The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-12-03
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ner IN March last John E. Stevens,
chairman OF the commission and chief
engineer, resigned, and the commits
sion WAS reorganiZed and constituted
as follows: Lieutenant Colonel George
w. Cocktails, corps Of engineers, Unit
! ed States army, chairman and chief en-
gineer; Major D. d. Gaillard, corps Of
engineers, United States army; Major
| William L. Sibert, corps of engineers.
United States army; Civil Engineer H.
Fl. Rousseau, United States navy; j.
G. S. Blackburn; Colonel w. G. Gorgas,
United States army. and Jackson
Smith, commissioners. This change Of
authority and direction went into eff
feet on April without causing a per-
ceptible check to the progress Of the
work. In March the total excavation
in the Culebra cut, where effort was
chiefly concentrated, was S15,270 cubic
yards. In April this was increased to
S79,527 cubic yards. There was con-
siderable decrease iii the output for
May and June owing partly to the adj
vent OF the rainy season and partly to
ell men over the question Of wages.
This trouble was settled satisfactorily
to all parties, and in July the total ex-
cavation advanced materially, and in
August the grand total from all points
in the canal prism by steam shovels
and dredges exceeded all previous
United States records, reaching 1874
4O4 cubic yards. In September this
record was eclipsed, and total Of
1,517,412 cubic yards was removed OF
this amount ], 4S1 ,3O7 cubic yards were
from the canal prism and SO, 105 cubic
yards were from accessory works.
These results were achieved in the
rainy season with a rainfall in August
Of 11.S9 inches and in September Of
11.65 inches. Finally in October the
record was again eclipsed, the total eS
cavation being 1865 729 cubic yards, a
truly extraordinary record, especially
in view Of the heavy rainfall, which
was III inches. In fact experience
during the last two rainy seasons dem
onstrates that the rains are less seri-
GUS obstacle to progress than has hith-
erto been supposed.
Work on the locks and dams at Ga
tun. which began actively in March
last. has advanced so far that it is
thought that masonry work on the
locks can be begun within fifteen
months. In order to remove all doubt
as to the satisfactory character of the
foundations for the locks of the canal
the secretary Of war requested three
eminent civil engineers of special ex-
perience in such construction. Alfred
r. Freeman. to visit the isthmus and
make thorough personal investigations
Of the sites. These gentlemen went to
the isthmus in April and by means of
test pits which had been dug for the
purpose they inspected the proposed
foundations and also examined the
bOrings that had been made. In their
report to the secretary of war under
date Of May 2. 1907. they said. I'VE
found that all of the locks of the di-,
mansions now proposed will rest upon
rock of such character that it will fur
n1sh safe and stable foundation"
Subsequent new bOrings conducted by.
the present commission have fully con-
| firmed this verdict. They show that
the locks will rest on rock for their
entire length. The cross section of the
dam and method of construction will
be such as to insure against any slip
or sloughing of. Similar examinations
nF IN o6cf Of nd
dams on the Pacific side are in prog
ress. believe that the locks should be
made of a width of 1oO feet
Last winter bids were requested and
received for doing the work of canal
construction by, contract. None of
them was found to be satisfactory. and
all were rejected. 1t IS the unanimous
opinion of the present commission that
the work can be done, better, more
cheaply ind more quickly by the gov
eminent than by private contractors.
Fully 80 per cent of the entire plant
needed for construction has been pur-
chased or contracted for Machine
shops have been erected and equipped
for making all needed repairs to the
plant, many thousands of employees
have been secured. an effective organ.
ization has been perfected. recruiting
system is IN operation which Is capa-
bic Of furnishing more labor than can
be used advantag eously, employees are
well sheltered and we'll fed, salaries
paid are satisfactory and the work is
not only goiyg forward smoothly. but
it IS producing results far in advance
of the most sanguine anticipations.
Under these favorable conditions
change in the method of prosecuting
the work would be unwise and unjus.
tifable. for it would inevitably disor
ganize existing conditions, check prog
ress and increase the cost and lengthen
the time of completing the canal.
The chief engineer and all his pro-
fessional associates are firmly con-
vinced that the eightyf1ve feet level
lock canal which they are constructing
is the best that.could be desired. Some
Of them had doubts on this point when
they went to the isthmus. AS the
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