The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-11-25

Washington, d. c., Nov. 21.-Sum
married. in phrase, satisfactory pro-
gress all along the Panama canal
zone" is the gist of the annual report
Of the Isthmian canal commission,
made to Secretary of War Dickinson
by Col. George w. Goethals, chair
man Of the commission and chief engi-
neer in charge of the work on the
canal, and made public Sunday by the
former.
With the work of excavation and of
lconstruction progressing favorably at
all points along the line, with health
conditions better than ever before,
with a Capitalization and consequent
economy in certain parts of the work
and with a maximum of laborers since
the United States began to dig the
canal, Col Goethal's report was de-
cidedly pleasing to Secretary Dickin-
son.
The chief engineer reports, how
ever, that it was not all smooth sail
ing during the past year, slides, breaks
and floods hindering the work to
certain extent. He mentions four
slides, covering respectively Al, 7.3,
4.6 and IL acres and requiring during
the year the removal of more than
million cubic yards of material. ut
was expected" he says, that slides
would occur, and in the estimates pro-
vision was made for them, but it now
appears from cracks that show in the
upper surface adjacent to the faces
of the cut, that sufficient allowance
had not been made, and the estimates
were corrected to meet the new condi-
Itions."
Three bad breaks, he reports, oc-
curred during the year, one at the
town of Culebra covering an area of
Imore than ten acres and requiring a
removal of more than million and
a half of cubic yards of dirt and
Istone. The second largest break COW
Tered an area of more than eleven acres
and required removal of more than
100000 cubic yards, while the third
break aggregated about 10000 cubic
yards.
"rhe floods seriously interefered
with the progress of the work" says
ICol Goethals, referring in particular
to that of the central division and the
lCulebra cut, "and the one of Decem-
Der 20 overhowed the dixie separating
the cut from the Chagres river, cutting
channel through it about 200 feet
! long and 21 feet deep"
The total amount of material re-
moved from slides and breaks in the
central division of the canal during
the year was more than two and a
half million cubic yards, or about
fifteen per cent of the amount remov
ed during thhe year from Culebra cut
, the principal part of the central divis
ion.
More than 36,5OO,OOO cubic yards OF
material were removed from all parts
of the canal during the year, of which
almost 100000 were from the Guile
bra cut and almost 100000 from the
, Chagres section. About 35,00000C
cubic yards remain to be removed
from the Culebra cut before this sec
ltion of the canal is completed.
Reports from various points along
: the line show that the cost of excava
tion varied from twenty-four cents pei
cubic yard at one place to as high as
I$2.51 at another. There is 10 such
divergence of price in the cost of pei
cubic yard of concrete work.. the low
est average being $500 and the high
est $3.50. More than 100000 cubic
yards of concrete were laid during the
year,
Economy has been sought by the
commission in various directions. TIC
Ireduce to a minimum delays on ac
, count of breakdown of machinery
, Iplant and equipment, which reflects
largely in the unit cost of work" says
Col. Goethals, "and to provide proper
facilities for oyerhauling plant anC
equipment, as well as manufacturing
necessary repair parts, large shops
have been provided at certain points
, on the Isthmus in which are employed
a total of 4,491 men.
In general" he adds, the repair
shops and equipment on the Isthmu'
are adequate to meet all requirements
; during the construction period, Moth
, ing as yet has been done toward per
manent shop facilities which will bt
, needed after completion of the canal
, During the year special attention
. was paid to reducing the cost Of main
, tenance and operation of equipment il
the shops including the standardization
of salaries and wages paid and of ma