Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1907-01-11
PANAMA CANAL BIDS
ARE TO Be OPENED
IN WASHINGTON TOMORROW.
SOMETHING OF THE MAGNl-
tube OF THE WORK.

making event tomorrow, when bid:
viii be opened at noon for the conuact
for the completion of the Panama
canal. Though it has been customary
to speak of the building of the GENIAL
across the isthmus as the greatest
undertaking of the kind ever attempt.
ed in history, few persons have any
adequate conception of the real magni.
tude of the project.
The canal is to be 1000 feet wide
from deep water in the Caribbean sea
and in the Bay of Panama to certain
points within the isthmus, where it
will be narrowed to 500 feet in width,
and at the deep cut on the Culebra
section to 200 feet in width. The
depth is to be AZ feet at mean low tide
the entire distance. This means :
total excavation of 131 ,63S,000 cubic
yards of earth. In addition to these
figures it may be stated that the con-
struction involves 2,99S,1S2 cubic
yards of cut stone and S5,910,0O0
pounds of steel.
1t is expected the bids for the COM
pletion of the canal will average in
the neighborhood of OO,OO0,000. For
eign contractors are barred from the
competition. Owing to the magnitude
of the undertaking it is expected that
no individual firm will be awarded the
contract. No one firm in the world
has ever undertaken to do all of the
different kinds of work involved in
the construction of the canal. The
government has encouraged the sug-
gestion that contractors who have had
experience in excavation of dry earth
should join with others who have
specialized in dredging, in dam con-
struction and in heavy concrete work
But il several firms or individuals as
sociate in the undertaking, they must
be legally organized into a single cor
poration to whom the contract can be |
let as whole. Bidders will not be
considered who have not available |
capital of at least $5,OOO,OOO. A certi-l
fed check for 100000 is required with
each proposal and bond of $4,000
600 will be required from the success
full bidder.
Under the terms of the contract the
government agrees to furnish all the
permanent plants and most of the
material, while the contractor must
furnish the men, the loose tools and
light machinery. The government
will furnish the railway and all the
locomotives, cars, steam shoyels,
drills, dredges, tugs, scows, all cleo.
trio light and power necessary, and
fixed machinery of a substantial char
acter, but not hand tools or light MA
chinery. 1t will furnish all raw ma
terials, such as cement, explosives
and fuel that have to be imported, but
the contractor will have to treat, !
shape and finish them The govern
ment will furnish the barracks, ware
houses for tools and supplies, hospitals {
and medical service, Office buildings,
mess houses and lodgings for EN-.
ployes so far as they now exist, but
if more are needed they will have TO
be provided by the contractors. The /
government will transport on the
Panama railroad and steamship lines I
all employees and their families and all l
supplies at half rate; it will furnish {
the telegraph and telephone service.
1t will do all engineering work. ad- a
the government, the police, c
the sanitary and hospital service. S
The commissary and mess houses and c
the barracks for the workmen will be I
under government inspection, while "
the auditing department will have {
control over the books and accounts {
of the contractors. d
The contractors, on the other hand. T
must furnish and pay all laborers. ''
furnish all tools and machinery of a Y
minor character, make all repairs
upon equipment and machinery and
buildings. They must take over all S
employees on the isthmus of the GOV
and assume and carry out fl
all contracts that may have been en- J
tered into by the canal commission n
for supply of labor. In addition to o
It's present force, which now aggre- a
gates about $4,000 men, they are at n
liberty to employ any kind of labor C
they find suitable, but on written no h
lice from the chairman or chief en- s
sineer they must discharge for cause a
any employe and must comply with n
all the laws of congress and the reg
llations of the government of the
lanai zone. The contract fixes the S
working hours for American labor on
he construction work at eight hours NJ
md foreign labor at ten hours a dav. II
md requires at least two shifts dur te
ng the twenty-four hours. Ct
The group of contractors who re. II,
'eive the award will each be entitled in
n N