The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-25

of the important details concerning the
construction of the Panama canal. We
give various other figures which we
trust will be equally interesting.
The canal is without question one of
the most stupendous undertakings oil
modern times. Hence the American
people who are building it, who are
footing the large bill of expense, and
who will control it during the years to
come should learn as much as possible
about it.
Pumping Dredges Used
dams, the immense Culebra cut, the
Gatun Lake, and the locks and reported
the progress that had been made in
dry eXcavatmg. Let us, i'll this issue,
say few words about the wet cx-
cavation. This represents 100000
cubic yards of the total to be handled
Hence it is nearly half of the work of
excavation. There are as we stated
last week l0l large steam shovels at
work. There are about 30 big dredges of
various kinds, though not all are stead
lily ut work. Twelve or fourteen of
them are such as can be seen operating
in our American rivers, lakes, and har-
bors. The dredges have combined
capacity of 100000 cubic yards per
month. Two are sea going suction
dredges. They have immense centrifu-
gal pumps. They draw the material
from the bottom of the sea up into
large bins in their own hulls and when
the bins are full the dredges steam to
the dumping grounds. empty their con
tents by opening bottom gates, and
return for other loads. They stop
only for fuel and repairs. They have
by far the largest output of any of
the dredges in use and are operated
at the least expense, considering the
work they do. After the completion OF
the canal these dredges will be retain
ed Oh the zone to keep the canal and
the harbors free from all matter that
may fill in from the sea or from the
mountain rivers and other streams.
Novel Rock Breaker
Several old French ladder drcdges are
also in use. They have each about
half the capacity of the sea going dred
gcs. Still, they are operated regularly
and do fairly good work. These dredses
discharge their contents through
chutes into -propelling barges and
American scows. The scows are towed
to the dumping grounds by small tugs.
There are three dipper and several
clam shell dredges. a Lobnitz rock
breaker is one of the novel machines
in use in the harbor OH the Pacific
side. 1t has large ram mounted OH
a barge of sufficient size. 1t is used to
fracture and break up the rock Oh
the bottom of the channel which can
be taken out by dipper or clamshell
dredges. Three sizes of rams are used.
They are from 80 to 80 feet in length
and weigh from 10 to 10 tons each.
They are raised from four to ten feet
above water and then dropped. They
break rock to depth of three feet.
This rock breaker is giving fairly good
though it is not considered
of any particular value as time or
money saver. Pipe line dredges are
used in making the core in Gatun dam.
In the Pacific division of the canal,
from the last lock on the Pacific for
4 distance of two miles outward, there
ire | 100000 cubic yards of material
TO be moved. 1t is sort of dark
oam. 1t is resting on 100000 cubic
Yards of hard rock, which will have
TO be taken out Ii has been found
difficult to dredge in this locality
with any degree of economy. A by
llauic method that has been developed
md tested with great success i'll several
Of our states will be used instead OF
the dredge A dam will be thrown
across the channel two miles below the
ower Miraflores lock. The loan will
De attacked by large, powerful jets of
water under sufficient pressure to break
It up and carry it to pools where it
will be removed by centrifugal pumps.
Kinds of Labor Employed.
The common labor in the making of /
.he canal is done chiefly by oolored
people from Guadaloque. Jamaica, the
Trinidad and the island of
The Martiniques talk
french and the Jamaicans and the
speak English, those island;
laving orinally been colonized by the
British, to whom they still belong.
lie Martiniques are considered more
Industrious than the laborers from the
'ther islands named. All seem to be
airly well enlightened and when not
It work are quite dressy. There are
10 American negroes employed on the
anal as we stated before. They
would claim rights as American citi
ems, and the color line is recog
lized on the canal zone. There are
hurches, schools, hotels, boarding
.ouses, waiting rooms in depots and
ther places for whites and similar I
'laces for blacks The colored people en-
,loyed have no rights under our laws
ffecting labor. On this account, they !
an not cause any legal trouble
Spaniards Good Workers. /
There are usually from 5000 to j.
I+,,l. .