Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-09-08

was extfGofoinefy. from one OF tHo
plaeue-spots Of the globe, one Of the
most unhealthy regions in the entire
| world, the Isthmus has been turned into
. singularly healthy place Of abode,
| whore the death-rate II small and where
hundreds Of children are now being
raised under as favorable conditions a.
In most parts Of the initial gtates. The
quarters, food, and water SUI lily are OK.
cellent, and the plant the best ever gath
cred for such purpose. Active excava-
ton on a. large scale did,pot BEGIN until
january, -fvN Three years. and u half
have gone by since then, and three-fifths
Of the total excavation has already been
accomplished. The amount taken out has
passed anything which previous expert
ence warranted us in believing to be pos
sible In 1908 and 1909 the monthly aver
age Of rock and earth removed was three
million cubic yards, notwithstanding the
fact that nine months Of each year con-
stituted season Of very heavy rainfall.
There remains to be excavated only about
sixty million cubic yards II We could
keep up the past average Of excavation
this should be done In twenty months;
but It is impossible to maintain such a
ratio as the depth increases; for the out
put necessarily diminishes as the field Of
operation narrows. Still, 1t Is certain that
such a rate can be maintained as will
enable the workers to finish the excava-
ton considerably in advance Of the date,
fixed for opening the canal January /,
1915 Indeed, shall be surpriAed IL the
canal cannot be opened six months or
even year In advance Of the time set.
The work has two great features: The
Culebra Cut, which have been consider.
ing, and the great dam at Gatun. The
latter Is to imprison the waters of the
Chagres and other streams into a lake
with an area Of i64 square miles. This
work IL advancing steadily, and just as
successfully as the work on the Culebra
Cut. The water which Is ultimately to
nll the lock Is now flowing through the
concrete spillway in the center OF the
dam, the Chagres having been diverted
from Its bed and placed under complete
control. The construction of the dam has
advanced sufficiently to convince the en-
gineers in charge Of the work Of its abb
solute stability and imperviousness. The
concrete work on the lock lie advancing .
50 rapidly that the first double-set at |
Gatun swill be completed this coming No
vember and the engineer in charge has
announced that all the concrete In all the
locks will be in place two years hence.
The date of final completion and formal
opening Of the canal to the commerce Of
the world will be determined by the time
in placing the great steel gates,
emergency dams, and all appliances for
operating the DOCKS But those in charge
Of the work announce without hesitation
that everything will be finished well In
advance Of january l. 1918.
Next Duty ls to Fortlfy Il
This IL a stupendous record Of achieve
nent, As a people we are rather fond OF
ourselves, and sometimes with
very great justice; but even the most
oessimistic critic should sometimes think
II what is to our credit Among our
lssets Of the past ten years will be placed
he extraordinary ability, integrity, and
uccess with which we have handled all
he problems inherited rs the result Of
he Spanish war the way we have han
lied ourselves in the Philippines, in Cuba,
n Porto Rico. in San Domingo. and in !
Panama. The cruise of the battle feet /
round the world was q striking proof I
hat we had made good with the navy;
nd what we have done at Panama rep !
esents the accomplishment Of one Of the I
reat feats of the ages. 1t II a feat which
effects the highest honor upon our coun-
ry and our gratitude is due to every r
nan who has taken an honorable part In I
ny capacity in bringing about its per- S
ormance. r
We now have a further duty to per- s
orm in connection with II, and that is to
ortify It. We are In honor bound to g
ortify 1t ourselves, and only by so doing
an we effectively guarantee Its neutral I
" and moreover, effectively guarantee
nat 1t stS 10 not be used against us. The
hief material dvantage-certainly one :
the chief material advantages-which
. shall gain by its construction Is the
'ay In which II will, for defensive pur-
oses, double the power OF the United A
tates navy. To refuse to fortify IT, and,
bove all, to consider for q moment such
d act OF utter weakness and folly as to X
Ivite other nations to step IN and guar
ntee the neutrality Of this purely Ameri-
IN work (and thereby really TO make 1t
lrtain that in the event Of war we &c
iouid nnd the canal used against us as 81
IT fleets would be forbidden TO pass al
rough It. or else our opponsnts' fleets al
,rmitted toy, would be to incur, and =
lite rightfully. the contempt OF the y
GRID; II would mean the complete aban- "
,nment Of the Monroe doctrine II would =
, q wicked blow % cur prestige On the ~
acine: and. moreover. II would Be- In "a
J essence treason to the destiny Of the n
spubIie ps
Topeka, Sept. 2.-Alfred Sage. q Sc
- -. a. al on