Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1910-12-07
(Continued)
BY Associated Press.
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
(Continued)

BY Associated Press.
To the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives:
Panama Canal
AT the instance of Colonel Goe
thals, the army engineer officer in
charge of the work on the Panama
canal, ! have just made a visit to
the isthmus to inspect the work
done and to consult with him on the
ground as to certain problems that
are likely to arise in the near fu-
ture. The progress of the work is
most satisfactory. If no unexpected
obstacle presents itself, the canal
will be completed well within the
time fixed by Colonel Goethels, to-
wit, Jan. 1, 1915, and within the
estimate of cost, 1876, 100000.
Press reports have reached the
United States from time to time
giving accounts of slides of earth
of very large yardage in the Calebra
cut and elsewhere along the line,
from which it might be inferred
that the work has been much re-
tarded and that the time of COM
pletion ; has been necessarily post
poned.
The report of Doctor Hayes of
the geological survey, whom | sent
within the last month to the 18TH
mus to make an investigation,
shows that this section of the canal
zone is composed of sedimentary
rocks of rather weak structure and
subject to almost immediate dis
integration when exposed to the air.
Subsequent to the disposition of
these sediments igneus rocks, hard
er and more durable, have been
thrust into them and being cold at
the time of their intrusion united
but indifferently with the sedimen-
tary rock at the contacts. The re-
suit of these conditions is that as
the cut is deepened, causing unbal-
an n pressures, slides from the
sides of the cut have occurred.
These are in part due to the flow
ing of surface soil and decomposed
sedimentary rocks upon inclined
surfaces of the underlying decom-
posed rock and in part by the
crushing of structurally weak beds
under excessive pressure. These
slides occur on one side or the
other through distance of four or
five miles, and now that their char
acter is understood, allowance has
been made in the calculations of
yardage for the amount of slides
which will have to be removed and
the greater slope that will have to
be given to the bank in many places
In order to prevent their recur-
renee. Such allowance does not ex-
ceed ten millions of yards Con-
.sidering that the number of yards
removed efrom this cut on an aver
age each month through the year
is 100000, and that the total re-
naming to be excavated, including
slides, is about thirty million yards,
it is seen that this addition to the
excavation does not offer any great
/, reason for delay.
y While this feature of the mater
ial to be !excavated in the cut will
not seriously delay or obstruct the
construction of canal of the lock
type, the increase of excavation due
to such slides in the cut made S5
feet deeper for sea level canal
would certainly have been so great
as to delay its completion to time
beyond the patience of the American
people.
Among the questions arising for
present solution Is the decision
whether the canal shall be forti-
fed. have already stated to the
congress that l strongly favor forti-
fication, and | now reiterate this
opinion and ask your consideration
OF the subject In the light of the
report already before you. made by
petent board. IT, in our dis
cretion. we believe modern forti-
fcations to be necessary to the ade-
qaate protection and policing of the
canal. then II Is our duty to con-
struet them. We have built the
canal. II Is our property. ny con-
vention we have indicated our de-
sire for, aud indeed. undertaken. Its
universal and equal use. II Is also
we'll known that one OF the chief
objects In the construction Of a