The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-24

bf>SF1fiNEnt o0Gb IN Oi80
 
 complaint at the s2.50 charge for cleaning the rooms. The employees argue that as two men are quartered In each of the little rooms, the lessees received S5 per month for cleaning, the work being done by one negro, who was paid $15 per month and board for cleaning twenty rooms, netting the lessees al least s76 per month profit for each twenty rooms But al- though the commission has taken up the active management of the hotel, this con- dition still existed at the time of my visit.
 The other hotel Is located at the fa- nous Gulebra cut, the highest land along the canal route and does not differ ma terialy in specifications from the first. Employees here have been boarded for s225O per month. the same figure as at Corozal.
 have noticed a great deal of dissat- isfaction among the employees over what they consider these excessive rates for board. The negroes are required to pay 30 cents per day out of an average wage of 80 cents per day; but to one who has seen the conditions of life in the canal zone, this seems fair rate. both of wage and living expense, to people of the shift less habits and simple wants of the Jamaica negroes.
 Present State of Work.
 The Panama canal commission began work year ago, taking it up where the old French companies dropped 1t, with no set idea as to what they would do, determining most wisely to be guided by their later judgments, when the situation before them was more fully disclosed by the examination of competent corps of engineers. They found canal about one fifth dug, and nearly 600 worth of machinery rusting along the route, be- sides enough champagne bottles to build a pyramid to the extrayagance and high living of the men in actual charge of the spectacular failure of De Lesseps. Today digging is in progress at several points on the canal, dredging of harbors is about beginning, and test boringS are being made In all important localities. yet it has not been decided whether the canal Is to be a sea-level waterway, or whether it shall be an elevated section, with locks across the high ground of the isthmus. The settling of inndmerable minor points rests on this main decision, and until the commission itself knows what 1t will do, the public must await more definite information.
 The actual new work on the canal be- gan in the summer of f904 when several engineering corps commenced operations. To one corps was given the work of completing and deepening the northern end of the canal, covering six miles, up to the point where the canal encounters the Chagres river. They also have in charge the dredging of the harbor of Colon and the erection of breakwaters for it's protection. The second body of engineers control the territory from the junction with the river at Gatun on to Bohlo, including the possible erection of a dam at Gatun. Their chief work Is the choice of a route, as the old digging here is quite serpentine, and new and shorter way Is planned. The third set of en- gineers has in charge the proposed great dam at Bohio, and they have been mak- ing borings all along the river In that vicinity to test the bed rock. The fourth party of engineers governs the continental divide at the summit of the Corderillas, the proposed dams at Gamboa and Aha juela, and possible seven-mile tunnel for carrying off surplus water to the At lantic. The Culebra cut was assigned to the fifth party of engineers. The work beyond on the Pacific side, together with the terminal harbor facilities at La Boca, was placed in charge of the sixth en- gineering corps.
 The dams erected on the Chagres are to served a double purpose. It has been figured that the Gamboa dam alone will yield a minimum of 25.000 horsepower, and that during most of the year 56000 horsepower can be had from this source. By directing the dams with as little de- lay as possible, and installing turbines and dynamos, electric power can be de- livered to operate machinery all along the canal. Nor is this all. A line of great arc lights can be hung from ocean to ocean, enabling the contractors to op- crate with two or even three shifts of men, thus expediting the work mate rially. Night is better than day for labor in that torrid cline. owing to the ex- cessive heat of the sunlight hours.
 Most of the French machinery located along the canal can be used, when re- pairs or supplying of lost parts has been expeditiously. four large machine shops have been established, or built upon the remnants of the French shops. Into some of these shops the American en- gineers literally had to cut their way through the growth of underbrlsh, but within the first year of work they have been put into most excellent and efficient condition, and force of 600 machinists is now employed. The foreign machines in the shops. mostly French, but includ- ing some of English and of German make have been overhaued, and line of American machine tools installed in- cluding power hammers, boring machines, drills. lathes, planers. etc.
 Tramp in Panama.
 With three companions I started out one foggy morning for ten-mile tramp through rain, mud, clay and marshes, in an effort to find some tangible result of the ten million dollar investment which the United States has already made al Panama, and although the Improvements just enumerated were readily apparent, l must confess the trip was a disappont- ment. Work on the canal proper was practically suspended, the efforts of the workers being confined to the sanitary preparations, and the surveying opera tions of the engineering corps. We en- countered a band of these engineers en- camped near a rubber plantation, sonie three miles east of La Cascadas, six miles from the canal line. We fought our way to the spot through the most dense and terrific jungle we had yet en- countered Tall bamboos growing in pro- fusion, together with the low thickets, giant ferns and palms, made the under growth we'll nigh impossible. When near the camp we stumbled upon a rude path cut through the dense vegeta tion by ne- groes with machetes, as we learned later. This path. which is the nearest approach to a trail in that region, resembled a dark gloomy tunnel. and is A sample of the roads upon which the engineers rely in forcing their way across the jungle reaches.
 We were courteously received by the engineering force and here we gained