The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-11-22


rather lengthy and gives the work.
ings In detail. Following is part OF
the report.
Dredoes at Work.
The dredging fleet, consisting of
one sea-going suction dredge, two s.
yard dipper dredges and three French
ladder dredges, worked on the sec
ton between Mindi and deep water
in the Caribbean, removing from the
projected channel a total of G.059,9s
cubic yards, Of which 42700 cubic
yards were rock. Rock is removed aft
ter blasting. To effect this holes av-
eraging 10 feet apart are made BY
churn drills to depth of so feet be
low sea level, loaded with dynamite
and fired. AT the close of the year
nearly three miles of the channel
from deep water (41 feet at mean
tidel were completed. In addition.
dredging was done in connection with
other work necessary but incidental
to canal construction amounting to
I55,073. cubic yards of earth or corsal
sand and 1859 cubic yards Of rock.
Crime In the Zone.
Courts-The supreme court held
Is sessions during the year 1t con-
firmed the decision of the circuit
court in three criminal cases and re-
versed the decision of that court in
one criminal case. Eight civil cases
were filed during the year, of which
FIVE were decided
In the circuit courts criminal cases
were filed against 39S persons; 204
were convicted and 55 acquitted.
Cases against la persons were dis
missed and 25 cases were pending at
the END of the fiscal year. At the be
ginning of the year As civil cases
were pending; 239 were filed during
the year. 1863 were disposed Of, and
122 were pending at the end of the
year
49, In the district courts criminal cases
against 6,025 persons were filed: 4,64t
wer convicted; 9S5 committed for ac
ton by the circuit courts; no &C.
quilted and 219 discharged, leaving
five pending at the end of the year
Civil cases were filed against TAG
persons: of these 732 were disposed
of, and IL were pending at the close
OF the year
Cost of the Canal.
The act OF June 2S, 1902 author.
lied the construction of the canal and
made provision for the necessary
funds. the amount stipulated being
based on the report of the board OF
engineers In its report of 1S99-1901
and aggregating $144,233,35S, includ
ing sanitation and police A modifi-
cation of the plans then submitted
was made by the minority of the
board of consulting engineers and
adopted by congress in 1906, which
fixed the cost for engineering and
construction, exclusive of the pur.
chase price, the cost of sanitation and
civil government and the interest, at
SlS9, 200. In the preparation oil
this estimate, the same unit prices
were assumed as were adopted by the
hoard of 1899-1901. In the interval
however, wages had increased, and
the cost of materials and manufacture
ed articles had risen. Prosperous con
ditions in the United States combined
with the unsavory reputation that the
lsthmus had regarding its healthful-
ness. made it necessary, in order to
secure labor, to increase the wage
scales from 30 to 60 per cent over
those paid in the United States fol
similar classes of WORK. Certain gra
tuities ais additional inducements
were also offered, which is the main
have since been continued. More.
over, the provisions of the eight hour
law were made applicable to the
Isthmus
The unit prices were therefore ma
terially increased. Various changes
had also been made in the adopted
plan, Increasing the quantity of work
to be done. In addition more detail.
ed surveys and plans than were orig
inally available had been made, and
the work had progressed sufficiently
to give reliable data relative to unit
costs. This enabled revised esti-
mate to be prepared and submitted
at hearing before the Committee on
Appropriations of the House Repre-
sentatiyes In February, 1909.
This estimate shows that nearly so
per cent more work is necessary in
order to complete the canal than was
contemplated by the original esti-
mate and that the unit prices, due to
labor conditions, cost of materials,
and the gratuities given the employees
have been increased about 20 per
cent. The estimate, as prepared,
shows that the total cost of engineer
Ing and the construction alone sums
MP to s2s7 ,766,t00: to which, il the
purchase price and the estimated cost
OF sanitation and civil government be