The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1905-12-20
There Are About 1900 Men En-.
ployed, But None Are En-.
gagged in Excavating.
SANITARY AND BUILDING WORK.
Ninety-Eight Per Cent. of the Mater.
ials Purchased We're Shipped
From the United States.
The Testimony Taken BY the Senate
Committee on Appropriations in
Relation To the Emergency
Bill Made Public.

Washington, Dec 14.-ln making
public all Of the testimony taken by
the senate committee on apprOpria-
tions in relation to the Panama canal
emergency bill, the senate has disclos-
ed in greater detail the work on the
Isthmus than has been given by all of
the reports of the Isthmian canal COM
mission officers or others authorized
to discuss canal affairs. The testi-
mOny taken during the meeting covers
88 printed pages devoted almost Who'll
ly to examinations Of Secretary Of War
Taft, Theodore p. ShOnts. chairman Of
the commission; ]. B. Bishop. secre-
tary, and d. w. Ross, general purchas-
ing officer. II developed during the
testimony of Secretary Taft and Mr..
Ross that SO per cent. of the materials
purchased by the commission were
shipped from the United States and of
the two per cent. of foreign materials
nearly the entire amount was secured
Oh the ISthmuS.
IT. was stated that there are about
1900 men employed on the ISthmus
in canal work, but that none of these
are now engaged in excavating The
work of digging the canal was stop
ped when .Lr. Stevens went to the
ISthmuS in July last as chief engineer.
Mr. Taft said that 1000 of the men
were employed in the sanitation de-
partment and 1900 in track work.
construction of buildings. in machine
works and putting together the equip
ment in getting ready for the work OF
eXcavatng
Continuing, Mr.. Taft said: "Mr
Stevens Stated-and think Mr..
ShOnts agrees with him-that former
Engineer Wallace made a mistake in
expanding what he did eXpend for
actual excavation work in the Culebra
cut. II was not done for the purpose
Of excavation, although it did accom-
plish TO the extent to which there was
excavation 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 es-
Inmates based upon those experiences.
therefore. are estimates based upon
what do not assimilate to the actual
work TO be done"
$50 that it really was not good sam
pie work." asked Senator Hale.
No. sir" replied Mr.. Taft. "Of
course the great problem there Is not
excavation. The great problem is
transportation and the disposition Of
the waste. Dirt taken from Culebra
cut has to be hauled by rail from four
to fifteen miles"
It was stated by Mr. Shonts that un-
der Mr.. Wallace's direction dirt was
removed during the dry season at d
cost of AZ cents per cubic yard, but
that the cost was increased to $3.50 a
yard during the wet season.
Mr. ShOnts said: There would not
have been so much difference il Mr..
Wallace had properly ballasted his
tracks so that when the wet season
came on his cars would not get of the
tracks so much. Even those big steam
shOvels turned over SO he had all that
to contend with by reason Of the fail
IRE to start right, to have his tracks
laid properly and ballasted properly
so that they could resist the torrential
rains. That added very greatly. I
think. to the enormous increase of his
cost after the wet season did come on;
for the per cent. of the efficiency Of
his plant was then reduced to Is per
cent and sometimes less"