The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-18

In Culebra Cut.
The main work is now being done in the
Culebra cut. 1t was striking and impress
sive to see the huge steam shovels in full
play, the dumping trains carrying away
the rock and earth they dislodged. Tho
implements of French exeavating ma
chinery, which often stand a little way
from the line of work, tho of excellent
construction, look like the Veriest toys
when compared with these new steam
shovels, just as the French dumping 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 of a century No doubt quarter
of a century hence this new machinery,
of which we are now so proud, VIII slml-
larry seem out of date, but it is certainly
serving it's purpose well now. The old
French cars had to be entirely discarded.
We still have in use few of the more
modern, but not most modern, cars which
hold but twelve yards of earth. They
can be employed on certain lines with
sharp curves But the recent cars hold
from twenty-five to thirty yards apiece,
and instead OF the old clumsy methods OF
unloading them, a steam pillow is drawn
from end to end of the whole vestibule6
train, thus immensely economizing labor.
In the rainy season the steam shovels
can do but little in dirt, but they work
steadily in rock and in the harder ground.
There We're some twenty-five at work
souIihg the TIME was vi INC ~ S
anu eheH eleiiioiluouS Po"oA W -
ficiency were most impressive.
New Records for Excavation.
As soon as the type of canal was decid-
ed this work began in good earnest 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 Hohtns' III uhe RAINY s seasoi,
steaoy progress ID shown W 'ie rs
IN august @ 4z"V cupie Saius' III 0tetn,
Der. zsl'uVV CUBIC yarus, anu III Ooeopei'
ozo,Voo CUBIC yafus. IN Cclopef new iee
ords We're estapnshed Tor the output ol
lhdlyldual shoVeis as Wen as lor tne toh-
mage maui % iiiuiV,uues ,,a,' 80
nope 70 sec ING sio"'n VI q 1900 SP..l
VI Emulation pee"een 'le 81. 80 ,.t
ana locolhotiVe cre"s' Ju9l SUN a opiiie
as mas grown on our pattieships pelMeelt
the diherent gun crews III nal.eis ~
MAJ hsiliaisinp eaai,iS IN u INC ~ .ie
ainouii1 VI ne" "oih can pe so go a.
5iahce III oiie Pieloe 'io eiieiie SUI VI :"
iiii iieu peen '"i1e'i ~ GlS ~ 49,
ty-seVeh tohs VI ny iianii.e' WIZ" ., w.
eNploueu at one piaSt, a. ahothet Piaoe
was given piesiuelltiai ss'iu ne u e"en-
Ayone cue, $50 y, uS oH ~ - -
leteh u tLe Nulepld GU nc ~ , isH -
nov do wlue al ~ WIZ o9' on eoIu' eiie
ealai peu a. aoo LIS s pm t, Ae.9 ~ -
sum aoou1 q" -. 49, peio" "Atle - ~ IS
1i.s'is was ~ W ~ " NC sum 49,
l'o ieel Ia ne. III uoue e.e ~. ,, t.e
oiHliis, plas'iis, shoNeiiiis anu iiauii.s
are gong on win constantly hlcre. a iil
heisy; the huse 9iioN . ei9 peiiis , pies' w,
40 IL lneS WEI 1 iiio,iiIeih ., -
me mus uii'ihels ioohii9 P.t .,s WHICH,
'hey eat ther way lhto ene hliisioes'
Railway improvements.
The most advanced methods, not only
an construction put ~ i T.. llahas s',
IL.
corresponding econolllles III linie anu
sccse, Inns has peeh siio"ii III tae
a'ahaiiis VI tne toiiilass ION oiiips NJ ~,
cars, anu from cars mo shipS III tiie
fahalna Iallloau' wieIe' enaiihs largely
~ one eHioieiieS VI .. a. iaiia 81 q
Biefa, the saving III tiiiie anu cost mas
neeh hotWorlhy. MY examination tenuea
10 snow tnat some OIL tne departments
idd luouptless necessarily oecoiiie oVer-
deNeiopeu, anu coulu now oe feuuceu VI
supofdinated WITHOUT Impairment OIL FL
Hciehcy ana Win d saving OF cosu. Inc
chairman Oh Tue coiii!liSslon MI, STUNTS
las All matters OIL this KIM CONS taiuy III
view, ana Is now eolsanlNihs me soN-
eminent Oh the zone so as 10 hlake the
form oI ADMINISTRATOR potn more heAlpie
anu iess expensive, suooloiiia.iiis every
taihg 10 direct ehiciehcy WIN view
l. Tue WORK ol the canal conlIiisSioh;
!oih liiiie ~ ,iiiie eiiaiises VI 'l'le Ntii.i
VIII undoubtedly nave " pe hIdue' ior
IL must me remembered ina. III TINS giant
Noih OIL CONSTRUCTION, IT - colliluaiiy
necessary 10 ueNeiop uepar tiileits vi ou-
.eaus, WHICH are Vltal lor the tiihe pelhs,
puS winch SUM peeoIie uscless' just no II
wiz De continually necessary TO put up
nuiiuiHss' anu even 70 erect to"hs' Which
III zen YEARS WIN oice ilole sNe Piace ~
y.iSie' VI VIII eiieii NC az lhe poeIoin VI
Tue great iahes te the ehus ol the calai'
Critics and Doubtinu Thonases
II &c nat onlv natural hut Inevitable
49, q u-ori- a : giga,,tio &c ttis ,,1ia1 bns
800 rndarta1ra1 ON tho ,etb,,,,,. shon1d
sronea eJ,er,, snaces of bostiIit,, ard crit
,ois,,,9 ,rbe conditions ara 60 - 80. "a 80
tr1,ine ana the uorls co ,ast tbat ~
,.onIS no ahsoI5,toIv or+ of tba o,,astio,
thot ,,ist.iras shonld not no ,,,ado CbaoI-s
III aaorr ITnfarasoan diee;a,1tioe lii
IT uo,, ,i,,a - ,i,,,a sae,,1ia,, IN
sdttiaa nIans viii hove 70 ha eb,rnad
A. ,,rasfnt os ooo mon are engaged On tl,o
-, aftar - Mill The r,,,7,bar MI, ha
\ aenhled In sucb a nouItitnda n ;s newt
- 49, thore sho,,ld he 49, .nd tba,,o
soa e"r'd Varv many Of tba 1nonrar
80 of IaSnrer aoir the ,,,a,,taI aa,oI,,
800 20 rrotoc+ tbemseIyes againet eitbar