The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-11-14

10&
cents per on.
I'VE have also purchased new and
more powerful locomotives. larger ears
Off both passengers and freight ser
vices, and heavy steel rails for relay.
ing the road, and have strengthened
the bridges to enable them to carry the
heavier equipment. We have reor-
ganized the personnel of the road. put
ting into the higher positions expert
eDced, aggressive, up-to-date men, With
the result that with the old equipment
and facilities they have cleared up dur
ing the last thirty days an accumula>
ton of oyer 1900 ton of commercial
freight. With the advent Of our in
creased dock facilities, terminal yards
now nearly complete, and new power
and equipment nov arriving, the road
will be in a position to handle Efficient
,y and economically d vastly larger VOL
M of business than heretofore
100000 WORTH OF SUPPLIES
while all this necessary work was
in progress, the task of purchasing.
forwarding and distributing the enor-1
nous quantity of materials and sup
plies Of all kinds was receiving our
constant and most careful attention
The purchases included not only the
items entering into permanent plant.
but also those required for the prelim-
mary work. To give you an idea Of
the magnitude of these purchases ]
will read for You the principal items:
"61 steam shoyels, 1900 fiat cars, II
rapid ~unloaders, % unloading plows.
- earth s~preaders. 324 dump cars, II
hosting engines, 100 locomotives, 5000
ODDS of steel rails, 12J,OOO cross ties,
l2.ufO pieces Of niling. ii air compress
ing machines, ; cranes, 1.2 rock drills.
$500, 600 feet lumber approximately,
2 Iiper dredges, $4,000 pounds blast
ing powder, 617,5OO pounds dynamite,
900, 900 paving brick, 100000 build
ing brick, 10000 square feet roofing
tile, $4,000 barrels cement approx
nately). 3 steel water tanks and tow
nrs, II stand pipes, 2 ocean steam
ships.
1.-The approximate total cost OF Il
purchases was about $9,OOO,OO0. 1t
should be borne in mind that at the
time when orders for most of these
items were placed, the industries of the
United States were crowded with 90
mestic business, and were unable,
consequently, to make prompt dellv-
cries. It should be borne in mind,
also, that after machinery mad been
manufactured acre and set up, it had
to be taken apart, shipped two thou
sand miles over steamship lines al
ready taxed to the full capacity, and on
arrival on the Isthmus had to be again
set up before ready for use. Inen
too, on account of many reports as toI
the prevalence of yellow fever On the
Isthmus, it was very difficult at a crit
ical time for concerns furnishing ma
teriaI to get steamers to take 1t there,
because of fear that their crews mlghtI
become infected and their VesselsI
might be q~uarantined when they wish
ei to return to the United States.
Finally, the steamers of the United
Fruit Line from New Orleans, which
bad been carrying a considerable
amount of the freight going to the
Isthmus, were put out of service on ac-
count of yellow fever in that city.
REASONS FOR DELAY.
ITO the various causes Of delay
mentioned is to be added the require
ments Of law that all bids for materials
used in government work shall be adj
vertised for. This cOmpels a delay in
all cases of from ten to thirty days.
'In regard to all equipment pur-
chases, both for the canal and the rail-
road, it should be stated that the
gauge of the Panama Railroad being
wider than the standard gauge in tneI
United States made it impossible to-
use secondhand rolling stock Of any
kind; all locomotives and cars had,
therefore, to be built to order. After
the supplies reached the Isthmus we
had to contend not only with the lack
of terminal facilities and mechanical
appliances already mentioned, but also
with an inadequate equipment with
which to distribute it to its destination
or the force to handle it. These OBJ
stacles have been largely s~urmounted
The elimination of yellow fever and
the establishment of better systems of
housing and feeding the employees
have enabled us to recruit u working
forces till those assigned to the mate
rial and supply division now number
over twenty-One hundred men
DIFFICULTIES TO OVERCOME
Il have so far, gentlemen, %endeaver-
ed to give you an idea of the difficult
ties which wei have had to encounter
IIIu III u W III tAS
isthmus q place fifit to work in,
and to collect the tools with which to
work. So far as actual excavation and
dredging are concerned, we have not
endeavored to accomplish much. AS
a general principle, in which / think
you will all concur it IS lnadyisable
to attempt to run a railroad before the
tracks are laid. We are now work
ing, however, six steam shovels in
Culebra cut, which is the largest single
factor in the construction of the canal,
and have removed approximately one
million cubic yards of material. By
this work we are accomplishing two
things: First, we are putting the levels
of the cut in proper condition for the
installation Of the largest number of
machines which can be effectively OPP
Grated; and, second, we are gathering
data which will be useful in future
estimates of the cost Of canal construc-
ton. In the Culebra 1900 men are