The Washington times., 1911-02-23
CONCER ERNED OVER
SLIDE AT PANAMA
lSthmian Canal Commission
Says 1t Has Received No
Cable Report.
OFFICIALS STATE
1T WAS EXPECTED
Col. GoethaIs on Way to Pioneer
Cut, Opposite Culebra, Where
Avalanche Occurred.

Unofficial reports of a tremendous
slide which carried 5OOO1 cubic yards
of rocks and earth into the Pioneer cut,
opposite the town of Culebra, are TO-
day the subject of much concern at the
office of the Isthmian Canal Commits
sion
No cable of the big break reported
has been received at this office" de-
clared Arthur l.. Flint, assistant chief
in office, and we believe that the re-
ports are exaggerated. However, slides
have been anticipated in the estimates,
and the latest avalanche no doubt has
caused no more trouble than was eX-
peCted."
Col George w. Goethals, chairman
and chief engineer of the Canal Com
mission. is today on his way back to
Panama, and no detailed information
is expected until he has made a thor
ough examination of the slide. 1t is un-
derstood that while in Washington
in the past week Colonel Goethals made
the assertion that serious trouble on
the east bank of Culcbra cut was fear
ed by the resident engineers.
Slide Was Anticipated
NeaEer details of the latest slide arc
to the effect that the steep slope of Gold
Hill, which is on the east bank of CCl-
ebra cut and directly opposite the town
OF Culebra, broke away without warn
ing and slid into the Pioneer drainage
cut.
Slides have occurred before at this
point, but the press dispatches state
that there is certain element OF mys-
terry about the cause of the big ava
lanche this week. In October, 1909
there was a slide on the west bank OF
Culebra cut and there was some
what disastrous slide on the east bank
only last June. These were supposed
TO have been caused by heavy rainfall,
but were anticipated.
There is not much mystery here
about the slide, even through it is as
extensive as reported, asserted AS
sistant Chief Flint today. The en-
EineerS have anticipated big slides at
wonder has been expressed that some
that have occurred were not more
disastrous Our estimates contem-
plated cave-ins or slides that would
sweep even more than $4,000 cubic feet
OF earth and rock into the cut
II was stated at the office of the 18th
man Canal Commission that the widen
ing of the canal at Culebra section
neCessitated the cutting of fresh slopes
through the layers of clay on Gold Hill
and on the west side of the cut for
distance of six miles, and slides were
Inevitable, although in number OF
localities the slopes were covered with
a dense growth Of vegetation. The
underlying rocks were of poor qua
and were inteTseCted by vertical seams
slOping toward the canal.
Engineer Says 1t was Inevitable.
T. Conditions such as these naturally
would result in slides even though there
were no dOwnpoUrs. blasting or other
disturbances" stated an engineer. 1T
is no surprise that the top of Gold Hill
has slid into Cuebra cut. The slide
might have come sponer than expected,
but it was Inevitable.
"One of the most recent engineering
problems of the canal construction has
been the advisa bility of cutting away
Gold Hill entirely to safeguard the fu
ture against slides when the canal is
completed l. is more than likely that
the latest developments will mean that
the slopes will be decreased to a ma
teTial extent"
Colonel Goethals was so confident
that there was danger in the east side
of Culebra cut, ii was said here today,
that he stOutly refused to consider any
proposition to have the relocated Pan
ANA railroad run on the east bank. In
s. Il he urged that the new line be
constructed east of Gold Hill, far from
the canal and beyond reach of treach-
erOuS slides.