The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-07

and test borings are being made in all
important localities; yet it has not been
decided, whether the canal is to be a
sea-level waterway, or whether it shall
have an elevated section, with locks
across the high ground of the isthmus.
The settling Of innumerable minor
points rests on this main decision, and
until the commission itself knows what
it will do, the public must await more
definite information! t
r.: The actual new work on the canal
began in the summer Of 1904. To one
engineering corps was given the work
of completing and deepening the north
ern end sof;the canal covering six miles,
up to the: point where the canal en-
counters tie Chagres. river. They also
have in charge the dredging of the
harbor Of Colon and the erection of
breakwaters for its protection. The
second bodyof engineers control the
territory from the junction: with the
riNa at Gatun on the Bohio,. including
the possible erection Of q dam at Gatun.
Their chief work is the choice of a
route, as, the old digging here is quite
serpentine, and new and shorter way
is .plann ed: The third set. of engineers
has in charge the proposed great dam
at Bohio, and they have been making
borings all along the river. in that
vicinity to test the bed rock. The
| fourth party of engineers governs the
|. continental divide, at the summit Of, the
| Corderillas, the proposed dams at Gam
boa and Alhajuela, and a possible seven
mile tunnel for carrying off surplus
water to the Atlantic. The Culebra cut
was assigned to the fifth party of en-
| gineers. The work beyond on the Pa
cifc side, together with the terminal
| harbor facilities at La Boca, was placed
! in charge Of the sixth engineering
corps.
The dams erected on the Chagres are
to serve double purpose. 1t has been
| figured that the Gamboa dam alone will
yield minimum of $4,000 horsepower
and that during most Of the year &c..
! source. By erecting the dams with as
/ little delay as possible, and installing
turbines and dynamos, electric power
can be delivered to operate machinery
all along the canal. Nor is this all. A
line Of great are lights can be hung
from ocean to ocean, enabling the con
/ tractors to operate with two or even
! three shifts of men, thus expediting the
work materially. Night is better than
day for labor in that torrid cline.
In the various departments of SAM
tary preparation and construction there
were 1920 men employed at the time OF
my visit. The pay rolls Of the commits
sion contained 1880 names in. Sep
Etember.
The workmeH now employed on the
job constitute but fraction of the
total that must eventually be employed
as when operations are in full blast
! about $4,000 men will be required. The
1 principal source Of labor supply thus
far has been Jamaica, but the. com
!, mission intends to draw upon Cuba
] and to as large extent as possible, the
Il United States, as the efficiency of The
labor employed in these warmer eli
mates is as low as % per cent, taking
the average laborer in the temperate
}sclimates as a unit, and the supply fal
from equals the>demand.
"a Sea=Level or Lock Canal?
] The engineering problems involve {
4 decision as to whether the canal shall
be at sea level, or whether it shall have
locks, and if so, bow many. The boart
of consulting engineers voted Nov. Il
lin favor of recommending sea-leve
/! canal, and it is unofficially reported
]. that they prefer a depth Of forty -fv,
feet; these conditions, if carried thru
will involve a cost Of 100000, 900 NOR,
4 than a lock canal. But the question
must be settled by the decision Of con
gress.
] Cutting thru the swamp land at Sc,