The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1906-12-22

ter class, who are to be found as fore
men. are good men; and many OF the
ordinary day laborers are also good.
Work Of Construction.
But thousands of those who are
brought over under contract (at our
expense) go on into the ,un ngE 40 40 had.
Nv after the 6rst three or fnnr uass
as to cause serious diminution or
the amount OF labor performed on fri,
aus inn Sa mans Of these Jamaica
laborers as to the conditions OF thein
work and what, IL any changes, they
wished, I received many compiainoss
these complaints they themselves con-
tradicted one another. In all cases
where the complaint was as TO tneiI
treatment by any individual 1t proved
on examination that this individual
was himself a West India man OF color,
either policeman, storekeeper, OF
an assistant storekeeper. Doubtiesss
Americans; but those to whom 1 spoke
did not happen to make any such COM
plant to me.
vigor and efficiency pleasant to wit
ness. The three big problems OF the
canal are the La Boca dams, the Gatuh
dam, and the Culebra cut. The Guile.
of course changes as to the dams, or
at least as to the locks adjacent TO
the dams, may still occur. The La
lem. the bottom material being so
good that there Is a practical certain
ty. not merely as to what can be
achieved. but as to the time OF achieve,,
serious problem which we have to
solve; and yet the ablest men on the
isthmus believe that this problem Is
In NJ coll nj
proposed; although, OF course, 1t ne
cessitates great toll, energy, and In.
telligence. and although equally, OF
in connection with the work. The risk
arises from the fact that some or the
material near the bottom Is not so
good as could be desired Il the huge
across from one foothill to the other
we will have what is practically
low. broad. mountain ridge behind
artificial mountain will probably show
less seepage, that Is, will have greater
restraining capacity than the average
natural mountain range; The exact To- o,
the other dams-is now being de-
termined. In April next Secretary
Taft. with three of the ablest engin-
Stearns and Ripley-will visit the
isthmus. and the three engineers will
make the final and conclusive exami-
lock. Meanwhile the work is going
ahead without break
The Culebra cut does not offer such
great risks; that is. the damage liable to
occur from occasional land slips will not
represent what may be called major dis
asters. The work will merely call for In
telligence, perseverance, and executive
which most labor will have to be spent.
The dams will be composed of the earth
taken out OF the cut and very. possibly
10 - Ill. a xxrtn
take. even longer than the cutting In
Culebra itself.
In culebra Cut.
The main work is now being done In
the Culebra cut. IL was striking and
impressive to see the huge steam shovels
in full play. the dumping trains carrying
away the rock and earth they dislodged.
The implements of French excavating
way from the line of work, though OF ex-
cellent construction, look like the veriest
toys when compared with these new
steam shovels, Just as the French dump
ing cars seem like toy cars when COM
pared 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 machin-
cry during the past quarter of CEN
fury. No doubt quarter of century
hence this new machinery. OF which we
are now so proud, will similarly seem out
of date. but it is certainly serving its
purpose we'll now. rhe old French cara
had to be entirely discarded. We still
ba Da tee WbeS So
but u yards of earth. They can be en-
ployed on certain lines with sharp
curves; But the. recent cars hold from
20 to 80 yards apiece. and instead of the
old clumsy methods of unloading them,
steam pillow is drawn from end to end
of the whole vestibuled train, thus i'm
mensely economizing labor. In the rainy
reason the steam shovels can do but
little In dirt, but they work steadily in
rock and in the harder ground There
were some 20 at work during the time /
was on the isthmus, and their tremendous
power and efficiency were most impress
sive.
New Records for Excavation.
As soon as the type of canal was de-
The rainy season will shortly be over and
then there will be an immense increase in
the amount taken out; but even during
the last three months, in the rainy sea-
son. steady progress is shown by the
figures: In August, 242,000 cubic yards:
in September, 29l 900 cubic yards, and in
October $1,000 ereie yards In October
output of individual shovels as well as
for the tonnage haul of individual loco
motives. l hope. to see the growth of a
different shovel and locomotive crews,
just such a spirit as has grown on our
battle ships between the different gun
Passing through the cut the amount OF
new work can be seen at a glance lin
one place the entire side of a hill had
been taken out recently by q tons OF
dynamite, which were exploded at one
blast. At another place | was given a
presidential salute of Il charges OF dyna-
mite. On the top notch of the Culebra
cut the prism Is now as wide as II will
be; all told, the canal bed at this point
has now been sunk about 200 feet below
what il originally was 1t will have TO
be sunk about 100 feet farther. Through
out the cut the drilling, blasting shovel
ing and hauling are going on with con-
stantly increasing energy. the huge
mountain howitzers. into the most UNI
likely looking places. where they eat
their way into the hillsdes.
Railway improvements.
The most advanced methods, not only
in construction, but In railroad manage
ment. have been applied in the zone,
with corresponding economies in time
and cost. This has been shown in the
handling OF the tonnage from ships into
cars, and from cars into ships on the
Panama railroad. where. thanks largely
Bierd. the saving in time and cost, has
been noteworthy. My examination tend
ed to show that some of the departments
had doubtless necessarily become over
developed. and could now be reduced or
subordinated without impairment of eff
cheney and with saving Of cost. The
chairman of the commission, Mr.. Shonts.
In view. and Is now reorganizing the gov
eminent of the zone, so as to make the
form of administration both more flexible
and less expensive, subordinating every
thing to direct efficiency with a view to
the work of the canal commission. From