Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1906-12-28


their wives, for with their advent all
complaints about the food and cook
ing are almost sure to cease.
One of the greatest needs at pres
ent is to provide amusements both
for the white men and the black. The
Young Mems Christian association is
trying to do good work and should
be in every way encouraged. But the
government should do the main work.
l have specifically called the atten-
tion of the commission to this matter.
and something has been accomplished
already Anything done for the well
| fare of the men adds to their eff
cheney, and money devoted to that
purpose is therefore properly to be
considered as spent in building the
canal 1t Is imperatively necessary
| to provide ample recreation and
amusement If the men are to be kept
well and healthy. ! call the special
| attention of congress to this need
have dealt with the hygienic con.
ditions which make it possible to en-
ploy a great force of laborers, and
| with the task of gathering housing
and feeding these laborers. There re-
mains to consider the actual work
which has to be done; the work be-
cause of which these laborers are
gathered together-the work of con-
structing the canal
Our people found on the isthmus a
certain amount of old French mater.
ial and equipment which could be
used Some of it. in addition, could
be sold as scrap iron. Some could be
used for furnishing the foundation for
filling in. For much no possible use
could be devised that would not cost
more than it would bring in.
Work of Construction.
The work is now going on with a
vigor and efficiency pleasant to wit.
ness. The three big problems of the
canal are the La Boca dams, the Ca
tun dam, and the Culebra cut. The
Culebra cut must me made,s anyhow;
but of course changes as to the dams,
or at least as to the locks adjacent
to the dams, may still occur. The La
Boca dams offer no particular prob.
lem, the bottom material being so
good that there is a practical certain.
ty, not merely as to what can be
achieved, but as to the time of
achievement. The Gatun dam offers
the most serious problem which we
have to solve; and yet the ablest men
on the isthmus believe that this prob
lem is certain of solution along the
. lines proposed
| 1nIzy
/ great risks. The damage liable to oc
cur from occasional land slips will moi
represent what may be called major
disasters. The work will merely cal
for intelligence, perseverance and ex
: ecutive capacity. 1t is, however, the
8 work upon which most labor will have
= to be spent. The dams will be com
[ posed of the earth taken out of tn,
D cut and very possibly the building O
0 locks and dams will take even long
t er than the cutting In Culebra itself
0 The main work is now being don
0 in the Culebra cut. 1t was stril1in
r and impressive to see the huge stean
n shovels in full play, the DUMPING
trains carrying away the rock an,
earth they dislodged.
r The rainy season will shortly b
over and then there will be an in
i, mense increase in the amount take
e out; but even during the last thre
h months, in the rainy season, stead
a progress is shown by the figures:
e August, 242,000 cubic yards; in Ser
4 tember, POI 900 cubic yards, and i
e October, 325,00O cubic yards In OC
tober new records were establishes
n for the output of individual shovel
s as well as for the tonnage haul c
d individual locomotives. I hope to sc
n the growth of a healthy spirit of en-
i. ulation between the different shove
q and locomotive crews, just such
IS spirit as has grown on our battleship
v between the different gun crews
r. matters of craftsmanship. On til
" top notch of the Culebra cut th
" prism is now as wide as it will be
10 all told, the canal bed at this poiI
g has now been sunk about 200 feet b,
d low what it originally was. 1t wi
l. have to be sunk 130 feet farther.
Railway improvements.
n The most advanced methods, NJ
n only in construction but in railroa
1t management, have been applied
f. the zone, with corresponding econ
a. mics in time and cost. This has bee
g shown in the handling of the tonlas
ID from ships into cars and from cal
e into ships on the Panama railroad.
y 1t is not only natural, but inevitab
a. that work as gigantic as this whio
Of has been undertaken on the isthml
l. should arouse every species of host
e. ity and criticism. The conditions al
le so new and so trying, and the wol
ID so vast that it would be absolute
b. out of the question that mistake
ID should not be made. Checks will 0
h cur, Unforeseen difficulties will aris
~ From time to time seemingly we
at settled plans will have to be change
IS Ar nrasant o5 000 man are anpoped &