The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-18

which often stand q little way from the hne
OF work. though Of excellent construction;
look like the veriest toys when compared
with these new steam shovels. just as the
French dumping cars seem like toy cars
when compared with the long trains OF
huge cars, dumped by steam ploughe, which
are now in use. This represents the enor-
nous advance that has been made in ma
chinery during the last quarter OF a CEN
tury. No doubt a quarter OF a century
hence this new machinery Of which we are
now so proud will similarly seem out OF
date, but IL is certainly serving its purpose
well now. The old French cars had 20 be
entirely discarded. We still nave in use a
few Of the more modern, but not most
modern cars. which hold but twelve yards
Of earth. They can be employed on GER
tain lines with sharp curves. Blu the re-
cent cars hold from twenty-five to thirty
yards apiece, and instead Of the old clumsy
methods Of unloading them, q steam plough
vestibuled train, thus immensely econ
omizing labor. 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 l was on the lethmus,
and their tremendous power and efficiency
were most impressive.
NEW o o EXCAVATION.
As soon as the type Of canal was decided
LnlH WOTk D6Rdl III kOOu odTuccts lut
rainy season will shortly be over and then
there will be- an Immense increase in the
amount taken out; but ever during the
last three months, in the rainy season;
steady progress is shown by the figures:
In August, 242,0 900 cubic yards; in Septem-
Der. 29l 900 cubic yards, and in October.
325 900 cubic yards. In October new records
were established for the output OF indi-
vidual shovels, as well as for the tonnage
haul OF individual locomotives. l hope to
see the growth OF q healthy spirit OF emu
lation between the different shovel and
locomotive crews, just u a spirit as has
grown on our b~attleships between the
different gun crews in matters Of marks
msnship. 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 twenty-seven
tons Of dynamite, which were exploded at
one blast. At another place l was given a
Presidential salute Of twenty-one charges
Of dynamite. On the top notch OF the
Culebra cut the prism is now as vide as
it will be; all told, the canal bed at this
point has now been Junk about 200 feet
below what it originally was. 1t will have
TO be sunk about 100 feet further. Through
out the cut the drilling, blasting, shovelling
and hauling are going on With constantly
pressed up, as il they were mountain
howitzers, into the most unlikely looking
places, where they eat their way into the
hillsides.
AILwA IMPROVEMENTS.
The most advanced methods, not only In
construction but in railroad la cement,
a v been applied in the Zone, with CORE
spending 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 cost
has been noteworthy. My examination
tended to show that some of he depart
ments had doubtless necessarily become
overdeveloped and could now be reduced
or subordinated without impairment of
efficiency 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 r~eorganlzlng the govern
ment OF the Zone, so as to make the form of
administration both more flexible and less
EXP ensive. subordinating everything to
direct efficiency with a view to the work OF
The Canal Commission. From time TO time
changes of this kind will undoubtedly have
to be made, for it must be remembered that
in this giant work of construction it is con-
tinually necessary to develop departments
or bureaus which are vital for the time
being but which soon become useless;
Just as it will be continually necessary to
put up buildings, and even to erect towns,
which in ten years will once more give place
10 Jungle, or will then be at the bottom Of
the great lakes at the ends of the canal.
CRITICS N T THoMAsEs.
1t is not only natural, but inevitable,
that a work as gigantic as this which has
been undertaken on the Isthmus should
arouse every species OF hostility and criti-
cism. The conditions are so new and 30
trying, and the work so vast, that il would
be absolutely 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 ave to be changed. At present
5000 men are engaged on the task; After
a while the number will be doubled. In
such a multitude it is inevitable that there
should be here and there a scoundrel. Very
many of the poorer class OF laborers lack
the mental development to protect them
selves against either the rascality Of others
or their own folly, and il is not possible for
human wisdom to devise a plan by which
they can invariably be protected. In q
place which has been for ages a byword for
unhealthfulness and with so large a con-
gregation Of strangers suddenly put down
and set to hard work there will now and
now and then be shortcomings ! n admins
t~ration; there will be unlocked for acci-
dents to delay the excavation OF the cut
or the building Of the dams and locks. Each
such incident will be entirely natural. and,
even though serious, no one OF them will
mean more than a little extra delay or
trouble. Yet each, when discovered by SEN
sation monger and retailed TO timid folk OF
little faith, will serve as an excuse for the
belief that the whole work is being badly
managed. Experiments viii continually
be tried in housing, in hygiene, in street
repairing, in dredging and in digging earth
| and rock. Now and then an experiment
will be a failure; n among those who hear
Of it a certain proportion OF doubling
Thomases will at once believe that the
whole work ia a failure. Doubtless here
and there some minor rascality will be
uncovered; but as to this, l have to say
that after the most painstaking inquiry
l have been unable to find a single reputable
person who had so much as heard of any
serious accusations affecting the honesty
Of the commission or of any responsible
officer under it. I append a letter dealing
with the most seriou charge, that Of the
ownership Of lots in Colon; the charge
was not advanced by a reputable man
and is utterly baselees, 1t is not too much
to say that the whole atmosphere Of the
commission breathes honesty as it breathes
efficiency and energy. Above all, the
work has been kept absolutely clear Of
politics. I have never heard even a sugges-
ton Of spoils politics in connection with it.
/ nave investigated every complaint
| brought to me for which there seemed
to be any shadow Of foundation. In two
or three cases, all of which / have indicated
in the course Of this message, I came to the
conclusion that there was foundation for
the complaint and that the methods of the
Oommission in the naspacf OOmDlainad