Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-23
WORK ON THE PANAMA CANAL
REPORT OF OPERATIONS IN
NOVEMBER.
Increase in Excavation on the Guile
bra and Chagres Divisions
Relocating the Railway. e.

The detailed report of operations on the
Panama canal for the month of November
mas just been received from the commits
sion on the isthmus. and contains the fol.
lowing OF general interest:
The excavation in this division during
the month was 1905 cubic yards. as
against S34.499 cubic yards in the month
of October. 1907. and 221 .642 cubic yards
in the month of November, 1905. from
which 1t will be seen that the total exca-
walton during last month was approxi-
nately 31s times that for the correspond
ing month in 1905. and that the average
output per steam shovel was about "A per
cent greater. OF the amount excayated.
6' per cent was rock and SO per cent
eartn; the average number OF steam
shovels working during the month was
4l.SI. against 20.46 fort he corresponding
month In 1906. There were but twenty.
-FOUR working days in the month, and the
average excavation per shovel per month
was ls.S22- cubic yards. against 1O.s33
CUBIC yards per shovel in 1906. There
were during the month u.s. IA holes drill
ed. and In the blasting operations 12s1a
tons of explosives were used; 1913 miles
OF new track were laid and AS miles of
old track removed -
Chagres division: The total amount ex-
cavated from the prism was 440i4 cubic
yards, against 25.627 cubic yards for the
month of October. About 5000 feet of
track were laid in this division during the
month.
Colon division: There were five dredges
at work during the month. and total OF
42I,5l2 cubic yards were removed, against
426,2S2 cubic yards in the month OF Oc-
tober. The new suction dredge, Ancon,
alone removed 81 900 cubic yards.
Work was continued at Mindi, where 40
DOB cubic yards were removed and 12,175
feet of drilling were accomplished.
Gatun locks: Nine hundred and forty
nine and four-tenths feet were drilled at
this lock site. and the five shovels work
ing here excavated 121.6SJ cubic yards,
an average of 1,04S cubic yards per day
Gatun dam and spillway: Two shovels
worked throughout the month on the
spliiway site. excavating 4O9S7 cubic
yards of material and during the month
2U2 piles were driven. The trestle on the
upper toe of the dam was practically
completed. and the lower trestle was COM
pleted between the French canal and the
spillway.
La Boca division-365, 4423 cubic yards
were removed by dredging and S.1pO
cubic yards Of rock were removed by
steam shovels. At the lock site a total of
pounds of dynamite were used to bresS
up rhe material ahead OF the steam
shovels.
Relocation OF the Panama railroad-of
the twelve temporary connection tracks
from the operated line to the relocated
line, six connections have been COM
pleted, and are in use. During the month
2l.ool cubuic yards of material were ex-
e cs and l4oo 4o3 cubic yards were
pioced in embankment. Trestles were
completed for all of the filling UP to
Gatun. During the month 5000 feet Of
permanent track were laid, making a total
OF 22,5I77 lineal feet laid to date.
Mechanical Division 1.-THE prfncinaI fea
n Ifx-get
the month weer the installation Of ma
chinery in the new shops at Empire and
Paradise. completion of three pile drivers.
one spreader three Lidgerwood unloaders,
of three track spreaders. three Lidger-
wood unloads, and five forty-hve- ton
steam shovels. and 100000 gallon tank
at Gatun; installation of three electric
cranes at Empire shops: installation of
boiler plant at Gorgona. and completion
or boiler plants at Empire and Rio
Grando; operation of foundry at Gorgona.
which produced 341, 927 pounds of brass
and iron castings.
Division of building and construction:
During the month forty-one new build
ings were constructed and repairs were
made to 131 buildings. and seven old build.
ings were demolished.
Department of labor. quarters and sub
sstence: During the month there was a
decrease in the force of commission en-
ployes. while the Panama railroad force
remained stationary. Less tnan 500 con-
tract laborers. Europeans and West In
dams. were received during the month.
Fewer men were recruited in the United
tSates than at any time since March, 1905,
and the decreased demand for skilled la
Dor has permitted the withdrawal of one
of the three labor agents in the United
States. There are now 905 families of gold
employees in the commission quarters. and
nearly 1000 bachelors.
Post office revenues: The money order
sales were the highest on record. aggre-
eating 1881. 561. 10, an increase of S29, 6O3 81
over the sales for October.
Fire department: Three fires in the canal
zone were reported during the month,
none of which resulted in material dam
age Regular drills with the volunteer fire
companies were continued, and the prop
erty of the comm ssion and the Panama
railroad were periodically inspected.
Division of schools: The present force
embraces 10 teachers for white children
and IS teachers for colored children. In
the schools for white children there are
2O.3 pupils enrolled for each teacher, and
in the schools for colored children. A6
children for each teacher. A general ex-
animation at the close of the month in
dicates that the progress made since the
opening of the schools at the beginning
of October has ben satisfactory.
Water system: The average daily con-
sumption of water in the city OF Panama
during November was 715,367 gallons, and
in Colon IoS,ooo gallons.
Sanitary department.: The decrease in
the death and sick rates noted in Octo-
Der continued during November. the
deaths for the two months being. re-
spectively. 217 and 267. Among the white
employees there was an annual death rate
of 1876 per thousand. as compared with
1I..O5 for October. Among the colored
employees the figures for the same months
were. respectively. 22.I7 an 1922. For all
employees the figures were 2217 and 25.9I.
respectively. Taking the total population.
including employees and non-employes. in
Panama. Colon and the canal zone, the
annual death rate in November was 2S.S8
per thousand, and in October, 30. 10. The
sick rate also shows a marked improve
ment. being in November 2O.49 daily per
thousand. and in October $3.50. Compar-
ing the figures for November. 1907, with
those for the corresponding month in
1906. the annual death rate was 20.66 per
thousand for all employees this year, as
compared with 30.61 per thousand last
year. The isthmus has been free from
yellow fever for more than eighteen
months. The figures indicate that there
has been steady and continued i'm
provement in the health conditions on the
iSthmus,