Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-12-03
THE EVENING DEMOCRAT DAILY AND THREE MAGAZINES MONTHLY FOR $500 YEAR.
   EveryM

Work on the Panama canal is pro- ceeding in highly satisfactory man. ner. In March last John F. Stevens, chairman of the commission and chief engineer, resigned, and the commits sion was reorganized and constituted as follows: Lieutenant Colonel George W. Goethals, corps of engineers, Unit ed States army, chairman and chief en- gineer; Major D. D. Gaillard, corps of engineers, United States army; Major William L. Sibert, corps of engineers, United States army; Civil Engineer H. H. Rousseau, United States navy; J. c. s. Blackburn; Colonel w. c. Gorgas, United States army, and Jackson Smith, commissioners. This change of authority and direction went into ef- 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 815,270 cubic yards. In April this was increased to 879 527 cubic yards. There was a 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- el men over the question of wages. This trouble was settled satisfactorily to all parties, and in July the total ex- 4 cavation 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 1,274,
 404 cubic yards. In September this record was eclipsed, and a total of 1,517, ,412 cubic yards was removed. Of this amount 1,481, 1907 cubic yards were | from the canal prism and 36, 105 cubic yards were from accessory works. These results were achieved in the rainy season with a 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 1868, ,729 cubic yards, a truly extraordinary record, especially in view of the heavy rainfall, which i was 17.1 inches. In fact, experience during the last two rainy seasons dem onstrates that the rains are less seri- ous 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 F. 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 i foundations and also examined the i borings that had been made. In their report to the secretary of war under date of May 2, 1907, they said, "We found that all of the locks of the di- mensions 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 that the locks will rest on rock for their entire length. The cross section of the dam and method of construction will be such as to insure against any slip or sloughing off Similar examinations of the foundations of the locks and dams on the Pacific side are in prog ress. believe that the locks should be made of width of 120 feet.
 Last winter bids were requested and received for doing the work of canal construction by contract. None of | them was found to be satisfactory, and all were rejected. It is the unanimous opinion of the present commission that the work can be done better, more cheaply and more quickly by the gov ernment than by private contractors. 1 Fully 90 per cent of the entire plant needed for construction has been pur- chased or contracted for. Machine 1 shops have been erected and equipped for making all needed repairs to the plant, many thousands of employees have been secured, an effective organ ization has been perfected, a recruiting system is fin operation which is capa- ble of furnishing more labor than can be used advantageOusly. employees are ! we'll sheltered and well fed, salaries paid are satisfactory and the work Is not only going forward smoothly, but 1t is producing results far in advance ! of the most sanguine anticipations. i Under these favorable conditions a 1 change in the method of prosecuting | the work would be unwise and unjus- tifiable, for it would inevitably disor- ganize existing conditions, check prog ress and increase the cost and lengthen the time of completing the canal.
 The chief engineer and all his pro- ] fessional associates are firmly con- ! vinced that the eighty-five feet level lock canal which they are constructing is the best that could be desired. Some of them had doubts on this point when they went to the isthmus- As the plans have developed under their di- rection their doubts have been dis pelled. While they may decide upon changes in detail as construction ad-