Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1908-01-04
Cement FOR The
PANAMA CANAL.

For some time there has been con-
siderable discussion among govern
ment officials with reference to ce-
ment for the canal and as to the best
means of obtaining it with the least
expense to the United States. Some
time ago Ernest Howe, assistant geol-
ogist of the United States Geological
Survey was detailed by the Panama
Canal Commission to look into the
geology of rocks, etc, which might
be useful in connection with making
Portland cement, and the securing
of aggregates for making concrete.
Mr., Howe worked over the ground
for considerable period, and made
a report TO the Isthmian Canal Com
mission, in which he states that ce-
ment can be made out of materials
ON the isthmus at or around 1874
per barrel. The report of Mr.. Howe,
says Cement Age, deals with the sur
vey he made of the surrounding coun-
try for the purpose of locating the
proper materials. His final conclusion |
was the utilization of the coral rocks |
near Colon, together with the clay or
silt brought down the Chagres river
and deposited near its mouth As |
the clay is somewhat short of silica, |
second argillaceous ingredient is |
proposed namely, pumiceous rhyo-
lite tuff, occurring at the western end |
of the Panama Railroad bridge, near
San Pablo. From these three ma
terials cement was made experiment |
ally in the Lehigh Valley testing lab
oratory at Allentown, Pa, and the
cement so made is alleged to be of
first-class quality. The report gives
the amount of raw material, which,
it states, is available and amply suffi-
cient to make the 100000 barrels
struction. For fuel, coal from the
United States, oil or lignites are pro-
posed The cost of building a plant
having a minimum capacity of 1,000,-
900 a year is said to be $1,500,000,
from which cement, it is stated. can
! be made at $1.34 per barrel. Another
matter which has much interested
the cement manufacturers of the
| United States has been the investi-
cation Mr.. Shinn has been carrying
on at the suggestion of Colonel Will
/ I fahn - hA ~
ment of lock and dam construction
of the Canal Commission, as to the.
| question of delivery to the Commits
sion of clinker instead of cement. The
purpose was to save the cost of pack
| ages, which is estimated at at least
! 40 cents per barrel of cement, and,
| further, to avoid the storage of the
large quantities of cement under the
peculiar atmospherical conditions
| that prevail upon the isthmus. AS
/ to this, various manufacturers were
4 requested to consider the proposition
of supplying cement delivered at
ports on the Atlantic and Pacific side
of the Panama canal in the form of
clinker in bulk, with the understand
| ing that the government would erect
a grinding and finishing mill on the
I isthmus for the purpose of prepar-
ing the clinker for final use as Port
land cement on the work. The sug-
gestion was a most interesting one
and received careful consideration
from the manufacturers, involving,
as it did, the selling of practically
half-fnished product, and also the
transportation to, tide water in cars
and to Panama III vessels, of clinker
instead of cement
The Canal Commission expects, in
a short time, to invite proposals on
every probable basis upon which ce-
ment manufacturers might desire to
make bids for furnishing cement
needed in the construction of the
canal. 1t is thought feasible to ship
the cement i'm clinkeTe torn to the
isthmus and grind it there, and bids
can be made on that basis as well as
on others that may be named in the
specifications. About four and a
half million barrels OF cement will be
) needed, and the consumption will be
! at the rate of about 1900 barrels per
day.-Cement Age.