Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-03-14
GREAT PANAMA CANAL
Excavation to Be Completed Jan
uay I, 1911.
IN ACTUAL OPERATION 1918
The Work Progresses Beyond the
Most Sangaine Expectations, and
is Most Gratifying.

Washington, p. q, March o. In
thirty-two months. or at latest by the
LIST OF January, 1911. the excavation Of
the Panama Canal Will have been
completed.
This statement is the Dalient feature
Of report just made To the war de-
partment BY the engineers Of the
great waterway II is explained that,
while the excavation probably will be
completed by the time named. it will
not mean that ne canal win be ready
for operation by that TIME. The ex-
cayatlon. however, is the great bulk
of the work and that which win re-
main to be done after the excavation
is finished will not consume great
amount of time.
The excavation, since Colonel
Goethals. OF the engineering corps Of
the army, assumed control OF the
work, has been progressing more and
more rapidly each month. 1t now ag-
gregates practically 100000 Gbic
yards month. The engineers have
estimated that 96.0oO.oO0 cubic yards
OF material remain vet to be excayat-
ed In the figules presented in the
latest report the estimate of thirty
two months more Of excavation is
made.
Just nov the part of the water
way which can be dredgei is being
excayated and in measure, that ac-
counts for the Increase in the flying of
the dirt. The Increase is really re-
markahle 1t is pointed out that in
the month of December the excavation
aggregated $4,000 cubic yards per day;
in January 104,330 cubic yards per
day: in February 122,745 cubic yards
per day, and it is expected that the
present month will show an increase
over February, although perhaps not
SO great one as was shown by Feb
ruary over January.
Colonel Goefhals, the chief engineer,
who left Washington few days ago
for the isthmus after period of ex-
PLANTATION of the situation to the COM
mittees of congress. is confident that
the actual work of excavation cam be
completed in two years and half.
This exceeds by nearly year the
most sanguine expectations that hith-
erto have been entertained Colonel
Goethals believes, also. that the canal
will be in actual operation in 1918.
The reports received from Colonel
GoethaIs since he took charge OF the
work have been source of intense
qualification to the president and the
secretary of war upon whose Shout
aders has rested the burden of the re-
sponsibiHty for turning the digging
of the waterway over to the army
engineers.
1t was anticipated that the rainy
season might affect, perhaps serious
Iy, the amount of work accomplished
on the canal, but ii has not, and the
indications now are that it win pro-
gress from now until it is completed
without great obstacles. It may be
said that the engineers now do not
expect to encounter any serious diff
ficulty in carrying their plans 10 com,
pletion. as the force which they have
assembled on the isthmus is COM
pact, homogeneous, efficient and en-
thusiastic organization. The men.
from the chief engineer to the ordi-
nary laborers, are deeply interested
in the work and under that sort OF
inspiration the dirt will be made to
fly as never before.