El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-14
RAPID WORK
BEING MADE
ON CANAL
Great Ditch Will Be Fin
fshed Much Sooner Than
Promised.
CULEBRA HILL Is
THE WORST OBSTACLE

Colon. Panama. Oct 14--Ma gnificent
is the word which might fittingly de-
scribe the progress made on the con
struction Of the Panama canal me
! statement of colonel George w GOeth-
ais chief engineer Of the canal, that
Z the canal would be finished in Septem-
Der. lsl5s or over one year before Ine
date previously announced Tor It's IN
auEuratiOn. was at first received with
some hesitation. Now. however, an eX-
animation of the colossal work that is
being rushed to completion In Mira
flores Pedro Miguel and Gatun. and
I the surprising way the Culeora cut is
advanced. has convinced the most in
credulOus that colonel GOethals's esti-
mate of completion in 1913 viii be
borne out
CuIebra Hills offer Problem.
The point which seems to offer the
greatest difficulties throughout the
whole canal is the cut in the Culebra
hills and this, not on account OF en-
gineerinE problems. but because Of the
many slides occurring from the loose
earth These slides confuse estimates
as 10 the number of cubic yards to be
ultimately eXcavated- The engineers,
however. in charge Of the work are
confident that these difficulties ars
by no means insuperable and Will in
no way. retard the date set for opening
the canal
Even before disembarking the
stranger to the isthmus on arriving at
Colon, the Atlantic terminus of the
canal. viii be struck by the unusual
activity visible in every direction in
the har1Or. His attention viii first be
directed to the long treStle already
stretching Stewards for over one and
q half mile. in northeast direction
from TOrO Lighthouse Point across the
harbOr All along this trestle rock and
stones are being dumped to form
breakwater whose ultimate length from
shore viii be about two miles.
The estimated cost Of this break
nHHM o
to reduce TO a minimum the silt that
may be washed into the channel Of the
canal and also to protect the inner
basin of the harbOr, which leads to
the entrance Of the canal from the
nOrtherly gales which usually obtain
here from October TO January and
which not infrequently do much dam
age to the shipping and coastine.
The Massive Piers.
The eye following the cOastline will
soon be attracted towards the massive
piers which begun about three months
ago. and to cost ultimately several mill
lion dollars already stretch out for
nearly half a mile into the harbOr from
C-iSt0hal Point
These piers viii be rOomy enough to
permit several large liners to dock
simultaneously. Powerful tugs. each
towing large barges laden with sand
and rock for the locks from Porto BellO
lsOme 20 miles from Colon along the
eastern coast and now fairly large
in sight on their way through the canal
to Gatun. seven miles distant from
Colon. If the above DeSpeakS activity
around Colon Harbor. the activity viii
be seen to be greater when Gatun is
reached Tt is here the canal ceases
to be sea level and reaches the three
giant locks which viii lift all ships IS
feet and enable them to pass into the
Gatun lake artificially formed by a
monster dam which impounds the wa
tiers Of the River Chagres and its trib-
utaries.
steam shOveIs Removing Mountain.
The steam shovels. Of which there
are several types and sizes are eating
away the dirt from the mountain
slopes or digging deep down into the
earth with a regularity that suggests
the swing of q pendulum or the beat
of a pulse Large buckets filled with
concrete are passing nOislessly over
head along the steel cables and depOs-
iting their contents at the desired
spot The Whole scene is one well cal
culated to inspire admiration for the
manner in which the work is being
performed.
What applies to Gatun applies also
canal all tending to convince the OBJ
server that the possibility Of opening
the canal before the date officially
fixed is no empty boast
Disease Is Conquered.
What the sanitary department of the
canal commission has accomplished In
cleansing the canal zone of yellow fe-
yer Hnd other diseases is well known
The progressive wonders that have
been attained in housing. feeding and
providing amusement and instruction
to the army of 10000 W0rkmen is less
well known. The DestiferOus jungle
and swamp have been transformed
into clean. smart-lOOking healthful
towns and villages to be seen through
out the canal zone, all full Of hustling
activity and today the pleasant rendeZ-
vOus of an ever increasing number Of
American and other tourists. This
transformation has cost millions, but
they have been well spent and the IN
interrupted and Successful digging Of
the canal ever since has been rendered
possible thereby
throughout the whole length Of the
canal clean, comfortable houses have
been built for the married. employees
and their families Eighteen big hO-
tells were also erected for the bache-
Tors, besides numerous barracks,
In these buildings there are under the
commissions care not fewer than Co.
600 people
The white canal and railroad en-
plOyes are furnished with free house.
electric light, coal and water. and all
labOrers and employees have commits
sarT rights which enable them to Dur
chase in the government stores at prac-
other necessaries which permits them
to live well and ineXpensively and save
a considerable part Of their salaries.
The public schools of the zone are
very EUod- The teachers are Ameri-
can and native The gardens estab-
lished in many of them have been such
success that the Panama government
is adopting the same method in its
provincial schools.
Y. VI. c. g.. Represented.
Under the management of the y NJ.
c. A. there are club houses in the prfn-
ciDal zone towns wherein employees.
after a hard DAYS toll. may go in
reading and billiard rooms. tennis
courts bowling alleys OF gymnasfums.
The erection and maintenance of
these clubs have added much to the
welfare of the men. and in the long
run has been an excellent Investment
The regard for the social welfare
of the canal workers has had its effect
on the work itself for the workers
seem taking personal interest in full
filling colonel GOethals's prediction
that the great waterway viii be fin
ished ahead Of time