Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1911-11-15
PANAMA CANAL IS
DOING NICELY,
THANK YOU
Plans for Locks Practically
Completed; Nearly Three
Quarters of Culebra Cut
Finished.


Washington. Nov. i5.--The great
mechanical problems connected with
thr construction Of tho Panama ca
nal. which a. To be opened 10 the
government, in January. 1915. pass in
review IN the annuai report 81 the
isthmlan canal commission just made
public. Tho record OF the years
achievements IN the gigantic task
that W being worked out by the
Washington government under con
gressionhl appropriations that 10 FAR
ngRrcEate tg93.sei.ass Includes.
Completion of almnat three-uuar-
strs OF Cuiebra cut. Total cxcaya-
zion of material from Culebra during
gear, ie.sst.s52 cubic yards ut aver
nEc cost OF 5sas cents per yard
Hig plans laid for canal terminals
Including storage Of fuel fresh wa
Ter and other supplies, repair faclii-
ties. etc. Pacific terminal TO have
dry dock. storehouse and coaiing sta
tionr.
Practical oomple,iop Of plans Of
all locks.
Eiabonte scheme for iishtlnE the
canal.
safeguarding % the canal aHainr,
big landsiides.
The report treats the physical AS.
pcct Of tho hiH waterway with minute
detail. Questions % tolls. form of
government and character and extent
Of population 20 he permitted IN the
canal xono have been reported upon
In advance sheets bf the report al
read, made public The locks have
heen q great problem. DesiT.s FOR
che approaeh walls ne all locks ex.
cept enc have been prepared. Con.
tracts In force ~ the beginning oi
the fiscal year were practically com
pleted and new contracts entered into
for y vast amount uf frames. valves,
gates aud ether paraphernalia needed
90 put the canal into operation.
More than ssi tons % castings were
made on the isthmus. building Of
the Rrcat lock gn,es--each leaf Of
which IN 81 feet inches high--was
expedited. Al each la,k entrance
strnng fender chains attached "a
powerful springs VIII bp Installed "a
prevent ships from hntierinR down
the locks
floating caisson gate Is being In
stalled for use in clonins a lock va
na 10 enable wotkmen 90 rcpair ths
permanent locks and the hotioa
s,ilces.
canal Illumination viii he pro,id.
I'd ~ range ilEhtr for ektaeli%finp
tho direction ~ vrsarle on tho lanFei
issiieHhts and 81 side Bfslifs rhils
auart marking each sid OF the ca,
nal. fuaSs aud lighted heavens hull
al reinforced concrete will abound
The fanouA culcbfa cut " tor
miles long and deep enough a. re-
ocive the United Stntes capitol, dom'
ana ALI From this cat. despite th'
enormous excavation during the year
ON July last there remained 20.
aa0.IfU eubir yards ~ hr removed
Estimates 81 excavation necessary q
this rut have been largely tncreaHe'
to allow for The large earth slides
Last year these slides that had 70 ~
removed from the canal cutting ate
u had been practically complete wa
t.sfa.s5S yards or over 30 per cen
OF an the material removed from ~
ont
These slides have occurred wher
the material excavaisd was left on
stops sleeper than the permanent IN
elmo will be-. ana the trouble IL ~
pccted 10 cease when tho natural rior
81 the canal hanks s. restored
Breaks have occurred on batl
sides OF the cut where the underly
ing rock h ~ poor quality and
broken up and squeezed inward ,
the pressure from beneath and froa
the sides. intsrrup,ing the dramas
and covering up the railroad track
10 meet this condition lnsermediat
Aa,.l.o hnva h.ou euf aInuu IN
slope 10 distribute the top weigh
and reduce che amour. ~ mAaeris