The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-09-12
WORK ON CANAL
Goes ON RAPIDLY
Beginning of End of Gigantic Task
On Panama, Waterway Is
In Sight.

WASHINGTON. Sept. LIT may
no longer be ascribed to an over-zeal-
GUS anticipation TO say that the be-
ginning of the end Of the giant task
of digging the Panama canal Is in
sight.
The structure, 1t may be well called
that for the digging OF the great ditch
Is but one feature of the work, In
taking such definite shape that an
amateur without the trained magma
ton of the engineer for looking into
the future, can see what the canal
Is going to be by running over the
course through the zone from Colon
to Panama.
In The Bulebra and Chagres sec
tions where the greatest amount of
excavation is to be done there Is a
deep cash through the hills. In the
Culebra section of the "a, 000,0 900 yards
of dirt and stone that were to be TAX
en- out, the steam shovels have al
ready gouged out more than $4,000, 900
yards. In the Chagres section Of the
thirteen million yards of excavation,
ten millions has been done. In the
other sections the work OF this char
acter is almost complete with the ex-
ception of the deepening OF the chan
mel by the dredges.
Eastern sections Of the great dam
at Gatum has been brought up to the
level Of SO feet above the sea. More
than nine million cubic yards OF wet
and dry "fll' have been placed. The
barrier which is to hold in check the
waters TO form the lake from which
is TO be drawn, 10 supply the locks,
Is now so nearly finished that a sight
OF it conveys an adequate idea OF Its
tremendous bulk.
The gigantic locks are being outlin-
ed in concrete. The upper or lake
level lock OF the flight at Gatum Is
almost completed. The walls have
almost reached their full height and
the towering steel forms will soon be
moved to the lower locks OF which
the floor has been practically COM
pleted.
A story of the sea perils, which
are faced every year by the men or
the revenue cutter service, Is told In
the report made by Captain ID. 2. Fol
ey. commander OF the Boring Sea
Fleet, upon the wreck and abandon
ment OF the cutter Perry.
Narrow escapes have been many,
but the Perry. thanks to the skill OF
the revenue cutter service men, Is
the first loss which has been sustain
cd by the government in what are per-
haps the most perilous conditions OF
navigation in the world.
The wreck occurred on the Tonki
Point Reef at st. Pauls Island. Cap
tain Foley says in his report: THE
Perry was hard and fast ashore, for
ward and amidship, and all her COM
partments below the decks were filed
with water. | decided to abandon
her after consultation with the OIL
GERS of the Perry and Manning, being
convinced that II was absolutely I'M
possible for us to save her without
wrecking appliances that were not
on hand or available. Even IL we
should succeed in pulling her off the
rock IL would be only to have her sink
and we should be risking another and
much more valuable vessel In working
in the foul ground around her.
THE Perry is lying in very ex-
posed condition, to tide GIBBS and
flows In her, and in my opinion, she
will break in two in the next blow
from any quarter, except directly
from land, which may occur at any
time now. therefore ordered her
stripped. A large part of her stores
and outfits had already been put
ashore.
THE accident happened while the
Perry was on her way from North
east Point to East Anchorage. ST,
Pauls Island, for mail. The Tahoma
Captain Foley's CUTTER. heard the
distress signals OF the Perry at st.
Georges Island and proceeded at full
speed TO her assistance, but was un-
able to give aid, because on her ar
rival the hold and fireroom of the
Perry were full of water and she was
pounding on the reef.
Navigation about the Pribilof ISL
ands, and in particular about st.
Paul's Island. which is fringed with
dangerous reefs, is very difiicult be
cause of the foss, dense at times,
which prevail during the sealing sea
SON, and the treacherous currents
varying I'm force and direction accord
ing 20 no known law.
"The vessels must cruise In fogs
TO make the patrol efhcient. because