New-York tribune., 1906-12-18

engineers will make the final and conclusive ex-
| eminations as TO the exact site for each lock-
Meanwhile the work is going ahead without o
break
| The Culebra cut does not offer such great
/ risks: that is. the damage liable to occur from
occasional land slips viii not represent what
merely call for intelligence, perseverance and
executive capacity. IL is however, the work
upon which most labor will have 70 be spent
The dams will be composed OF the earth taken
OUT or the cut, and very possibly the building
OF the locks and dams will take even longer than
the cutting in Culebra itself.
The main work Is now being done in the
CuIebra cut. 1t striking and impressive
to see the huge steam shoves IN full play. the
dumping trains carrying
In Culebra away the rock and earth
Gut they diSlOdged The I'M
plements of French ex-
cavating machinery. which often stand little
way from the line 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 plOughs. which are now
IN use This represents the enormous advance
that has been made in machinery during the laSr
| quarter of a century. No doubt quarter or q
century hence this new machinery. Of which we
are now proud. will similarly seem out OF
date, but IL Is certainly serving its purpose we
now The old French ears had 70 be entirely
discarded. We still have in use few OF me
more modern, but not most modern, cars when
hold but twelve yards OF earth. They can 90
employed on certain lines with sharp curves
Dul Ine recent cars hold from tWSnJy-uNe "
thirty yards apiece, and instead OF the OLD
clumsy methods OF unloading them, a steam
plough Is drawn from end TO end Of the whols
vestibuled train, thus immensely economizins
labor. In the rainy season the steam shoveS
can do but little in dirt. but they work steadily
In rock and in the harder ground. There wers
some twenty-five at work during the time
was on the isthnus. and their tremendous
power and efficiency were most impressive.
AS soon the type OF canal was decided TINS
work began In good earnest The rainy season
VIII shortly be over and then there will Do an
immense increase in the
New Records for amount taken out; but
Excavation. even during the last three
months IN the rainy sea-
son. steady progress Is shown by the hSureS:c IL
august. 242.0o0 cubic yards; In SEPTEMBER. ~,
ooo cubic yards. and in October. S2oOV cuo9
yards In October new records we're eStaonSnea
for the output OF individual shevels as wen Is
for the tonnage haul OF individual ioeomou,vs.s'
hope 10 see the growth OF healthy sp,ri. %
emulation between the different shovel anu , Iouo
motive crews Just such spirit as mas sfowr w,
on our battleships between the diuereIit 81. su
crews IN matters OF marksnansnip fass's ass 70
through the cut the amount or new VIZ a,a st5a
seen at glance. In place the elieiIo - -
or hill had been taken out reeehtS oS ,cSsd az
seven tons OF dynamite. which were eNp4o 1rasi-
one blast. At another place was siest1 "a ,r,i,e
Dental salute OF twenty-one charseS W - ,,rsn,
On the top notch Of the Culehra cut tno ne rcanaI
is now as wide as it will be; all toIa. s,s 80 a0O
bed at this point has now been sunx ao x,S ~
fsse below what ft originally wss ~