The Dickinson press., 1909-05-01

stand It, q the lowest pas Of the
CordilleraA Ms
The French had cut culebra down Isl
feet and Obispo 148 fest This would
leave practically71t1 feet further depth
in Culebra and As feet further In Obfspo
for tho Americans to accomplish.
When one considers that tho Ff0uch
figured on q rulinR bottom for the canal
~ feet wide and that the Americans
will have q bottom 800 fest wide through
Culebra Cut, involving the formidable
added quantity Of earth In corresponding
slopes up 272 feet for each side Of the
cut, the magnitude Of the tax becomes
evident. s4 "A
As 0 planned, the canal for over 10
miles will have. q channel 1000 feet
wide At the bottom. A minimum
channel through nlebra for -four and one
half miles, 800 feet at the bottom The
balance of the distance varies In width
to 500 feet, the larger portion Of the
entire canal being not less than 500 feet
The depth Of water in the canal 10 As
feet.
Tho settling of a portion Of the dam
site " which q fuss was made last
fall is alluded to by Col. Cocktails as
the fifth slip that occurred at that point,
the rock settling to some extent but
generally slipping sidewise until tho
angle of reposo was reached" We have
something like that east of Fargo on the
Northern Pacific. where the embankment
has been slipping to an angle of repose
for the past two years.
Back in Indiana, where the Air Line
Of the present Lake Shore road was
built. one sink hole took in forty acres
of cut timber and dirt in proportion.
SO that when the angle of repose was
reached the surface Of the earth thirty
miles distant had been perceptibly
raised. Il tell you it as twas told to
me-" 1t is mainly a matter of ways
and means with perseverance added in
plenty.
The colonel says no public OF, private
work of any kind has received such q
thorough and exhaustive examination as
the foundation of the dam and locks at
Gatun and / believe he knows where
he is at and will build q dam, GOOD
dam. that can be depended upon to hold
back floods of water in the Gatun
lake.
The total cost of the canal as now
planned is given at $375, POI. 900, includ-
ing everything.
Wages on the Isthmus exceed those in
the United States from 40 to 80 per cent
for the same class of labor. The lawful
eight hour day instead of ten hour in
creased cost and various changes have
increased the quantity of work by so per
cent, while the unit costs have in
creased only 20 per cent.
The system of housing and caring for
employees has been developed beyond
anything ever contemplated, with result
ing. expense but increase in efficiency.
Jury trails in the zon are restricted to
crimes involving the death penalty or
life imprisonment, insuring a rule of
summary justice.
Schools have been improved to such
an extent that children of employees
have nearly the same ADVANTAGES as in
the United States, Including high school
courses. All skilled labor, clerical force
and higher officials are Americans re-
cruited through Washington. D. C..
Common labor AGGREGATES IS, 600 men
composed of about 1000 Spaniards. q
few Italians and the remainder West
Indian negroes.
American employees and European
laborers are paid in gold. others are
paid in Panamaian silver, fifty per cent
off. One nan on the Isthmus told me
the West Indian negroes made ideal
workmen for the country, for they
were easily kept broke financially.
Meat products and ever vegetables are
imported from the United States. The
immense expenditures must largely flow
back to this country.
The canal is to be completed no later
than January list, 1915.
One cannot read the reports on Panama
canal work without feeling the trend
of evolution in the work, back of which
has been the courageous and domiQant
force of Roosevelt and Taft. E1im1na-
ton of jarring factions in the Isthmian
canal commission is very evident by
the concentration of authority in the
Chief Engineer, who is also chairman
of the commission. Prior to this concen-
tration, the department of construction
and engineering consisted of three
departments and twelve divisions. each
had independent organization reporting
to separate heads working with proper
coordination. undertaking work under
separate heads in the same territory.
Under Col. Cocktails all construction
work in any given district, irrespective
of its character. has been placed under
one head. resulting in reduction of cost
of administration. q more uniform wage
scale. definite fixing of responsibility
and things like that. Instead of three
departments and twelve divisions the
new organization consists Of three parts.
each of which is q division under q
division engineer reporting to the chief
engineer.
This kind of evolution could not evolve
with q chief engineer looking out Of, q
SEVENTEEN story window in New York Of
behind q mahogany desk at Washington.
Cocktails lives on the job and is evl.
IDENTIFY not running the work by type
writer.
If the reader can derive half the pleas.
ure from the brief facts here submitted
that the writer has gained by delving in
the able and intelligent reports made
by the engineers on the work, the time
will be profitable spent; ~
For the year ending June 30th, 1908,
II, O65. 1873 cubic yards of earth was re
moved BY 50 steam shovels from Cdiebrs
division which extends 90 miles from
Chagres river at Cannboa to Pedro Migue
lock. This 10 the mountain pass through
the Cordilleras. #