Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-11-30


Ted later in the removal Of rock. |
During the fiscal year a total of I
5.273.369 cubic yards was moved. /
OF which b.264,019 cubic yards were |
from the canal prism and $3.50 cubic /
yards from accessory works.
Locks and Dams.
The department Of construction en- /
braced the Gatun locks and the Ga
tun dam divisions the Pacific divis-
ion of locks and dams and the divis-
ion OF meteorologv and river hydrau-
lies
The locks are in pairs and since
the compilation of the last annual re-
mort the projected dimensions hlve
been increased so that the width In
the clear viii he 11O icet the usa BILE
length remaining as heretofore, one
thousand feet. The question OF in
creasing the width was raised by the
general board of the navy, in a mem
orandum to the secretary of the navy
dated Washington, october 20, 1907.
| setting forth "that the width of the
locks as now fixed, namely, 100
feet, is sufficient for probable ships
OF future construction, and that sound
| policy would dictate an increase TO a
clear width OF 11o feet"
| While the commission after due
consideration, was of the opinion that
the width already adopted for the
| iocks--10O feet in the clear-was
| ample for all commercial vessels
building or contemplated, and sufh-
Client for any battleship constructed,
building or projected, 1t felt that the
wishes OF the navy, as expressed by
the general board, should be follow
ed, there being no insuperable obsta-
cles, and It accordingly recommend
ed that the project be modified as de-
sired. This modification was approv-
ed by the president, under date Of
J January Is, 1908.
Regarding the Gatun dam about
which sensational reports have been
sent out in which 1t was stated that
an underground lake would cause the
site to be changed at AN increase In
expense, Colonel Goethals says:
, Gatun Dam-Investigations pri-
marily undertaken to verify data al
ready on hand concerning the char
! acter of material for the foundation
OF the dam, were continued for the
} purpose OF determining more fully
the character and extent of the va
. rious materials composing founda-
: tions for the dam and the spillway;
for ascertaining whether there were
! any permeable connections between
; the swamp areas to the north and
: south of the site through the depos-
its In the gorges across which the
: dam will be built; for testing the
. ability of the material to support the
! proposed structure, and for learning
) whether suitable material for the dam
. can be had in the immediate vi
3 cinity.
The examinations made ot thu
: spiliway indicate that the rock 10 o
: sufficient strength 10 bs1f safely sn.
of the loads that will be placed upoI
!, lit and that the principal water-bear
J. ing mediums are the assures through
: the various strata, which allow tn,
: passage of water; this fiow will b.
= cut off, as in the case Of the locks
o by means Of curtain walls properi,
= constructed and connected with tn,
: impervious layer underlying the sof
: rock.
e ing the year consisted In the remova
i from the spiliway.
= Have Many Buildings.
Q The total cost OF buildings con
Q to the END Of the fiscal year ha
been ss.S24.0ss.16. Of which amour
$421 SS2.64 have been spent for wir,
q are enclosed.
e Labor--A net decrease in the skill
2 ed force was made during the year
II oil r1NyN M
= employees as In the preceding year
C the number OF men employed beinl
h $500 and $500, respectively, 70
n the two years. indicating the shifting
+ character OF the force and showing
that 1t is practically renewed ever!
n year. A radical change, however, ha
= taken place in the source of supply
n There were 1898 men employed IL
8 the United States, as against 3,03'
Q the year before, while the numbel
= employed on the isthmus has increas
Is ed from 2,7s0 to Ss2.
n There are approximately 500 mor'
n Europeans and 1000 more West In
d dians on the work than there wer'
Il at the close OF the previous fisca
Q year. To cover this increase and Il
fill vacancies caused by the depart
n ure of employees from the Isthmus
3. 4,150 West Indians and $3.50 Euro
d peans were imported. AS the tota
IS excess of immigration over emigra
# ton was nearly IS 900. the labo
e problem may be considered as solved
X II, with the shifting character o
i; the population, the death and sicl
o rate can be taken as criterion 70
= general health conditions, they hav
= been considerably improved, for will
= an average of 43 057 names on tn
= pay rolls the death rate per 1000 wa
q 1882 less than half that OF the pre-
3 vious year. For the white force
}, taken at an average of IL 06S, givel
I by the pay rolls, the rate was 1873
d per 1000, and with a fore OF black
Il averaged s0,sss. the death rate wa
o 19,4s per 1000, less than half tina
t OF the previous year. The large de
d crease In the death rate among tn
blacks is attributed to better santa
= tion, but primarily. according TO tn