The Washington herald., 1910-11-21

The annual report OF Col. George W.
Goethals. the army engineer in charge
OF the construction OF the Panama Canal.
10 Secretary or War Dickinson was made
public yesterday In this report Col.
Goethals discusses the big slides in
Cuiebra Cut. which have impeded the
progress OF the work The colonel says:
During the fiscal year l492l,750 cubic
yards OF material were excayated from
the Culebra Cut. leaving 34,S9S5a cubic
yards to be removed in order 10 complete
this section OF the canal The remaining
amount includes an increase OF s,40S,560
cubic yards over the estimate made in
September, 1908. This increase is due to
widening the canal north OF Pedro
Miguel lock so as TO form basin, add
ing thereby sS2,572 cubic yards, and 10
allowing 5.s75. ass FOR slides and breaks. as
number of new ones developed during
the year and could not be foreseen when
the estimates OF September. 1905. were
made.
Several Breaks Occur.
Previous to the fiscal year the move
ment OF material into the prism was due
almost entirely 10 slides caused by the
movement OF the top layer Of clay upon
smooth, sloping surfaces OF rock or
other material harder than the clay. In
addition TO the slides. however. several
breaks have occurred in the banks Of the
canal AT these points the underlying
rock is OF poor quality. intersected by
vertical seams.
in widening the canal so as 10 obtain
the requisite 390-foot bottom width, the
benches or berms shat existed were re-
moved, and while this method reduced 10
minimum the amount OF additional ex-
cavadon. Il exposed fresh surfaces 20 the
action Of tropical downpours and at the
same time increased tho pressure at the
bottom. Il was expected that slides
would occur. and IN the estimates pro-
vision was made for them. But IL now
appears. from cracks that show IN the
supper surface. adjacent 70 the basis Of
the cut. that sufficient allowance had not
been made. and he estimates were cor
rected TO meet the new conditions.
"Of the slides proper, the most impor-
tsnt Is the one at Cucaracha. The total
area embraced since the commencement
OF operations IS Al acres. Prior 70 July
4. 1903, l.125,0l7 cubic yards Of material
had been removed from this slide. and
e39. 30 cubic yards were removed during
the fiscal year.
Big Slide at CuIebFa.
'The next largest slide is on the west
bank Of the canal. where the village OF
New Culebra was located. II has been
caused by the movement Of large
French dump into the canal The area
involved amounts to 7.3 acres. Prior 10
July !, 1903. 11sO2i cubic yards had been
removed, and S27. so cubic yards were re-
moved during the year.
1.-THE third slide covers an area OF as
acres, and is located on the east bank Of
the canal. directly opposite White House
yard Prior 10 July ]. 1909. 5o,S0o cubic
yards OF material had been removed. and
10000 cubic yards were removed during
the present fiscal year
The fourth slide covers an area of It
acres on the east bank OF the Ohispo
diversion at La PIta Point, where the
west slope of a hill broke away and
commenced TO slide toward the ObispO
diversion Steps were taken TO remove
this material before il could cut on the
diversion, and 15,60S cubic yards were
taken out
DIEt DdQ bfcdhS oCtLtEtu auI4ub LAc
year on the west bank OF the canal at
the town of Culebra the break covers an
area Of ten and half acres, and during
the fiscal year 1.500.SSS cubic yards were
removed making a grand total Of 1.6S0,
600 cubic yards since the break began.
The average number Of old employees on
the roll OF the commission was
1859 and on the rolls OF the Panama
Railroad 75S. a total OF 5.l22. Laborers re-
eruited during the year aggregated 2.15s
all West Indians. and the most OF them
from Barbados.
Uncle Sam, according TO Col. Cocktails
report. IS now running nineteen hotels
on the isthmus, nineteen European Ia
borers' messes, and twenty common la
borers' kitchens. On Uncle Sans best
hotel on the isthmus he made profit for
the year of s4.573.2S.