The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1910-12-06
PROeRESs 9E5 PNIAMh g { !.
work Most satisfactory apIetsd
"a. Io15 cast S97E. COO, 600

At the instance of Colonel Goethnlss
m. arn1v engineer officer In charge 81
the work on the Panama caua1,-1 hayel
lust made a visit TO the isthmus 90 n
snect the work done aud to consult
With him on the ground as to certain
problens which are likely to arise 10
tho near future The progress OF thel
work is most satisfactory lfrn0 une1-
pectel obstacle presents Itself the c1nal
viii be completed well within the time
dxed by Colonel Goethalsl-to ~ II, Jan.
/. lolS5z-and within the estimate OF cost
! 1915, oOo, 900.
Press reports have reached the Unit
cd States from time to time giving &C
counts OF slides OF earth livery large
yardaSe in the Culebra cnt and else
where along the line, fEop which It
might be inferred that the work mas
been much retarded and that the time
Of completion has been necessarily
postponed. ~ t 81.
The report Of DR.. Hayes OF the geo
logical survey. whom ]. sent within tne
last month to the isthmus to make nn
Investigation. shows that this section
OF the canal zone is composed OF setits
mentary rocks OF father weak structure
and subject to almost Immediate dIsin-
tegrntion when exposed to the air- Sub
seauent to the deposition OF these sedl-
ments Igneous rocks, harder and more
durable, have been thrust Into them
and, being coldat the time Of their In
trusion, united but ipdiHerently with
the sedtmentary rock at the contncts-
The result OF these conditions Is that
MS the cut Is deepened, causing unbal-
nnced pressures, slides from the sides
of the cnt have occiirred. These are In
part due to the flowing Of surface soil
and decomposed sedfmentary rocks
upon inclined surfaces of the underly-
Ing undecomposed rock aud In part by
the crushing OF structurally 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 VIII
have to he rcm0ved and the greater
slope that Will hive to be given to the
bank in many places in order to pre-
vent their recurrence. Such allow
ance does not exceed 1O.ooo,0Oo yards.
Considering that the number OF yards
removed from this cut On an average
OF each month through the year is
,30O0 600 and that the total remaining
to be excavated, including slides, is
about 100000 yards, 1t 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 obstruct the 'construc-
ton OF IL cannl of the lock type, the
increase Of excavation due TO such
slides in the cut made elghty9hve feet
Il, Sy,Va NVO
tainly have been so great as to delay
its completion to a time beyond the pa
thence OF the American people
Among questions nrlsing for present
solution is the decision whether the
canal shall be fortified. i have already
stated to the congress thnt I strongly
favor fordhcation and Inow reiterAte
this opinion and ask your considera-
tion Of the subject in the light of tbe
report already before you made by n
competent board.
If in our discretion we believe 1rrod-
ern Qualifications 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 conven-
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 ia the
construction of the cannl has been to
increase the military effectiveness OF
our navy.
Failure to fortlfy the cannl 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 ana ire
sponsible enemy,
Canal ToiIa.
Another question which arises for
consideration and possible sIcglsln tion
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 a matter
Of estimate, but one OF the government
commission in 1900 investigated the
question and made Il report.
He concluded TINT the total tonnngeI
OF the vessels employed In commerceI
that could use tho isthmian canal inI
1914 would amount to O.S43SOJ tons
net register and that this traffic would
increase 25.1 per cent per decade, thsI
II was not probable that all the cOs9-i
merce included in the totals wou1t ~
once abandon the routes Mt tprescpt l0sil
lowed aud make use OF the new e'slatsAl
and that it might tNk6 some rhlA- Pel
haps two years, torpndJust traae %ssAl
reference to the now condittells wAleFl
the canal would establish