The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-30

WASHI NGTON. Nov. 29.-Bieuts-
Col. George w. Goethals, chief engineer
of the Panama canal, has submitted to
Secretary Of War Wright the annual
report Of the Isthmian Canal commits
sion, which, in part, says:
Construction and Engineering.
The organization OF tho department OF
construction and engineering is given In
detail in the last annual report OF the
commission, and the several departments
and divisions therein outlined were con-
tinued throughout the year, eTcepL tHat
cation of the locks and dams on the
Pacific side, hereinafter described, thc
Pacific division of locks and dams was
substituted for the La Boca locks and
the La Boca dams division. Briefly, the
department OF construction and engineer,
Ing consisted of three departments and
Independent administrative organization
and reported through the head OF the
department 10 which It belonged.
Under the organization as IT existed
buildings were erected, roads built, ana
sanitary bitches dug or constructed In
the same territory In which canal work
was I'm progress. but in each specifc IN
stance under a separate head; tho re-
suits we're not always satisfactory In
order to concentrate authority, to expo
diuc the transaction OF business. TO secure
proper coordination, 10 fix definitely the
responsibility In any particular case and
TO reduce the cost OF administration,
complete reorganization was undertaken
toward tho close OF the fiscal year. 10
be effected gradually. beginning July l;
by which all construction work, In any
given district irrespective of It's char
acter, would be placed under one head
the necessary authority having been re-
ceived from the secretary OF war for the
transfer OF duties as between depart
ments, required by executive order ot
January 6, 1908. The reorganizatlon was va
desirable because the work of the d.
visions OF building construction ana
municipal engineering had reached a
stage where the continuance OF separate
divisions for handling the work was un-
warranted and was facilitated by INC
consent and approval oil the chlc! sdnl-
tary officer TO haNo the sanitary en-
gineering work hitherto performed oy ms
ton forces in accordance with plans and
on data prescribed and furnished by the
department of sanitation.
y further advantage sought by Inc re-
organization was the establishment OF
more uniform wage scale. and 10 secure
II the organization was put on an I'M
personal basis by fixing the positions
needed to properly execute the work and
the salary that each position should car
ry. To the positions thus found necessary
the available personnel was lltted so lar
as possible.
TO accomplish the objects sought. tho
zone was divided into three parts, each
Of which is to constitute a division under
the department of construction and en-
cheering the division engineers report
ing direct TO the chief engineer. The
first is 10 include all territory north OF
Tabernilla. TO DO designated the Atlantic
division the second is to extend from
Tabcrnila TO Pedro Miguel, to be named
the central division, and the third. oH-
tending from Pedro MigueI TO deep water
in the Pacific, will constitute the Pacific
division As the reorganization Is not
complete at this time. its details must
be left for the next annual report
Excavation and Dredging.
This department embraced the Culebra
division, the Chaeros division, the Colon
dredging division. and tho LaBoca dredg-
ing division. TO the equipment for eX-
cavation in tho dry. reported on hand at
the close of the last fiscal year. fourteen
70-ton steam shovels. sixteen 9o-pound
Sos 12-yard dump cars were added by re-
ceipt or purchase during the year. with
the addition OF 200 dump cars, II is an
| ticipated that the locomotives, steam
! shoVes, and cars on hand or under order
will be sufficient TO complete inc work
to be done by this class OF equipment.
Locks and Dams.
This department Of construction en-
| braced the Gatun locks and the Gatun
dam divisions the Pacific 1i,,iito division OF OF
meteorology and river hydraulics.
The locks are in pairs, and since the
compilation Of the last annuanl report
| the projected Dimensions have been in
| creased so that the width III the clear
will be 1lO feet, the usual length re-
manning, a heretofore, 1000 feet. The
question OF increasing the width was
raised by the general board OF the navy, Wy,
navy dated Washington. Oct, 20, 1907.
setting forth that the width OF the locks
as now fixed. namely. 100 feet. Is insult
/ ficient for probable ships of future con-
struction. and that sound policy would
dictate an increase TO clear width Of
! 110 feet
While the commission, after due con-
slderation, was of the opinion that the
width already adopted for the locks-1O0
! feet in the clear-was ample for all com :
| mercial vessels building or contemplated,
and sufficient for any battleship con-
structed. building, or projected. 1t felt
that the wishes OF tho navy. as expressed
by the general board, should be followed.
there being no insuperable obstacles. and
| It accordingly recommended that the
project be modified as desired This
modification was approved by the presi-
| dent under date OF Jan. Is. 1908.
The project prepared by the minority
members OF the board Of consulting engi-
neers for the lock type OF canal provided
! for flight Of three locks at Gatun, a