The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-12-20

on the isthmus. which Is performed by |
from one country with black skin
or by aliens from another country
with a yellow skin our business is
quickly as possible. provided always
that nothing Is done that is inhumane
to any leborers. and nothing that in
the standard OF living OF our own
workmen. Having in view this prin-
ciple, ! have arranged to try several
slrable both because we must try TO
find out what laborers are most eff
Gent; and; furthermore; because we
should not leave ourselves at the
mercy of any one type OF foreign
labor. At present the great bulk of
the unskilled labor on the isthmus IS 4
from Jamaica. Barbados. and the other
English possessions, one of the gov
ernors of the lands in question has
shown an unfriedly disposit' 81 to our
work and has thrown obstacles In the
way OF our getting the labor needed :
and " 10 highly undesirah HE 10 give
any outsiders the impression, however
i'll founded, that they are indspensa-
BILE 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
men, as skilled mechanics. as police
ordinary dav lahorers are also good,
But thousands of those who are
brought over under contract Cat our
eXpensc) go off into the jungle to live.
or loaf around Colon, or work so bad
" after the HrSt three or four davs
as to cause a serious diminution of
the amount of labor performed on Fri
day and Saturday of each week. ]
questioned many of these Jamaica
laborers as to the conditions of their
work and what. III any changes. they
wished. l received many complaints
from them. but as regards most of
these complaints they themselves CON
iruA lot ar1Tt In al
where the complaint was as to their
treatment by any individual IT proved
on examination that this individual
was himself a West India man of color.
either a policeman. a storekeeper. or
an assistant storekeeper. Doubtless
there must be many complaints against
Americans but those to whom / spoke
did not happen to make any such com
plant to me.
Work Of Construction.
The work is now going on with
vigor and efficiency pleasant to wit
ness. The three big problems of the
dam. and the CuIebra 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
lem, the bottom material being so
ty. not merely as to what can be
achieved. but as 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
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
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. II the huge
IA a nj tod
| across from one foothill to the other
| 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
| cality of the locks at this dam--as at
the other dams-is now being de-
termned. In April next Secretary
Taft, with three of the ablest engin-
| GERS of the country-Messrs. Noble.
Stearns and Ripley-will visit the
isthmus. and the three eng neers will
make the final and conclusive exami-
| nations as to the exact site for each
| 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 maj or dis
asters. The work will merely call for in
| telligence perseverance, and executive
capacity II is, however, the work upon
| which most labor VIII nave 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 Cuebra cut. 1t was striking and
impressive to see the huge steam shoves
in full play. the dumping trains carrying
away the rock and earth they dlslodged.
The implements OF French excavatinR
machinery, which often stand a 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
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 a cen
fury. No doubt quarter OF century
hence this new machinery. of which we
are now proud, win similarly seem oul
OF date, but it is certainly serving Its
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 hole
but II yards of earth. They can be EN-
ployed on certain lines with sharI
curves But the recent cars hold from
% to 30 yards apiece, and instead of the
old clumsy methods of unloading them
n steam pillow is drawn from end to enc
OF the whole vestibuled train, thus i'm
mensely economzng labor. In the rainy
reason the steam shovels can do bu
little in dirt. but they work steadily II
rock and in the harder ground There
were some % at work during the time
was on the isthmus. and their tremendous
power and efficiency We're most impress
sive.
New Records for Excavation.
As soon as the type OF canal was de
Cided this work began in good earnest
The rainy season will shortly be over an,
then there will be an immense increase II
the amount taken cut; but even during
the last three months, in the rainy sea
son. steady progress is shown by thu
igures In August, 24200O cubic yards
i'm September. g9l ,0C0 cubic yards, and il
October, 325,O 900 cubic yards. In Octobe
new records We're established for thu
output of individual shoNels as well a
for the tonnage haul of individual loco
motives. | hope to see the growth of
healthy spirit of emulation between thu
different shovel and locomotive crews
lust such n spirit as has grown on on
battle ships between the different gun
crews in matters Of craftsmanship
/ Passing through the cut the amount o
. new work can he seen at glance, Ii
one place the entire side of hill hat
been taken out recently by q tons o
dynamite, which We're exploded at on
blast. At another place was given
presidential salute of p charges of dyna