Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-12-06

| the work on the Panama canal, I have
J Just made a visit to the lsthmus to in
| spect the work done and to consult
with him on the ground as to certain
I problems which are likely to arise in
| the near futare. The progress of the
work is most satisfactory. If no unex-
pected obstacle presents itself the canal
will be completed well within the time
! fixed by Colonel Goethals-to wit, Jan.
, 1, 1915-and within the estimate of cost,
! 1915. 100000.
! Press reports have reached the Unit
| ed States from time to time giving ac-
counts of slides of earth Of very large
! yardage in the Culebra cut and else
where along the line, from which it
might be inferred that the work has
been much retarded and that the time
of completion has been necessarily
/ postponed.
The report of DR.. Hayes of the geo
! logical survey, whom | sent within the
/ last month to the isthmus to make an
investigation, shows that this section
! of the canal zone is composed of sedt
mentary rocks of rather weak structure
and subject to almost immediate disin-
tegration when exposed to the air. Sub
sequent to the deposition OF these sedl-
ments igneous rocks, harder and more
! durable, have been thrust into them
and, being cold at the time of their in
trusion, united but indifferently with
the sedimentary rock at the contacts.
The result of these conditions is that
as the cut is deepened, causing unbal-
anced pressures. slides from the sides
of the cut have occurred. These are in
part due to the flowing Of surface soil
and decomposed sedimentary rocks
upon inclined surfaces of the underly-
ing undecomposed rock and in part by
the crushing of structuralIy weak beds
under excessive pressure.
These slides occur on one side or the
other of the cut through a distance of
four or five miles, and now that their
character is understood allowance has
been made in the calculations of yard
age 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 pre-
| vent their recurrence. Such allow
ance does not exceed 100000 yards.
/ Considering that the number Of yards
removed from this cut on an average
!
1900 900 and that the total remaining
to be excavated. including slides. IS
about 100000 yards. it is seen that
( this addition TO the excavation does
not offer any great reason for delay.
While this feature of the material to
be excavated in the cut will not seri-
ously delay or obstTuct the cOnstruc-
ton of a canal of the lock type. the
increase of excavation due to such
slides in the cut made eighty-fve feet
deeper for a sea level canal would GER
/ tainly have been so great as to delay
its completion to n time beyond the pa
thence of the American people.
Among questions arising for present
solution is the decision whether the
canal shall be fortified. I have already
stated to the congress that l strongly
favor fertilization. and l now reiterate
this opinion and ask your cOnsidera-
ton of the subject in the light of the
report already before you made by a
competent board.
/ If in our discretion we believe mod
ern Notifications to be necessary to
the adequate protection and policing
of the canal. then it is our duty to
! construct them. We have built the ca
nal. 1t is our property. BY cODven-
ton we have indicated our desire for
and indeed undertaken its universal
and equal use. 1t is also well known
that one of the chief objects in the
construction Of the canal has been 10
increase the military effectiveness of
our navy.
Failure 10 fortify the canal would
leave the attainment of both these
aims in the position of rights and OBJ
! legations which we should be power
less to enforce and which could never
in any other way be absolutely safe
guarded against desperate and ire
sponsible enemy.
Canal Tolls.
Another question which arises for
consideration and possible legislation
is the question of tolls in the canal
This question is necessarily affected by
the probable tonnage which will go
/, through the canal. 1t is all Il matter
of estimate, but one of the government
commission in 1900 investigated the
question and made report.
! He concluded that the total tonnage
of the vessels employed in commerce
that could use the isthmian canal in
1914 would amount to 6.S43, S05 tons
net register and that this traffic would
increase 25.1 per cent per decade, that
it was not probable that all the com
merce included in the totals would at
once abandon the routes at present fol-
lowed and make use of the new canal
and that it might take some time. per
haps two years. to readjust trade with
/ reference TO the new conditions which
| the canal would establish.
/ He did not include moreover. the ton
mage of war vessels. although it is TO
/ be inferred that such vessels would
make considerable use of the canal. In
/ the matter of tolls he reached the con-
| clusion that n dollar a net ton would
not drive business away from the ca
nal. but that higher rate would do so.
/ In determining what the tolls should