The Washington herald., 1908-08-23

crEClaA A-t hha-a---Ls-Af AAHAa-l
Ancon. Canal zone. Isthuus Of Pan
anna. Aug 15.-As in the time Of the
French ownership Culeb:a Cut continues
10 be the focus of consideration and con
cern in the Canal zone Il IS so much
so that Col Goethals. chairman OF the
Isthmian Canal Commission. and chief
engineer. has his headquarters and resi-
derce in the attractive llttle city OF Cule-
bra. Americans on the tsthmus may talk
on many phases and points Of the canal,
but conversations will naturally turn TO
operations IN The cut
The F-enchmen who were working IN
der French ownership would be startled
81 they could observe in what proportions
excavation and construction are carried
on a. present For eighteen years The
French people worked in their own way
on the cut, and the accompanying dia-
gram shows what they accomplished. and
It indicates what has been done since
May : 1874 when the United states gov
eminent assumed control The old
French company took out, according 10
its records Of car measurement, 126Qo.-
O00 cubic yards up 70 1SS9. and the new
French company between 1855 and up 20
the time when The Americans took charge
Of the work. took out lo.0o0g9 cubic
yards. making q total Of 10000 cubic
yards IN eighteen years This IS an aver
age Of about 1850 cubic yards per an
mum. which is 1000 cubic yards less than
was taken out during the month of
March this year.
Under American control Up 10 June =
1908 there have been taken out 1S.+G5.475
r.z =-T .e
sSs cubic yards were taken out in the
twelve months ended June !. ls5s. max
ing an average Of s32614 cubic yards q
month
Much Remains 10 Be Done
Estimates made show there Yet remain
70 be taken out Of the canal prism 39.-
652s22 cubic yards Of material CalcU-
Iating that the work Of excavation VIII
reach q greater average than that which
has marked the progress since the first
o. The present year, il would appear that
the Culebra Cut viii have reached its
level within four years. Some enthu-
s.asts on the subject are figuring on
completion within three years and a half
And there is some reason that there
viii be a greater average gained in that
experience IS aiding the work Of exCa-
waiting. and because the record for JuCe-
lIE-52 cubic yardS-eNceeds the CORE
spending month OF last year. zsS.165 cubic
yards In-JUne. 1906. 212623 cubic yards
were taken out. and IN June. 1915. g 6.sl5
was the total exCavaUed- Even though a
wet month The amount Of material taken
out Of the cut Is only I73.133 cubic yards
less than the dry month Of March OF this
year. when 1,2s5.SS5 cubic yards were
taken out
Working for a Record.
Those who are directing the work IN
the cut are actively engaged in striving
for a record, and II seems a purpose 10
exceed IN August what was done IN July,
and so on This American spirit Of com
petitiveness. which always follows the
flag. is the more prominent when in com
parison with the inertia which was a
marked characteristics Of the French.
There are no records wliCn show that the
French made any particular effort that
oue months work should exceed the other.
Professional courtesy no doubt pre-
cludes any unfavOrable criticism Of the
work the French accomplished. and the
engineers al present on the job are rather
Inclined 10 the belief that the pioneers at
the work Of digging a canal did their best
under decidely unfavorable circUm-
stances They are charitable enough 10
those who ara completing It When the
Americans took charge on May 4 1894. the
French. with the old excavators. small
dump cars. and Belgian engines. were
taking out about 5000 cubic yards a
month. OF about 50 per cent less than is
row being taken cut in a single day.
The French channel varied in width
from 80 20 go feet. while now Il Is being
widened so 10 100 feet. in addition 10 the
eNcavating necessary 10 secure the mini
mum depth OF = feet Of water. No work
was done by the French in any other sec
ton than the Culebra cut after 1sS9-
Use of Temporary Car Tracks.
Dynamiting the big hill at Culebra and
loading the dirt and rock on cars by sixty
giant steam shovels and hauling II away
IS not the only work required in shaping
Culebra Cut 10 a ravigable channel. but
millions Of cubic yards OF material IS used
n building and ballasting temporary car
tracks, thlrty-sevea miles Of which are
now used by dirt trains inside the prism
OF nine and a half miles Of the Culebra
division, which begins az Bas ObisDo al
the north and ends al Pedro Miguel at
the south These tracks are frequently
shifted, to accommodate the loading and
hauling This ballast amounts 10 about
Loo cubic yards a mile. for handling
which no credit IS given the steam show
els Of course. all this roadbed will
eventually be hauled away One track
throughout the cut IS kept thoroughly
ballasted for handling loaded trains.
which. after leaving the cut are run over
the tracks OF the Panama Railroad Com
9any, the latter being q part Of the prop
vrty purchased from the French
Accurate Records Kept.
AS a matter Of reference. the chief en-
gineer has insisted that monthly cross
sections be taken every fifty feet. show
ing the area excavated. These are accU-
rately plotted on mounted cross-section
sheets about seven feet in length They
are shown in different colors, with the
name Of the month printed on each color.
so that they serve as correct records.
They viii not only be valuable as records
for the future in showing the quantity,
the place excavated, and date Of excava-
ton, but they will show al a glance the
progress made from the time the Ameri-
cans started work. These she6Is are fled
in h-e-proof vaults. and as a further pre-
caution duplicates are being made
During the month Of Nay OF this year