Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-12-06
PANAMA CANAL.

At the Instance OF Col. Goethals
the army engineer officer IN charge
of the work on the Panama canal
have just made q visit to the isthmus
to inspect the work done and to con-
suit with him on the ground as ito
certain problems which are likely to
arise in the near future, The progress
of the work is most satisfactory. II nc
unexpected obstacle presents itself
the canal will be completed well with.
in the time fixed by Col Cocktails. to
wit, JAM 1. 1915, and within the .esti-
mate of cost, s375, 100000.
Press reports have reached tho
United States from. time to time Civ
ing accounts OF slides Of earth of very
elsewhere along the line. from which
It might be inferred that the work
! has been much retarded and that the
time of completion has been necessari-
~ postponed.
The report OF DR.. Hayes. of the
geological 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 sedimentary rocks of rather weak
structure and subject to almost i'm
mediate disintegration when exposed
to the knife Subsequent to the de-
position OF these sediments. igne-
Gus rocks. harder and more DUR
able, have been thrust into them
and being cold mt the time of their In
trusion united but indifferently with
the sedimentary rock ut the contacts.
The result of these conditions Is that
as the cut Is deeFened, causing un-
balanced presSures. slides from the
sides Of the cut have occurred.
WHERE SLIDES OCCUR.
These are in part due to the flowing
of surface soil and decomposed sedi-
tnentary rocks upon inclined surfaces
of the underlying undecomposed rock
and IN part by the crushing of struc-
turally weak beds under excessive
pressure. These slides occur on one
side or the other OF tho cut through a
distance of four or five miles, and now
that their character Is understood, al
lowance has been made-in the calcua-
tions of yardage 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 prevent their recurrence.
Such allowance does not exceed 10 mil
lions of yards. Considering that the
number of yards removed from this
cut on an average OF each month
through the year Is 100000, and that
the total remaining to be exclvated, In
Guiding Slides is about 10000 900 yards,
1t lis seen that this addition to tho en-
cavatlon does not offer any great rea-
son for delay.
While this feature of the material to
be eXcuvatcd III the cut will not Sc
rlously delay or obstruct the construc-
ton of a canal ;of the lock type, the
increase or excavation due to such
slides in the cut made So feet deeper for
n sea level canal would certainly have
been so great as to delay its completion
to " time beyond the patience of the
American people,
II QUESTION OF FORTIFICATlON.4
a Among questions arising for present
solution is the decision whether the
canal shall be fortified. i have al
ready stated to the Congress- that I
strongly favor Fertilization and now
raiterate this opinion and as your coz
sderation of the subject in the light
by Il competent board.
II, In our discretion, we believe mod
crn Notifications to be necessary to the
adequate. protection and policing OF the
canal, then 1t Is our duty to construct
them. We have built the canal It is
our property. BY convention we have
indicated our desire for, and indeed
undertaken. Its univcrsnland equal use.
1t IL also well known that one Of the
chef objects In the construction OF
the canal has been to Increase the mill
tRry effectiveness Of our navy
Failure to fcrtify the canal would
lehyeithe attainment of both these aims