Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-04-02


pass through the locks under its owr.
power. Electricity will be used TO tow MI
vessels into and through the locks and to
operate all gates and valves, power being
gcnerated by water turbines from the head
created by Gutun lake
The time required to pass vessel
through all the locks is estimated at three
hours, one hour and half in the three
locks at Gatun and about the same time in
the three locks on the Pacific side The
time of passage of a vessel through the
entire canal is estimated as ranging from
ten To twelve hours, according to the size
, OF the ship and the rate Of speed at which
II can travel.
The total excavation. dry and wet. for
the canal, as originally planned was esti
mated at lO3795,OJJ cubic yards. in addI.
ton to the excavation by the French com
panies Changes in the plan OF the canal.
maze subsequently, hy order OF the presI-
u'nt' increased the amount to ia $50, 5g4
rHoic yards, Active excavation work an
large scale did not begin uil 1907. on
AN" l. 1910, the excavation exceeded lo3
OO0o@ cubic yards, the entire amount
called for In The original plan. Records Of
an excavation To- April /. 1919, are appended.
r.. r,,..,. Cubic Yards.
French excavation useful to pres
penl canal ............ ...,........... 2g9OS ono
'' ans observation-disclosures. 1903 POS. 500
on March %. 1910, the total force Of the
Isthmian Canal commission and Panama
railroad company, actually at work. was
s>.'"-' divided as follows. The gold force
CAS- Is made up Of tn officials. clerical
force construction men and skilled artisans
OF the Isthmian Canal commission and the
Panama railroad. Practically ali Of them
are American. The silver force "a 3O9 rem
resents the unskiled laburcrs OF The conf
mission and the Panama railroad
OF these about 5000 are Europeans mainly
Spaniards, with few Italians ana other
races. The remainder about $500 are
West Indians, about 1000 of whom are en-
ploycd as artisans, receiving l6 20 and 2,
cents. and a small number 81 to a. cents
an hour. The standard rate OF the West
indian laborer IS 10 cents an hour. but "a
Few Of these doing work Of an exceptional
character are paid 15 ana 20 cents The
largo part OF The Spa iarts are paid %
cents an hour, no the rest 10 cents an
hour.
The subsistence department Il divided
INTO two branches cOmmissary and hotel
1t does about SIOOOCo0 worth OF business a
year two-thirds Of this through the com
''-'+' 800 "'Aa hAAN"hll ct lIIibNEN the hotels
IL leeds, clothes anu pro dCs with neces-
stiles approximate 1900 persons The
department is sell-sustaulug.
/ There are many aspects Of the good
I which VIII accrue o. tine United States
from the building OF tho canal which are
already felt. The woIl. III construction.
from the very day when the commission
took possession OF the zone 20 begin the
work Of sanitation and preparation for the
great engineering feat TO follow. cannot
but Interest, inspire and broaden the people
Of the whole land To conquer TIE diff
culties which have daunted other nations:
to turn the danger spots Of tropical swamps
and disease-broeding regions into clean,
healthful and attractive localities where
workmen may live In comfort while prose
cutting their task, TO watch the progress
and final triumph Of intelligent honorable
energy over material and moral obstacles-
these are experiences which viii quicken
and refine American character.
10 is believed by the most enlightened
men Of the age that the completion Of the
Panama canal will be a boon 20 an nations
4 Of the earth and make for universal peace.
JOSEPH HAYDEN.