Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-03

ner. In March last John +. Stevens,
chairman Of the commission and chief
engineet, 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 ID. d. Gaillard, corps of
engineers, United States army; Major
William L. Sibert, corps of engineers,
United States army; Civil Engineer III.
II. Rousseau, United States navy; ].
c. S. Blackburn; Colonel w. C. Gorgas,
United States army, and Jackson
Smith, commissioners. This change of
authority and direction went into eff
feet on April without causing per-
ceptible check to the progress of the
work. In March the total excavation
in the Culebra cut, where effort was
chiefly concentrated, was S15.2I0 cubic
yards. In April this was increased to
S19,527 cubic yards. There was Il con-
siderable decrease in the output for
May and June owing partly to the ad-
vent of the rainy season and partly to
temporary trouble with the steam shov
ell men over the question of wages.
This trouble was settled satisfactorily
to all parties, and in July the total ex
cayation 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
404 cubic yards In September this
record was eclipsed, and total Of
1,511,412 cubic yards was removed. OF
this amount 1,4Sl 1907 cubic yards were
| from the canal prism and sc, 105 cubic
yards were from accessory works.
| These results were achieved in the
| rainy season with rainfall in August
| of 11.S9 inches and in September of
| 11.65 inches. Finally in October the
record was again eclipsed, the total ex-
| cavation being 1,S6S, 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 a 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
Noble Frederic p Stearns and John
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
nish a safe and stable foundation
: Subsequent new borings conducted by
the present commission have fully con
. firmed this verdict. They show thai
the locks will rest on rock for theil
entire length. The cross section of the
dam and method of construction vii
, be such as to insure against any SliI
or sloughing off. Similar examination:
of the foundations of the locks anG
dams on the Pacific side are in prog
ress. believe that the locks should bt
made of a width of 120 feet.
Last winter bids were requested and
received for doing the work of cana
construction by contract. None o.
them was found to be satisfactory. ant
all were rejected. 1t is the unanimou:
opinion of the present commission tina
the work can be done better, NOR,
cheaply and more quickly by the gov
eminent than by private contractors
Fully so per cent of the entire plan
needed for construction has been par
chased or contracted for. Machin,
shops have been erected and equipped
. for making al needed repairs to tn
plant, many thousands of employee
: have been secured, an effective organ
ization has been perfected, a recruiting
|
BILE of furnishing more labor than cal
be used advantageously. employees ar
u we'll sheltered and well fed, salarie
: paid are satisfactory and the work |
e not only going forward smoothly, bu
t it is producing results far in advanc
= of the most sanguine anticipations
j Under these favorable conditions
: change in the method of prosecute
e the work would be unwise and unjus
]. tifiable. for it would inevitably disol
ganize existing conditions. check pros
q ress and increase the cost and lengthe
~ the time of completing the canal.
i The chief engineer and all his pr,
: fessional associates are firmly col
$ WINGED that the eighty-fve feet lew
!. lock canal which they are constructin
> is the best that could be desired. Som
@ of them had doubts on this point whe
;. they went to the isthmus. AS Ii
q plans have developed under their
Y rection their doubts have been di
+ PEELED While they may decide upo
, | chancrpS in detail as construction n,