The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-12-21

men. are good men; and many of the
ordinary day 'aborers are also good.
Work OF Construction.
brought over under contract Cat our
expense) go off into the jungle to live,
or loaf around Colon, or work so BAD
as to cause serious diminution of
the amount of labor performed on FRI
questioned many of these Jamaica
work and what, il any changes, they
wished. I received many complaints
from them, but as regards most OF
these complaints they themselves con-
where the complaint was as to their
treatment by any individual 1t PROVED
on examination that this individual
was himself a West India man of color,
either policeman a storekeeper, or
an assistant storekeeper. Doubtless
there must be many complaints against
did not happen to make any such COM
plant to me.
The work is now going on with a
vigor and an efficiency pleasant to wit VT
canal are the La Boca dams, the Gatun
dam, and the Culebra cut. The Guile.
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
Boca dams offer no particular prob
good that there is practical certain
ty, not merely as to what can be
achieved, but as to the time of achieve
ment The Gatun dam offers the most st
solve; and yet the ablest men on the
isthmus believe that this problem is
certain of solution along the lines
cessitates great toll, energy, and in.
telligence, and although equally, of
course, there will be some little 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
we will have what. is practically a
low, broad. mountain ridge behind
which will rise the inland lake. This
artificial mountain will probably show
less seepage, that is, will have greater
restraining capacity than the average
natural mountain range. The exact To-
the other dams-is now. being de-
termined. In April next Secretary
Taft, with three of the ablest engin-
a ths Visit Noble the
isthmus, and the three engineers will
make the final and conclusive exami-
Ian as to the exact site for each
ahead without break.
The Culebra cut does not offer such
great risks; that is, the damage liable to
| 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
the building, of the locks and dams will
Culebra itself.
In cuIebra Cut.
The main work is now being done in
the Culebra cut. 1t was striking and
| impressive to see the huge steam shovels
| 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
toys when compared with these new
steam shovels, just as the French dump
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 GEN.
fury. No doubt a quarter of century
hence this new machinery. of which we
are now SO proud, will similarly seem GU,
purpose well now. The old French cars
had to be entirely discarded. We still
have in use few of the more modern,
but u yards of earth. They can be en-
ployed on certain lines with sharp
curves. But the recent cars hold from
Is to 80 yards apiece. and instead of the
old clumsy methods of unloading them,
a steam pillow is drawn from end to end
of the whole vestibuled train, thus i'm
reason the steam shovels can do but
little in dirt, but they work steadily in
rock and in the harder ground. There
were some rs 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, $4,000 cubic yards;
in September, 291, 900 cubic yards, and in
October. $4,000 cubic yards. In October
new records were established for the
output of individual shovels as well as
for the tonnage haul of individual loco
motives. / hope to see the growth of a
different shovel and locomotive crews,
just such 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. In
one place the entire side of hill had
been taken out recently by q tons of
dynamite, which We're exploded at one
blast. At another place l was given a
presidential salute of q charges of dyna-
mite. 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 100 feet farther. Through
out the cut the drilling, blasting, shovel
ing and hauling are going on with con-
stantly increasing energy, the huge
shovels being pressed up, as If they were
mountain howitzers, into the most un-
likely looking places, where they eat
their way into the hillsides.
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
to the efficiency of General Manager
Bierd, the saving in time and cost, has
been noteworthy. My examination tend
had doubtless necessarily become over
developed, and could now be reduced or
subordinated without impairment of eff
cheney and with a saving of cost. The
chairman of the commission, Mr.. Shonts
has all matters of this kind constantly
in view, and is now recognizing the gov
eminent of the zone, so as to make the
and less expensive, subordinating every
thing to direct efficiency with view to
the work of the canal commission. From
time to time changes of this kind will I'M
doubtedly have to be made, for Ii must
be remembered that in this giant work
of construction, ii Is continually neces-
sary to develop departments or bureaus,
1t x,;f for he 3r.a hi.