The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-25
CANAL SHONTS' TOPIC
Head of Panama Work Tells
What Has Been Done.
FIRT STEP NOW COMPLETED
Task i'm shape Where Any Good Con-
Structive Engineer Can Finish Ii.
Describes, Mt Kansas City Ban
quet, Accomplishments on the
IsthmUs in Year and a Half.


P. Shonts was the principal speaker at
the monthly banquet of the Knife and
Fork Club at the Midland Hotel tonight
After the announcement yesterday Of
Mr.. Sh0nts' resignation as chairman Of
the Isthmian Canal Commission, 1t was
thought that he might have something Of
more than ordinary interest 10 say to-
night in regard TO the new work which
he is about to take up.
Such was not the case, however, the
speaker, with a few exceptions, follow
ing the manuscript prepared before his
resignation was placed in the hands Of
the President
Mr.. Shonts spoke freely to-day of his
resignation from the Canal Commission.
He insisted that the work he undertook
in connection with the canal had been
completed.
Il have completed the creative period
Of the canal" said he; my obligation is
row discharged. The President desired my
services to bring order out of chaos
This I have done. Any good constructive
engineer can now finish the work"
Denies Reported Friction.
Mr.. Shonts vehemently ridiculed the
published statement that red tape was
given him by the board. ut is simply
rot" he said. There was no trouble,
no friction, nothing out of the ordinary
I simply finished the work / was asked
to do"
In his banquet speech Mr.. Shonts spoke
in part as follows:
IN giving you an account OF what has
been done during the creative period. !
ask you to bear in mind constantly that
we were working 200 miles from base
Of supplies. in a country that was literally
destitute of everything we needed
we had TO build towns and villages
under these conditions, and 10 reconstru Z
and enlarge a decrepit single-track rali-
way fully "a quarter Of a century be-
hind the times, making it thoroughly
equipped. modern double-track system.
with up-to-date locomotives, cars of all
varieties. terminal and other yards, and
with up-to-date men for its operation.
We had 10 build docks adequate for the
demands Of an enormous traffic, and IT
them with modern appliances fer the
prompt handling of cargoes.
yellow Fever wiped Out.
1--WE have driven yellow fever perma-
nentIy from the isthmus. That is the su-
preme achievement. For fourteen months
there has not been a single case of this
terror of the tropics. So far as general
health conditions are concerned, / can
give YOU no stronger evidence Of their
favorable character than by stating the
fact that among about 5000 white Ameri-
cans including women and children, on
the istbmus there was for three months
in the rainy season of last year-August,
September. and OCtOber-not a single
death from disease.
Laborerz' Meals at 10 Cents.
.oThe efforts Of the commission to pro
vide some method by which employees
might obtain meals AT a reasonable rate
have been entirely successful. Hotels
and mess houses were established along
the line Of the canal and at present
the commission maintains fourteen OF
these places for the benefit of white en-
ployes-
During the first few months loss
of over $4,000 was shown, but at the end
of the fiscal year. or June 80 1906. a total
net gain for the entire period Of opera
ton Of over $500 was shown. In the
mess houses meals are furnished 10 the
higher grades Of employees at 81 cents
each. and the common laborers can OBJ
tain meals at 10 cents each.
while We have been providing for the
health. welfare. and comfort Of employees
we have completed twenty Of the thirty
FIVE miles of the double track cOntem-
Mated for the Panama Railroad and have
| the remaining fifteen miles two-thirds
/ finished. We have constructed great
terminal yard at Cristobal which would
be a credit 70 any railway in the United
States We have virtually completed at
/ Pedro Miguel. on the Pacific side of the
/ CuIebra cut. and at Las Cascades, on the
Atlantic side, two great receiving and
forwarding yards which are to act as
clearing houses for the dirt trains moving
down from TIE various levels of the cut
to the yards, there to be switched and
forwarded over the main line Of the Pam
anna Railroad for final disposition The
terminal yard at la Roca. work on which
was delayed by reason of uncertainty as
to the type of canal, is about Is per cent
completed and viii soon be finished. We
have added TO the railway rolling stock
/ 1S4 locomotives. 2300 fiat cars, and much
other rolling stock
Some Dirt Has Been Thrown.
AS I said to you in the opening part Of
my address. the work of actual cxcava-
ton was restricted during the creative
period to merely preparatory lines Still
something has been done in the direction
Of making the dirt fly During the fiscal
year ended with June last 100000 cubic
yards were taken from the canal prism.
against $4,000 yards removed during the
previous year. Notwithstanding the rainy
season, which extends from the end Of
April to the end Of December there was
/ during the month of August, 1906, a total
excavation in the Culebra cut of pa Sl4
cubic yards. which was the largest
amount taken out up to that time during
any month since the canal has been under
American control In September 1905. the
total excavation was 29l 40 cubic yards
and in October, 1906, it was 326 900 cubic
yards. Altogether. the surface in the
Culebra cut Las been brought down sixty
five feet below the level left by the
French
The creative period has come to- an
end, and the period of active construction
( has begun. As to the manner in which
the creative task has been performed. We
are content to let the facts speak for
themselves"
shaw Gives Banks More Time.
New York. Jan. 24-Secretarv Of the