boca resulted in two
consecutive quarantncs at that place completely
the personnel Of the Panama Railroad as acquired
had not been educated modern lines, and there-
with the onerols conditions caused by this conges
on 1T II was Necessary yeonpe t9 Win
modern mechanical appliances and of large ter.
warehouses, of suitable machine shops and OF
modern coal hoistng plant. which Will reduce me
We have also purchased new and more powerful
locomotives, larger for both passenger and
freight services and heavy steel rails for relayIng
able them i0 to carry the heavier equipment We have
reorganzed the personnel of the road putting INTO
GATE men. with the result that with the old equip
last thirty days accumulation of over twelve
thousand tons of commercial freight With the ao-
nearly ccmpete and new power and equipment
now arriving the road VIII be IN p3Tlton iarpe9 q
volume Of business than heretofore
SECURING SUPPLIES.
While all this necessary work was in progress the
task of purchasing forwarding and distributing the ne
kinds was RECEIVING our eonstant ana most % M
items Entering into the permanent plant also
. those required for the preliminary work To give
you an idea OF the magnitude Of these purenases
will read for you the principal items; % %Slxtyzone
1nlosding pionghs. 3 earth spreadeTs 3s dump
cars. 12 hoistng engines. 12o locomotives 1900 tons
Il air compressing machines, cranes ~ a,H rocS
as 9Ts e6ss oo s iss @ OF nounds basting powder
500 pounds dynamite 100000 paving brick S5oeea @
barrels Of Cement (approximateiy1 steel water
tanks and towers L stand pipes and ocean steam
The approximate total cost of our purchases t vas
the time when orders for most OF these items e r
placed the industries Of the United Sa states nbIe
eonsennentiy to make prompt deliveries 1t should
he horne in mind also that after machinery had
been manufactured here and set up it had to De
taken apart shipped Two 5houf5p t 5f f eapacity
and on arrival the ishmus mad TO be agan Set R Of
on the isthmus, it was very ancnII I to a. et steam
ers take it there, because OF Ier t,eir J@ vessels
Sa;ehf be 6uaranned when they wished to return
to the tinted States Finsly the steamers 3i had
een Carrying considerable amount Of the freight m
going the sthmGs: We're tbaf put city, Hu' u
To the various causes OF delay lnenolse i To- 20 10 80
aaaea le raS II, government work shall be advere
tised for. This compeis delay III an '' -
rom hen NJ IN addition to purchases for the
canal the do,io"Ig Fiy hundred boxcars 90 tonl u
choose cars 10 refrigerator cars . pas Ineol
coaGnes crne pile driver track scales doo tom,
i modern coal hoisting plant ana cah'i
Tegard TO al Equipment purchases both iof me me
Gauge OF the Panama Railroad, being wider n {laT II
the standard gauge Of the lniten o tocl ,f anv
tnd: an locomotives and cars haa @ ~ ;etb
b1iIt to order After the supplies ioo ~
mis- we had TO contend not only with the lacf l
1aIgnai facilities and mechanical appiaeeS ,,ir IN
eni With which to distribute it to its destination hd
largely surmounted ne elliliilo h++er s,stems of
fever and the establishment CT peter h sabInd rs
housing and feeding the employees nave enapIedd M ~
10 recruit our working forces I'll tnose bn over
the material and supply dlNiSioii nv" '
tventy-one hundred men
WORK NOW UNDER WAY
have co far gentlemen endeavored to give You
an idea of difficulties which we nave ne ad ~ mus
. naca dt 10 work IN, and collect the tools WIFI
which TO So far as actual eIcanaton & 6 to to
accomplish much As general PTln6ps l 70 at
Ne are now working however six steam sHooe~ 4otn~
in Culebra cut, which is the laIges' and have re-
1noye1 atA nv his work we are accomplishing two
,9. tiret We are putting the levels of the cut
s oner condition for installation of the iarg
M est number of machines which can be ef1ectxeIy
viii he useful IN future estimates OF te Sost o.
arn now en,pioyed We also building railway
tracks and yards, and are dredging al potn eio n
f the type of canal is decided. 1t should be under
stood that all the work we have done Is apP''c"'e
% re s.S question Of labor is grave and perpexing
one We have advanced far enough ~ 70 hiUm f tho the
we ear sufficient supply OF Iaoor from -sh E
tropics far as numbers are are concepi,s In
question Of quality is ysIy dHegen' s b deyeloped
than is secured at present we small nave 10 80 1uo
tst estimate of the quality of this labor by relat
an incien. which came under tue ooSeI ~.
fie ssaaof on the deck Of the steamer Havana. be
watching the uIilv'5 Ss s 3e vessei The tackle