Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1911-12-12
CANAL IS BIGGEST
THING YET, SAYS
ALBUQUERQUEAM
Daniel Scruggs, Former Resi-
dent of This City, Returns
from Panama Where He
Has Been for Six Years.

Daniel scruggs. former resident OF
Albuquerque, returned yesterday
morning from the lsthmus OF Panama,
where he has been for the past ak
years a. the representative OF the
Singer Sewing Machine company.
Mr.. Scruggs talked very interest
lngly OF the Panama canal. which ne
calls the biggest thing In the world.
He also stated belief that the giant
waterway would be completed by Jan
!. 1915. as required by the govern.
mont schedule.
The canal In undoubtedly the great
est enterprise ever undertaken by
man anywhere on the globe" he said.
and II monument To American sklll
and ingenuity as well as 20 American
Iprogrcsaiveness
There stlll roman 10 be excava,ed
from the original canal plan. about a.
million cubic yards. Including the worl.
done nv tae French which win be
available Tor use in the canal MS plan.
nei by Americans. There are TO be
~ pairs OF locks. and the canal when
completed will measure so miles from
deep water to deep water. though the
actual length. shore 10 shore, Will he
10 miles less
AT the narrowest point the canal
VIII be- 300 faei wide AT the bottom.
This Ia In the famous Culebra cut. IN
the locks, the canal Will be iIO feet
Wide, bu, as the chips passing Though
the locks will be towed through by
electric locomotives. this vill be
ample, Two locomotives will grasp
the ship from the stern and two AZ
the bow. The forward pair win do
the actual towing, the others only
keeping the vessel straight In the lock.
Vessels 1000 fee, in length can be
accommodated IN the locks.
III will take 10 10 IL hours. n tue
engineers hgarce are correct. Tor o
vessel 10 pass through the canal.
Three hours OF this will be spent m
the locks. There are 5000 Americans
employed In the canal work aud about
10 900 men In all al work. There will
be 100000 cubic yards Of concrete
used 10 10 construction and the es.
timated cost. including that OF the re
loeated Panama railroad. will total
nearly sso0ooo.oOo- That Is some
money
Electric power for towing steamers
through, for opening and closing On,
lock gates and for doing all the odd
labs around the canal will be furnished
by turbines. run by the head of the
water al Gatun lake a sheet of water
which viii be 1854 square rules ~
area when the canal u completed
some OF Il artificially impounded IN
a valley. Water for running the
locks will be furnished from this. IA
the rains are very heavy down there
u will be- necessary only TO impount
water In storage for three or foul
months IN the year.
's'fhe canal force has had consider
able trouble from landslidcsi OF which
there are u IN an along the cana
route. Il Is estimated that 5000. 90,
yarts OF earth and rock have been ne
moved on account OF these. with g.,
100000 feet etill In motion which nus
be cared for All earth. both from the
slides and In excavation is handle,
BY steam shovels and cranes witt
grab Duckegs. aud gfaias OF flat d
dump cars. The biggest days worl
at excayating was that OF March II
1911, when ON the central division
OF the canal. i27.74g tons OF eartl
were removed
| ITO care ior the employees at work
there Ia a large commlssary depart
aent. which daily handles trains o
supplies along the Isthmlan railroad
and operates continuously largl
plants az Cfisiobal. gaaking fee, bread
Ice cream and olhes accessories. a
Wen az doing laundry. coffee rosstinI
and Other things. There H. a hote
NJ Ancon, ard q sumber OF mesecf
where food Is sold very cheaply Il
government employees, For supple,
about sss.Oon Ia expended ever
month.
II ''hoth ends OF the canal win be pro
iocied by breakwaters. That at IN
Colon harb0r II TO be little nor
than two miles long when completed
and viii afford safe harbor an
also protect the mouth OF the cans
from being clogged with silt. m
lone on the other side win be- about
imile longer and very much widol