Amador ledger., 1910-03-04
MARCH 4, 1910
THE PANAMA CANAL.

1t is fitting that the completion of the Panama canal
should be celebrated by the biggest worlds fair exposition
witnessed That is what the people of San Francisco
propose make the Panama exposition in 1875 will
eclipse everything that line that has preceded it. AS the
big engineering enterprise that is to unite the Atlantic and
Pacific draws completion shall doubtless
hear great deal of this work than in the past Few
in the day realize the supendous character of this
ask-by all odd the greatest engineering problem ever
attempted by human skill For number of years the
work has been vigorously prosecuted without osenaon or
show and while its magnitude may guessed at from the
of money that has been and must yet be
SPENT the general public have but feeble conception of the
which the United Satesha entered upon in the
interest of the worlds commerce The canal was
commenced by the French about 80 years ago. De Lessep
the engineer who gained celebrity in the successful compile
of the Suez canal baked after dumping between two
and three hundred million dollars into this scheme The
Suez and Panama canals faas engineering difficulties
concerned mole hill In the great cut
Cuebra dirt has been excavated already than was
required in the entire distance of the Suez canal When
this cut is completed it will constitute gap through the
Andean mountain chain 600 feet from the top the bed of
the canal and this gap nine miles in length, Forty
thousand men are employed by Uncle Sam the canal
Thirteen hundred locomotives used in conveying the
debris and other hauling and trains pass every hours
in the busiest section One million pounds of dynamite is
used every month The drill holes bored feet deep,
and the shovels scoop the small and huge rocks
like much sand three shovelfus being sufficient fill
of thirty tons, which accomplished in minute
One shovelfu is equal to five cubic yards of dirt
Of the 10000 employees the big ditch about 10000 are
negroes mostly from the West Indies and they receive
per day of nine hours and board The white aboers
paid average double this More than 40 tons
silver is paid the colored workers for wages every
month, the white employees gold basis.
1t is estimated that third of the digging ac
compshed under the French administration During the
few years of American control oneha of the balance has
been excavaed which shows how vastly efficient is the
American system than the French All the costly material
used by the French and which into the possession of
the United States the payment Of $4oooo,ooo, was dis
carded and reegaed the junk pile Under the French
system it cost $4 per cubic yard to the Dirt The
total under the existing regime does exceed $25
per cubic yard
Digging dirt is by the only difficulty to be
counered The Chagres river which drains watershed
having precipitation of $50 inches Of rain in season.
must controlled The canal follows this river for large
portion of the distance and actually it about fifteen
times It's flood to be controlled, forming vast
inland twenyeven miles long and 80 feet Deep with
system of habors for the biggest ships aAoa and locks for
raising lowering vessels, the difference
between the seaevel of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
question has arisen to when registration closes for