Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-14
GIVES INSIGHT
TO CANAL WORK
COMMITTEE REPORT PROVES
INTERESTING
Senate Hears Details Of Progress Of
Work on the lsthmus of Panama.
Engineer Wallace Severely
Criticised
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
WARRINGTON, Dec. 13.--Tn making
public all the testimony taken yester-
day by the senate committee on appro-
priations in relation to the Panama
disclosed in greater detail the work
on the iethmus than has been given
to all the reports OF the isthmian
canal commission or others authorized
to discuss canal affairs.
The testimony taken during the meet
ing covers eighty-eight printed pages,
devoted almost wholly to the examina-
ton of Secretary of War Taft, Theo-
dorc p. Shonts. chairman of the COM
mission; J. Il. Bishop and D. w. Ross,
general purchasing officer.
1t developed during the testimony
of Secretary Taft and Mr.. Ross that
% per cent of the materials purchased
by the commission were shipped from
the United States and of the 9 per
cent Of foreign materials nearly the
entire amount was secured on the
isthmus.
No ExcaVating in Progress
1t was stated that there are about
1900 men employed on the isthmus in
canal work, but that none of these is
now engaged in eXcavating.
The work OF digging the canal was
stopped when Mr.. Stevens went to the
lsthmus in July last as chief engineer.
Mr.. Taft said that 1000 of the men
were employed in the sanitation de-
partment and $4,000 in track work con-
struction of buildings, in machine
works and putting together the equip
ment in getting ready for the work of
eXcavating. Continuing, Mr.. Taft
said:
"Mr. Stevens states-and think Mr..
Shonts agrees with hinl-that former
Engineer Wallace made mistake in
expending what he did eXpend for
actual excavation work in the Culebra
cut, 1t was not done for the purpose OF
excavation, although it did accomplish
to the extent to which there was eX-
cavation work which may not have to
be done again.
But it was done for the purpose OF
making estimates as to the cost. and
Mr.. Stevens thinks that the material
which was removed was deposited at
places from which it will have to be
again removed and that estimates
based upon those experiments, there
fore. are estimates based upon what
do not assimilate to the actual work
to be done"
criticise Methods of Wallace
80 that it really was not good
sample work?" asked Senator Hale.
mo, sir" replied Mr. Taft. "Of
course, the great problem there is not
excavation. The great problem is
transportation and the disposing of the
dirt. Dirt taken from Culebra cut has
to be hauled by rail from four to tif-
teen miles,
Mr.. Shonts then said of the work
done by Mr.. Wallace:
He selected the easy work at the
top of the cut. where he had gravity
hauls. He worked at the nearest place
he could and misled himself and other
people by taking the cost per cubic
yard thus arrived at during the most
favorable circumstances as being the
unit cost at which he could do the en-
tire work. For that reason his work
was practically wasted"
1t was stated by Mr.. ShOntS that un-
der Mr.. Wallace's direction dirt was
removed during the dry season at Il
cost of 43 cents per cubic yard. but that
during the wet season.
Members of the committee having
expressed surprise at the great diff
ference, Mr.. Shonts said:
There would not have peen so much
difference If Wallace had properly bal
lasted his tracks, so that when the wet
season came his cars would not get off
the track so much