The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-21
PROGRESS ON
PANAMA CANAL
Report of Isthmian Commission
Made to Secretary of War
Is Pleasing.
WORK OF EXCAVATION
PROCEEDING WITH RAPIDITY
Construction Is Slightly De.
layed by Breaks and Slides of
Considerable Magnitude.

WASHINGTON. Nov, 20,-Summarizcd
in phrase. satisfactory progress all
along the Panama canal zone" is the
glst Of the annual report OF the Isthmian
canal commission, made 10 Secretary OF
War Dickinson by Colonel George Goeth-
ais chairman of the commission and
chief engineer in charge Of the work on
the canal, and made public today by the
former.
With the work OF excavation and of
construction progressing favorably at all
points along the line, with health condi-
tions better than ever before, with a
centralzation and consequent economy
in certain parts OF the work. and with
Il maximum of laborcrs since tho United
States began 10 dig The canal, Colonel
Gocthals's report was decidedly pleasing
To Secretary Dickinson
The chief engineer reports, however,
that IL WAS not all smooth sailing dur
ing the past year. slides, breaks and
foods hindering the work TO certain
extent. He mentions four slides, COW
cring respectively AZ. 7.@. 80 and IL
acres aud requiring during the year the
yards OF material 1t WAS expected"
he says, "tlst slides would occur, and
In the estimates provision WAS made
for them. but IL now appears from
Cr6cN5 tllaI snow III tUt upper SuTICEc
adjacent 10 the faces OF the cut that
sufficient allowance had not been made.
and the estimates were corrected 10 meet
The new conditions
Three Bad Breaks,
Three bad breaks, he reports, occurred
during the year-onc at the teH)I Of
CuIebra covering an area OF more than
ten acres and requiring d removal OF
more than a million and a half OF cubic
yards OF dirt and stone, The second
largest break covered All area Of more
than eleven acrc3 and required re-
moval OF more than 800 900 cubic yards,
while the third break aggregated about
40. 600 cubic wards,
'.1'he floods seriously lntcrIered with
the progress Of the work" says Colonel
Gocthas referring In particulars TO that
OF the central division and the Culebr'.
cut "nnd the one OF December - over
flowed the dixie separating the cut from
the Chagres river. cutting channel
through IL about 200 feet long and TWEEN
ty-onc feet deep.
The total amount of material removed
from slides and breaks in the central
division of the canal during the year
was more than two aud half million
cubic yards or about u per cent OF the
amount removed during the ycar from
the Culebra cut. the principal part OF
the central division
More Than 30. SOC. 900 cubic yards of ma
terial were removed from all parts ot
tho canal during the year % which
almost II. 600. 900 were from the Culebra
cut and almost io.oo0.o0o from the
Chagres' section. About oo.On0.OOU cubic
wards remain tn he renewed from The
Cuichra cut before this section or tho
canal is completed
Cost of Excavation Varies.
Reports from various points aloijy the
line show that the cost Of excavation
varied from "a cents per cubic yard ut
ON, rlace 10 as high as Sol AT another.
There Is no such divergence OF price
In the cost per cubic yaHi OF concrete
work the lowest average being $500 and
the highest $500. More than 700 900
cubic yards OF concrete, were laid during
the year.
Economy has been sought by tln COM
r,i,sInu In various directions. ITO re-
aurc To a minimum delays on account
Of brcakdowns of mnchincry- plant and
equipment. which reflect largely In the
Continued on Page Three.