The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1910-09-02

hcuiIly pluce Oi uDOue, Wuclt tue
death rate Is small and where hun
dreds Of children are now being raised
under as favorable conditions as In
most parts OF the United States.
The quarters. food and water supply
are excellent and the plant the best
ever gathered for such n purpose. Ac-
tive excavation on large scale did not
begin until January. 1907. Three years
and half have gone by since then.
and three-hfths Of the total excava-
ton has already been accomplished
The amount taken out has passed any
thing which previous experience war
ranted us IN believing TO be possible.
In 1908 and 1909 the monthly aver
age of rock and earth removed was
, 100000 cubic yards notwithstand-
ing the fact that nine months o, each
year constituted season of very
heavy rainfall. There remain 20 be
excavated only about 60,OO0,0O0 cubic
yards.
II we could keep up the past aver
age Of excavation this should be done
In twenty months. but II is Impossible
10 maintain such ratio as the depth
increases. for the output necessarily
dimlnlshes as the field OF operation
narrows Sull. II Is certain that such
a rate can be maintained as viii enable
the workers TO finish the excavation
considerably In advance OF the date
liked for opening the canal. Jan. /.
1915. Indeed, ! shall be surprised II
the canal cannot be opened six months
or even n year In advance of the time
set.
The work has two great features
the Culebra cut, which | have been
considering. and the great dam at Ga
TIM. The latter Il TO imprison the
waters OF the 'Chagres and other
streams into lake with an area OF
iG4 square miles. This work is adj
vancing steadily and Just as success
fully ms toe work on the Culebra cut
The water which is ultimately 10
an the lock Is now flowing through the
concrete spillway In the center OF the
dam. the ChaFros having been divert
ed from It's bed and placed under com.
plcte control The construction OF the
dam has advanced sufficiently 10 con
vince the engineers IA charge Of the
work Of iis absolute stability and I'm.
peryiousDcss. The conteete work on
the lock Is advancing so rapidly that
the first double set ut Gatun will be
completed this coming November. and
the engineer IN charge has announced
that all the concrete I'm all the locks
VIII be In place two years hence.
The date OF final completion and
formal opening Of the canal 20 tho
commerce OF the world will be deter
mined by the time consumed In plac-
ing the great steel gates. emergency
dams and all appliances for operating
the docks. But those IN charge OF the
work announce without hesitation that
everything viii be finished well in ad-
vance Of Jan. !. 1915.
stupendous Achievement.
This is stupendous record OF
achievement As n people we are
rather fond OF criticlsing ourselves
and sometimes with very great Jus
tice. but even the most pessimistic crit
&c should sometimes think OF what is TO
our credit Among our assets OF the
past ten years VIII be placed the ex-
trnordlnary ability, integrity and sue
cess with which we have handled all
the problems inherited as the result OF
the Spanish war. the way we have
handled ourselves In the Philippines. In
Cuba. in Porto Rico. in San Domingo
and in Panama.
The cruise OF the battle fleet around
the world was striking proof that we
had made good with the navy, and
what we have done at Panama repre-
sents the accomplishment OF one Of the
great feats OF the ages. II Is feat
which reflects the highest honor upon
our country. and our gratitude is duo
to every man who has taken an hon
orabic part In any capacity In bring
ing about its performance.
Fortify the Canal.
We now have further duty TO per.
form In connection with Il. and that is
TO fortify a. We are In honor bound
TO fortify 1t ourselves. and only by so
doing can we effectively guarantee IT'S
neutrality and. moreover. effectively
guarantee that II shall not be used
against us.
The chief material advantage-ce
tainly one Of the chief material advan-
tnges which we shall gain 10y It's con-
struction is the way IN which II viii
for defensive purposes double the pow
er Of the United States navy
To refuse 20 fortify II and. above all.
10 consider for moment such an act
of utter weakness and folly ms 20 In
wife other nations 20 step in and guar
aniec the neutrality of this purely
American work land thereby really 10
make II certain that I'm the event OF
war we should find the canal used
against MS. "a our fleets would be for
hidden 10 pass through II or else our
opponents fleets permitted tol would
be 10 incur, and quite rirhtfully. the
contempt OF the world. II would mean
the complete abandonment of the Mon