The Carlisle independent., 1906-12-20

mercy of any one type of foreign the unskiiied labor on the isthmus is done by West India negroes, chiefly from Jamaica Barbados. and the other ernors of the lands in question has shown an unfriedly disposition to our work and has thrown obstacles in the way of our getting the labor needed; and it is highly undesirable to give any outsiders the impression, however ill founded, that they are indispensa- ble and can dictate terms to us.
 The West India laborers are fairly: but only fairly, satisfactory. Some Of the men do very well indeed; the bet ter class, who are to be found as fore 1 men. skilled mechanics. as police men, are good men; and many of the ordinary day 'aborers are also good. Work of Construction.
 |. The work is now going on with vigor and efficiency pleasant to wit ness. The three big problems of the canal are the La Boca dams, the Gatun dam. and the Culebra cut. The Cule- bra cut must be made anyhow; but 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 practical certain ty, not merely as to what can be achieved. but to the time of achieve ment. The Gatun dam offers the most serious problem which we have to solve; and yet the ablest men on the
 
 certain of solution along the lines proposed; although, of course. it ne- cessitates great toll. energy, and in- 1 telligence. and although equally of l course, there will be some little risk in connection with the work. The. risk arises from the fact that some of the material near the bottom is not so good as could be desired If the huge earth dam now contemplated is thrown across from one foothill to the other 1 we will have what Is practically low. broad, mountain ridge behind which will rise the inland lake. This 1 artificial mountain will probably show | less seepage. that Is, will have greater restraining capacity than the average natural mountain range. The exact To- cality of the locks at this dam--as at l the other dams-is now being de- termined. In April next Secretary 1 Taft, with three of the ablest engin- eers of the country-Messrs. Noble. isthmus. and the three engineers will make the final and conclusive exami- nations as to the exact site for each 1 lock. Meanwhile the work is going ahead without break
 l The Culebra cut does not offer such great risks; that is, the damage liable to 1 occur from occasional land slips will not 1 represent what may be called major dis asters. The work will merely call for in capacity It is, however. the work upon which most labor will have to be spent. The 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 Culebra itself.
 In culebra Cut.
 The main work is now being done in the Culebra cut. It 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 machinery, which often stand little way from the line of work, though of ex- cellent construction, look like the veriest -har1 lvlQr rA6 writ steam shovels. just as the French dump i ing cars seem like toy cars when com i pared with the long trains of huge cars. i dumped by steam blows, which are now i in use. This represents the enormous advance that has been made in machin- cry during the past quarter. of a cen tury. No doubt a quarter of century hence this new machinery, of which we are now so proud, will similarly seem out purpose well now; The old French cars ! had to be entirely discarded. We still have in use a few of the more modern, but not most modern, cars, which hold but F yards of earth. They can be em- ployed certain lines with sharp curves. But the recent cars hold from l old clumsy methods of unloading them, steam blow Is drawn from end to end of the whole vestibuled train, thus inn 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
 
 on the isthmus, and their tremendous power and efficiency were most impress | Sive
 New Records for Excavation.
 As soon as the stype of canal was de- cided this work began in good earnest i 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- figures: In August, 242, 900 cubic yards; l ty, ,1ar ordc and iv, October. 325,000 cubic-yards. In October new records were established for the output of individual shovels as well as .E for the tonnage haul of individual loco I motives hope. to see the growth of a healthy spirit of emulation between the different shovel and locomotive crews, battle ships 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 a hill had been taken out, recently by 27 tons of 1 blast At another place was given a l presidential salute of 2l charges of dyna- mite, On the top notch of the Culebra |. cut the prism is now as wide 1t will be; all told the canal bed at this point has now been sunk about 200 feet below Se sunk ebon M eet farheT w hape out the cut the drilling, blasting. shovel ing and hauling are going on with con- ] shoveis being pressed up as if the they Mags WeTs | mountain howitzers, into the most un- likely looking places, where they eat their way into. the hillsides.
 Critics and Doubling Thomases.
 It is not only natural, but inevitable
 that a work as gigantic this which has been undertaken on the isthmus | should arouse every species of hostility and criticism. The conditions are so new and so trying, and the work so vast, that I it would be absolutely out of the ques- ton that mistakes should not be made. Unforeseen will arise. From time to time seemingly r well-settled plansy will have to be changed. At present 25oVo men are en- 1 humber will be doubled. In such a null