Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-12-17

the iSthmuS believe that this prODlem
is certain of solution along the lines
although, Of course, it ne
cessitates great toll, energy and intelli-
gence, and although equally, of course, i
there will be some little risk in con,
nection with the work. The risk arises 1
from the fact that some Of the mate
rial 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
we will have what is practically a low,
broad, mountain ridge behind which !
will rise the inland lake. This artif-
cial mountain will probably show less
seepage, that is. will have greater re-
straining capacity than the average
natural mountain range. The exact To-
cality of the locks at this dam-as at
the other dams-is now being deter
mined. In April next Secretary Taft,
with three of the ablest engineers Of
the country-Messrs Noble, Stearns
and Ripley-will visit the isthmus, and
the three engineers will make the final
and conclusive examinations as to the
exact site far 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 slips will
not represent what may be called ma
ior disasters. The work will merely
call for intelligence, perseverance and
executive capacity. 1t Is, however, the
work upon which most labor will have
to be spent. The dams will be com
posed 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. e.. ~%,s~ =,
Main Work at cuIebra. +,
The main work is now being done In
the Culebra cut. 1t was striking and
Impressive to see the huge steam shov-
els in full play, the dumping trains car
rying away the rock and earth they
dislodged. 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 were some
twenty-five at work during the time ]
was on the isthmus and their tremen-
dous power and efficiency were most
impressive. s 2. s ,3s. 81 81.
4 AS soon as the type of canal was de-
cided this work began in good earnest
The rainy season will shortly be over
and then there will be an immense in
crease in the amount taken out; but
even during the last three months, in
the rainy season, steady progress is
shown by the figures: In August 240;
900 cubic yards, in September 100000
cubic yards and in October 325, 900
cubic yards. 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 re-
Gently by twenty-seven tons of dyna-
mite, which were exploded at one
blast. On the top notch Of the Culebra
cut the prism is now as wide as 1t
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. Throughout the cut the drill
Ing, blasting, shoveling and hauling
are going on with constantly increas-
ing energy, the huge shovels being
pressed UP, as IL they were mountain
howitzers, into the most unlikely look
ing places. where they eat their way
into the hillsides. Il ar '<."'
Critics and Doubling Thomases.
1t is not only natural, but inevita-
Bile, that a work as gigantic as this
which has been undertaken on the
isthmus should arouse every species
of hostility and criticism. The condi-
tions are SO new and SO trying and
| the work SO vast that it would be alb.
solutely out of the question that mis-,
takes should not be made. Checks
will occur. Unforeseen difficulties will
/ arise. From time to time seemingly
/ well settled plans will have to be
changed. At present 5000 men are
4 engaged on the task. After while
the number will be doubled. In sucf
q multitude It is Inevitable that there
! should be here and there a scoundrel
1s5FSFy Inauy Oh IuS poorer. CLASS OF III
borers lack the mental development tt
4 protect themselves against either Thu
rascality OF others or their own foil,
4 and it Is not possible for human wis
dom to devise plan by which the.
can Invariably be: protected. In I
place which has been for ages a by
word for unhealt hfulness and with s,
q large congregation Of strangers sud
Il denly put down and set to hard worl
there will now and then be outbreaks
4 of disease. There will now and thel
Il be shortcomings in administration
Il there will be unlocked for accident
Il to delay the excavation OF the cut o
the building OF the dams and locks
Each such incident will be entireI
b natural and even though serious, n
one OF them will mean more than
q little extra delay or trouble. Ye
each, when discovered by sensatio
/ mongers and retailed to timid folk 4
i little faith. VIII serve as an excuse ID
i the belief that the whole work is b,
i ing badly managed. Experiments Wi
continually be tried In housing b.
4 giene, In street REPAIRING. I'M dredgin