Oxford eagle., 1906-12-20

American workinsman in the United
states has no concern whatever in the
question as to whether the rough work
on the isthmus, which H. performed by
aliens IN any event. IL done by aliens
from one country with a black skin
or by aliens from another country
with a yellow skin. our business Is
quickly as possible: provided always
that nothing IL done that is inhumane
to any iaborerr, and nothing that in
the standard OF of ilvins f of % our own own
workmen. Having In view this prin-
ciple. ! have arranged to try several
thousand Chinese laborcrs. This is de-
sirable both because we must try to
nnd out what laborcrs are most en-
Gent and furthermore. because we
should not leave ourselves at the
mercy of any one type OF foreign
labor. Al present the great bulk OF
the unskilled labor on the isthmus IL
done by West India negroes. chiefly
English possessions. one Of the gov
ernors Of the lands In question has
shown an unfriediy disposition TO our
work and has thrown obstacles in the
way OF our getting the labor needed;
and ~ tS hlvhiv undesirable 20 give
any outsiders the impression. however
III founded. that they are tndispensa-
bic and can dictate terms to us.
The West India labcrers are fairly,
but only fairly. satisfactory. Some OF
the men do very well indeed; the bet
ter class, who are to he found as fore
men. as skilled mechanics. as police
men. are good men. and many OF the
nra'n.ry dav labcrers are also good.
But thousands Of those who are
brought over under contract (at our
cxpensel 60 OF into the jungle to live.
or ioaf around Colon. or work so bad
W aNer tho ar~t three ~ four dava
as to cause "A serious diminutlon 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. N any changes. they
wished ! received many complaints
these complaints they themselves con-
tradicted one another In all cases
where the complaint was as TO their
treatment by any individual II proved
on examination that this individual
was himself West india man of color.
either policeman a storckeeper. or
an assistant storekceper. Doubtless
there must be many complaints against
Americans. bat those 20 whom I spoke
did mot happen 60 make any such com
plaint to me.
Work Of Construction.
The work q. now going on with n
NiEor and efficiency pleasant TO wit
ness The three big problems OF the
dam. and the culebra cut. The Guile
bra cut must be made. anyhow. but
y course changes as 10 the dams. or
AZ least a. 20 the locks adjacent 20
the dams may stiii occur. The Ia
ftoca dam. oner No particular prob
lem, the bottom material being so
~ not s'- merely a. 20 st' what Ssroa'h can he
achieved. but a- 20 the time OF achieve
rlrnt The datur dam Offers the most
srriuus problem which we have 20
~. uu. believe that this problem IL
e~rtain of solution along the lines
propo.ed. although; OF course. u ne
crssitatfr great toll energy. and in
teiiiEence. and although equally. Of
IN eonnsction 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. n the huge
earth dam now contemplated is thrown
across from one foothill 90 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. viii have greater
restraining capacity than the average
natural mountain range The exact lo-
eality OF the locks at this dam-as at
the other dams-is now being de-
termined In April next Secretary
TAFT. with three Of the ablest enEin-
eers OF the ceuntry-Messrs. Noble.
Stearns and Ripley-wiil visit the
isthmus. and the three engineers will
make the finai and conclusive cxami-
nations as 10 the exact site for 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 win not
represent what may be called major dis
asters. The work Will merely call for In
telligence, perseverance. and executive
capacity. IL 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 CuIebra Cut
The main work is now being done in
the Culebra cut. II was striking and
impressive to see the huge steam shovels
In full play the dumping trains carrying
The implements of French excavating
machinery. which often stand little
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 CEN
tury. No doubt n quarter OF century
hence this new machinery, of which we
are now so proud, will similarly seem out
OF date, but II 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 hold
but IL yards OF earth. They can be em-
pioyed on certain lines with sharp
curves. But the recent cars hold from
25 to % yards apiece. and instead of the
old clumsy methods OF unloading them,
a steam plow is drawn from end to end
Of the whole vestibuled train, thus i'm
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
were some 25 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-
eided this work began in good earnest:
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. 2sl 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 n
healthy spirit OF emulation between the
different shovel and locomotive crews.
just such a spirit as has grown on our
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 hill had
been taken out recently by "a tons OF
dynamite, which were exploded at one
blast. At another place i was given a
presidential salute of 2l charges OF dyna-
mite. On the top notch OF the culebra
cut the prism Is now as wide as il will
be: all told. the canal bed at this point
has now been sunk about 200 feet below
what it originally was. IL will have to
be sunk about 1870 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, IL they were
mountain howitzers. into the most un-
likely looking places. where they eat
their way into the hillsides
Critics and Doubling 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 criticism. The conditions are so new
and so trying. and the work so vast. that
K would be absolutely out of the ques-
tion that mistakes should not be made
Checks win occur. Unforeseen difficulties
will arise. From time to time seemingly
well-settled plans will have to be
changed. At present 5000 men are en-
gagged on the task. After awhile the
number will be doubled. In such mul-
titude it is inevitable that there should
be here and there a scoundrel. Very