El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-05
Panama Canal To Be Made
An Almost Impregnable Fort
No Nation Will Be Able to Big Ditch When United
States Completes Defences.

~ ULEBRA, Canal Zone, June 81
The canal commission is now ar
ranging to carry out the work OF
making the Panama canal impre enable
against the attack Of any hostile ma
ton 1t will provide the emplace-
ments for the armament and the forth
fications and quarters for the small
army which will guard the big water
way from craaks in time of peace and
from invaders in time of war. What
ever may have been the opinion of men
as to whether the canal should be for
titled or neutrali7ed, there is now no
difference of opinion that since con-
gres has elected to fortify it the work
must be done so thoroughly that there
never will be a possibility of its being
wrested from US.
The troops to be stationed on the
itshmus will consist of II companies Of
coast artillery. four regiments OF in
fartry, ore battalion of field artillery
and one squadron of cavalry In time
of war this force would be augmented
by such additional troops as the ext
gencies of the time might demand
Such general provisions for the loca-
ton of these achievements will be
made as win assure them Of good camp
sites when they arrive.
The Notifications.
1t is the intention to forrify the two
ends of the canal with extreme care.
At each end there will be placed four
14inch rifles. giant bankers which will
begin the formalities of a warm recep-
ton by the time a hostile fleet is 10
miles away; six six-inch guns. and IL
12-inch mortars The topogra ply Of the
Limon and Panama bays lends itself
admirably to the purposes of defence
In Limon Bay. on the Atlantic side,
the distance between Toro Point and
the opposite side of the bay is incon-
siderable, and this will be narrowed
down by the big breakwaters which are
being thrown across the bay to pro-
tect the mouth of the canal from the
violent northers which sweep down
upon Colon harbor and the entrance to
the big ditch
On the Pacific side the same condi-
lions prevail A breakwater is being
constructed from the mainland to Naos
island. a distance of about five miles
Beyond Naos island is Perico and be-
yond that is Flamenco. On the latter
island the big coast defence guns will
be situated, and bridges will connect
| Flamenco and Perico with Naos, and
| thence with the mainland over the
breakwater.
Many Mines to Be Planted.
In addition to these defences of the
| entrance to the canal there will be a
complete system of mines to be plant
| ed in case Of war The original plan
was to spend $4,000. 900 for the de-
| fences. but in the interest Of economy,
! the number of guns, the size of the
| permanent garrisons. and other matters
were reduced so that the total cost will
be something above $4,000 000
| It is fortunate from the standpoint
! Of economy that congress decided to
carry forward the work Of fortified
| ton at the same time that the canal is
! being constructed. AS the work on the
| canal nears completion one steam show
ell after another finds no room to op-
!. crate in, and other parts of the equip
| ment must go out Of commission with
the steam shovel. The same is true of
! the force. BY utilizing the men and
machinery no longer needed for canal
work, under the efficient labor sys-
! tenn of the present canal regime, a
| great saving is assured in the cost of
| the fertilization
/ Cost Less Than Expected.
The fortification OF the canal will
| cost about $1,000. 900 less than was
! originally estimated. When the forth
/ fication board went over the grounds
| 1T decided TO make recommendations
Sucn as would give the lStnmuS IOrIlIl-
! cations of the highest type. and pro-
/ vide for army posts which would be
/ the last word in military architecture
| But the nearly S20.0O0,000 that this
would have cost seemed to large an
| amount to president Taft. and he asked
| the board to scale things down as
| sharply as safely would allow. So
| they cut out n gun or two at either end
OF the canal. at a saving of more than
| $1,000, 900. They saved another million