The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-12-21

the machinery rms 50 smoothly. From
my own experience | am able to say
that more care has been exercised i'm
housing, feeding and generally paying
heed to the needs of the skilled me-
chanics and ordinary laborers in the
work on this canal than is the case
in the construction of new railroads or
in any other similar private or public
work in the United States proper.
The Work of Construction.
There remains to consider the actual
work for which these laborers are
gathered together This is under the
direct control of Chief Engineer Ste
vens, who kas already shown admirable
results and whom we can safely trust
to achieve similar results in the future.
The three big problems of the canal
are the La Boca dams, the Gatun dam
and the CulebrS cut
In CuIebra Cut.
The main work is now being done in
the Culebra cut. 1t was striking and
impressive TO see the huge steam shov-
els in full play, the dumping trains
carrying away the rock and earth they
dislodged. The implements of French
excavating machinery, though of eX-
cellent construction, look like the veri-
est toys when compared with these
/ new steam shovels. just as the French
dumpng cars seem like toy cars when
compared with the long trains of huge
cars dumped by steam plows which
are now in use. This represents the
enormous advance that has been made
in machinery during the past quarter
century. The old French cars had to
be entirely discarded. The new cars
hold from twenty-five to thirty yards
apiece, and instead of the old clumsy
methods of unloading them a steam
plow is drawn from end to end of the
whole vestbuled train. immensely
economizing labor
As soon as the type of canal was de-
cided this work began in good earnest.
The rainy season will shortly be over.
and then there will be an immense in.
crease in the amount taken out. but
| even during the last three months
steady progress is shown by the fig
ures: In August, 242,000 cubic yards;
in September, 291 900 cubic yards, and
in October, 32J, 600 cubic yards. | hope
to see the growth Of healthy spirit of
emulation between the different shovel
and locomotive crews, just such a
spirit as has grown on our battleships
between the different gun crews in
matters of craftsmanship. Passing
through the cut the amount of new
work can be seen at a glance. In one
place the entire side of hill had been
taken out recently by twenty-seven
tons of dynamite. which were exploded
at one blast. On the top notch of the
Culebra cut the prism is now as wide
as it will be. All told. the canal bed
at this point has now been sunk about
200 feet below what it originally was.
1t will have to be sunk about 1870 feet
farther. Throughout the cut the drill
ing, blasting, shoveling and hauling
are going on with constantly increas
ing energy, the huge sh0vels being
pressed up as if they were mountain
howitzers into the most unlikely look
ing places. where they eat their way
into the hillSides.
Critics and Doubling ThOmascs.
1t is not only natural. but inevitable,
that a work as gigantic as this should
arouse every species of hostility and
criticism 1t would be absolutely out
of the question that mistakes should
not be made. Unforeseen difficulties
will arise. From time to time seem.
ingly well settled plans will have to
be changed. At present $4,000 men are
engag ed on the task. After awhile the
number will be doubled. In such a
multitude it Is inevitable that there
should be here and there a scoundrel.
In a place which has been for ages q
byword for unhealthfulness and with
so large a congregation of strangers
suddenly put down and set to hard
work there will now and then be out
breaks of disease. There will be short
Pomings in administration; there will
|
incident will be entirely natural, and,
even though serious, no one Of them
will mean more than little extra de-
lay or trouble. Yet each, when dlscov-
cred by sensation mongers and retailed
to timid folk Of little faith, will serve
as an excuse for the belief that the
whole work is being badly managed.
Experiments will continually be made
in housing, in hygiene, in street repair
ing, in dredging and in digging earth
and rock. Now and then an experiment
will be a failure, and among those
who hear of it n certain proportion of
doubling Thomases will at once be-
lieve that the whole work Is failure.
Doubtless here and there some minor
rascality will be uncovered, but as to
this I have to say that after the most
painstaking inquiry | have been I'M
able to find single reputable per
son who had so much as heard of any
serious accusations affecting the hon
esty of the commission or Of any re-
sponsible officer under it. 1t Is not toe
much to say that the whole atmes-
phere of the commission breathes hon.
esty as it breathes efficiency and ener-
CIV. Above all. the work has been kept
absolutely clear of politics. | have
never heard even suggestion OF
spoils politics in connection with it.
Plan 10 Build by Contract.
After most careful consideration we
| bova danidad tn LOT ont most of the