Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-12-20

ordinary day 'aborerr are also good
work Of Construction.
But thousands OF those who ar,
Drought over under contract lat GU
espense5 go on into the jungle to live
" auer h arst three NJ four day,
IS TO a serious diminution q
me amount OF labor performed on Fri
may o n Saturday Of each week.
laborers as to the conditions Of fhei,
WORK n what, il any changes. The,
WISHED; 1 received many Complaint:
from them, but as regards most q
tness complaints they themselves con.
wnere the complaint was as to theft
treatment by any Individual IL proved
on examination that this individual
Was himself a West India man OF color
either a policeman, a s~torekeeper. OF
al assistant storekeeper. Doubtless
mere must be many complaints againsI
americans: but those to whom I smoke
aio not happen to make any such com
plant to me.
n work is now going on with 9
igor n efficiency pleasant to wit
ness. The three big problems OF the
canal are the La Boca dams, the Gatur
gam n the Culebra cut. The Guile
pra Gu must be made, anyhow; but
OF course changes as to the dams, OF
az least as to the locks adjacent to
me DAMS, may still occur. The La
boca Dams offer no particular prob
lem, the bottom material being SO
Eooo tnat there is a practical certain
W; not merely as to what can be
acnieVed, but as to the time of achieve
ment. The Gatun dam, offers the most
serious Foblem which we have to
isthmus believe that this problem is
certain of solution along the lines
proposed; although, of course, IL me-
tensitates great toll, energy, and in
oeiiigence mi although equally. of
IN connection with the work. The risk
arises from the fact that some OF the
material near the bottom is not SO
1000 as could be desired. If the huge
across from one foothilI to the other
We VIII have what is practically a
low, broad, mountain ridge behind
winch will rise the inland lake. This
aranlcial will probably show
restraining capacity than the average
natural mountain range, The exact 10
cality OF the locks at this dam-as at
tne other dams-is now being de-
Taft, with three 81 the ablest engin.
GERS of the country-Messrs. Noble.
Stearns n Ripley-will visit the
isthmus, and the three engineers will
make the final and conclusive exami-
nations as to the exact site for each
lock. Meanwhile the work is going
ahead without a break.
The Culebra cut does not offer such
great risks; that is. the damage liable to
occur from occasional land Sins will not
represent what may be called major dis
asters. The work will merely call for in
tellgence, perseverance,, and executive
capacity It is. however. the work upon
Which most labor will have to be spent.
Inc dams will be composed of the earth
taken out of the cut and very possibly
the building. of the locks and dams will
TAKE even longer than the cutting in
In culebra Cut.
The main work is now being done in
Inc Culebra cut. 1t was striking and
impressive to see the huge steam sRoyels
N run play, the dumping trains carrying
away the rock and earth they d~islodged'
The implements of French excayating
machinery, which often stand a little
way from the n 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
by steam plows, which are now
N use. This represents the enormous
ADVANCE that has been made in machine
Fry during the past quarter of a CEN
hence this new machinery, Of which we
ire now so proud, will SIMILARLY seem out
GATE, but 1T Is certainly sarving its
purpose we'll now; rhe old French cars
lad to be entirely discarded. We still
tut not most modern, cars, which hold
tut IL yards Of earth. They can be en-
'loyed on certain lines with sharp
;urves, But the recent cars hold from
Id clumsy methods of unloading them.
steam pillow is drawn from end to end
the whole vestibuled train, thus i'm
nensely ~economizing labor. In the rainy
title In dirt, but they work steadily in
ock and in the harder ground. There
we're some rs at work during the time I
vas on the isthmus. and their tremendous |
over n efhciency were most impress
I've.
New Records for Excavation,
As soon as the type of canal was de-
this work began in good earnest.
he rainy eason will shortly be over and
hen there will be an immense increase in
ne amount taken out; but even during
he last three months, in the rainy sea.
on, steady progress is shown BY the
cures: In August, 242, 900 cubic yards:
a September, 291, 900 cubic yards, and in
'ctober, $4,000 cubic yards. In October
ew records were established for the
utput OF individual shovels as we'll as
or the tonnage haul of Individual loco
lotiyes. l hope to see the growth of a
ealthy spirit of emulation between the
ifferent shovel and locomotive crews,
Npt- oaSh u oPiilt 90 Idb kIOWH On 0lT |
attic ships between the different gun
in matters of Workmanship.
'assing through the cut the amount Of
ew work can be seen at a glance. In
cen taken out recently by " tons Of
ynamite, which were exploded at one
last. At another place / was given a
residential salute of 81 charges Of dyna-
lite; On the top notch Of the Culebra
the prism is now as wide as it will
Q; all told, the canal bed at this point
as now been sunk about 200 feet below
hat It originally was. 1t will have to
9 sunk about 1S0 feet farther. Through
ut the cut the drilling, blasting, shovel
70 and hauling are going on with con-
[antly increasing energy, the huge
novels being pressed up, as@if they were
fountain howitzers. into the most I'M
leir way into the hillsides.
Railway improvements.
The most advanced methods, not only
! construction. but in railroad
tent, have been applied In the zone.
18th corresponding economies in time
cost. This has been shown in the
andling OF the tonnage from ships into
anama railroad, where, thanks largely
!, the efficiency of General
ierd, the saving in time and cost, has
zen noteworthy. My examination tend
! to show that some of the departments
doubtless necessarily become over
eveloped. and could now be reduced or
ibordlnated without impairment of efh-
ency and with a saving of cost. The
hartman of the commission, Mr.. Shonts.
as all matters Of this kind constantly
view, and Is now ~reorganizing the gov
of the zone, so as to make the
of administration both more flexible
nd less expensive. subordinating every
ling to direct efficiency with a view to
le work. OF the canal commission. From
me TO time changes of this kind will un-
oubtedly nave to be made, for II must
? remembered that in this giant work
! construction, It Is continually neces-
Try to develop departments or bureaus.
.hich are vital for the time being, but
soon become useless; Just as It will
. continually necessary to put up build
lgs, and ever to erect towns, which in
N years will once more give place to
lngle, or will then be at the bottom Of
lie great lakes at the ends Of the canal.
Critics and Doubling Thomases.
1t is not only natural, but inevitable.
lat q work as gigantic as this which
as been undertaken on the isthmus
lould arouse every species Of hostility
u Fa~tftat.~. M |