The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-05-23

power of 80, 900 horse power to work the |
dredges and transport the barges
After the upper mass or seven miles |
of the Culebra cut had been cleared the
lower cut would be operated in the
same way, the spoils always being
dumped into the Lake of Gamboa.
Now let us consider the difference
between the cubic output with the dry
and wet methods SO far, since the
Americans started work at Panama in
1904, they have removed 100000 cubic
yards in round figures. With the wet
method, even with the minimum re-
suit of 1000 cubic yards each twenty
four hours, a return of 30,000,000 cubic
yards would be produced each year.
The 26OOOO,OOO cubic yards of the main
cut would be removed in eight and
one-half years and the completed
straits would be thrown open to the
public in ten and one-half years. al
ways given four or five years for the
installation of dams and locks.
FEWER MEN NEEDED.
"Then compare the number of work.
men required by the two different meth
DDS. At present 10000 men are toiling
on the isthmus. With the wet system
an average Of only 1000 would be need
ed to manipulate the dredges, tend the
barges, the locks, repair shops and cleo
trical plants
"The cost of the straits 600 feet wide
at sea level, 500 feet at bottom level and
50 feet deep-that is, the cost of fifteen
years work and the removal of 100000,
600 cubic yards-would be $780, 000
And this is an extremely conservative
estimate. Compare it to the $3.50 100000
voted by congress for the present lock
canal, 45147, 900 of which have already
been expended with such insignificant
results, Also compare the price of the
straits to the price of the lockless sea-
level canal which the American COM
mission in 1905 estimated at $900,000,0O0
with twenty-five years work. Then
again, compare the straits excavated
in the wet at $15O,OOOOOO to the straits
excavated in the dry at nine times
that figure
zone of the greatest advantages of
the straits is that they could be thrown
open in the form of a provisional lock
canal three or four years after the work
is begun. The transit demands only $50
feet width, so that, with the straits
proposed width of 900 feet sea level, il
is seasily seen that there would be
ample spoce for vessels to pass while
the dredging and stone breaking coulC
continue uninterruptedly.
BREAKING ROCK UNDER WATER
why has America persisted il
choosing the hardest way out of he
= difficulty? Because her engineers hav
blindly refused to admit that rock cal
be broken under water and dredget
cheaper than it can be excavated. TIL
: isthmian canal commission of 1901 stat
ed in it's report that the cost of break
+ ing rock under water was $4.75 pc
Il cubic yard. In 1905 the consultin
board lowered this cost to $3.50. Nov
If as far fack as 1885 1 broke rock undo
n water at the cost of $1.20 per cub
e yard and then the work was don
- with the most rudimentary tools. Now
# adays, with the improved Lobnitz roc
10 breakers used at Suez and Mancheste
10 the cost of breaking is from IS to
rt cents per cubic yard or say 40 cent
$. including dredging and hauling. Con
r. pare this to the $3.50 per cubic yaI
ne estimated by the American commissio
in for the same work.
c. But in spite of this stupendous e.
in ror of the engineers, the American n;
Id ton will eventually view the questio
it in its true light Although the
I canal may be completed at the end
IS, the stipulated ten years, the cost wi
so undoubtedly be much higher than Il
ry original estimate and there will alwa!
on be the danger that the locks will l
Sc swept away by some earthquake
lp damaged by some shock. 1 well kno
how far from immune that countT
is. Then all their work will have I
@ be done over again.
g. CHARLES DE LESSEPS VIEWS.
Cd with the straits there would be n
ne works of art inviting destruction frol
IN the elements, no locks as on summit
k level canals, no tidal gates as on tn
n sea-level canals, The masonry daI
lg which would be used to transform tn
ne high valley of the Chagres river int
III the Lake of Gamboa would virtual
in disappear, for it must be remembers
Ill that the vast deposit would raise IL
lis lakes bottom.
THE straits, such as conceive ther
es would have more the character of a nj
Ike tural river such as the Thomas I
ee London bridge, and 1t would have Il
n width of the Thames at that point.
he would be an immense thoroughfai