The National tribune., 1907-06-27
A Long Job mt Digging.

Since then, however. the revised
plans of the Isthmian Canal Commits
sion call for a total excavation of ILL.,
2S0, 900 cubic yards. of which 102, ,440,
900 cubic yards are for the canal prism.
Dredging at the entrance to the old
canal at Colon for wharf purposes and
in aid of the construction of the Gatun
dam is calculated to require 1,000,00O
cubic yards of excavation. With this
information as basis the long task
ahead is apparent, as MIR. Bishop APP
pendS the record of excavation work
since July, 1904, when this. Government
began to make the dirt fly. Last March
S15.270 cubic yards of dirt anu rock
were taken out, the biggest days work
of that month being on March IA, when
$1,000 cubic yards We're removed. In
July, 1904. 1859 yards We're taken
out; in July, 1905, 1850; and in July,
1906, 157,093 yards.
Up to the first of April the Commits
sion had excavated a total of only 5,7S l.
$50 cubic yards. If force can be got
ten upon the Isthmus capable of eXca-
waiting a million cubic yards a month.
there is 105 months of work ahead of
them, or almost nine years. OF course
the Commissioners expect to eNcavate
much more than million yards Il
month, when more machinery is in
stalled and more laborers are employed.
There are now at work 80 95-ton steam
shovels, 2S T0-ton shovels. and three
Aston shovels. Fifteen 95-ten silovelS
and seven Aston shovels Will he deliv-
cred on the IsthmuS between July and
December of this year. In the last year
and a half 1874 new locomotives have
been delivered on the Isthmus; 22S
steam or pneumatic drills; and 73 ma
chine or well drills. fifteen unloaders.
with 8 more under contract.
Mr.. Bishop marshals the figures of
cost for the canal in a manner which
indicates that the ultimate total will be
far in excess of what. Congress origi-
nally thought it would be-, Outside of
Company and to Panama the canal, by
the act of June %. 1902, was to cost
S145,000, 900. OF that sum S79,68S,-
56S.5S have already been appropriated
by Congress, although the appropria-
ton of $27,161.36T.50 March last is
expected to keep the project under exc
cution till June so, 1908. But by a
will have been expended i'm round num-
bers $4,000, 600 out of the original es-
innate of S145,000. 900.
OF course the canal at that time will
be nowhere near half done, as far as
the American work is concerned. Prob
ably not u quarter of the excavation
will then be completed SO that the cur
half q billion dollars does not appear
to be far out of the way. and no one
can yet tell whether the cost will not be
nearer billion. l-. -
A 25-page manual of information
about the canal has recently been got
ten out. here. 1t is full of interesting
reading about the employees and the
rules and regulations governing life on
the canal strip. The faborcr.; work but
eight hours n day, starting ut I i'll the
morning, quitting at II o'clock for two
hours and then com pieting the last half
OF the day between 1 o'clock and ,
O'Clock There is all sorts of informa-
ton for the guidance of ,those seellin 3
employment on the canal.
Here are a few of the civil service
positions: Axle. turner. aeksmith. car
carpenter, ear wheel borer. clerk and
dispenser, coppersmith. drill runner,
hostler, inferno, sanitary Inspector, tel
egraph operator, and typewriter repair
man. Possibly there is no other single
enterprise under the sun where there
is such Il variety of employment as on
the Isthmian Canal.