The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-09-19
THIRTEEN MONTHS
Until OPENING
On October 19, 1918 the Panama Can
al viii be Ready for Ships
to be Locked
Through.
FORMAL OPENING, 1915

Be Cut Several Millions Ac.
cording to the Latest
Figures.
UNITED Press Leased Wire Service. ] |
WASHINGTON, Sept 19.-In just
thirteen months vessel will go from
the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean
through the Panama canal, according
to new, revised estimates made pub
lie today at the Panama canal COM
mission
October 19, 1913, is the tentative
date set for the passage of the first
vessel through the canal. The christ
ening" will be done by a naval vessel.
President TAFT has been advised Of
the latest estimate of Colonel Goeth-
ais In charge Of canal construction
work. The presidents approval of
the new canal opening program is
awaited.
Formal opening of the canal will
occur January ], 1915, it is announ-
ced. Commercial vessels will be
Tiven its unrestricted use in Decem-
ber, 1914.
That the canal will be completed
far below the estimated cost of $780,
100000, Is reported by Colonel Goeth-
ais. 1t may run as low as 1915, ,00O,-
900. About another million dollars
will be saved, it is declared, In bond
interest charges.
Revised estimates of the date OF
completion of the gigantic canal
were made today at the Panama
canal commission. Colonel Goethals
has sent the figures up to September
is, together with latest estimates OF
work done and uncompleted.
The total amount of excavation
work according to the figures an
nounced by the Isthmian commission
today is about 242,13400 yards. A
recent increase of over 16,000,000
yards in the estimates was caused by
big slides in the Obispo division. The
amount Of excavation completed up
to September Is, was 21s,0O0,O0O
cubic yards, leaving approximately
24,000,000 yards still to be dug. The
average rate of excavation per month
is now about 100000 cubic yards, a
conservative estimate At the present
rate of progress all the digging should
be finished before Sept. Is, 1918. The
big dam, locks and spillways pro-
jects show stages of completion vary
ing from 70 to 80 percent. 1t is es-
timated that the Gatun locks will re
quire about 100000 cubic yards OF
concrete work Up to September 10,
well over 100000 cubic yards have
been put in place. The concrete work
/ of the Pedro Miguel locks is nearly
| 95 percent completed and that of the
Miraflores locks over 81 percent. The
| Gatun spillway will probably be com
pleted within another month Other
/ engineering features show an equally
advanced stage to a completion.
Opening of the canal for general
commercial purposes will occur dur
4 ing December, 1914 it is stated. Num-
erous tests of locks and gates will be-
had before large commercial vessels
and battle ships are permitted to go
| through.
When the canal is formally opened
January /, 1915, 1t is announced that
the navies Of The world VIII be invited
to send representatives to take part
in an elaborate series of ceremonies.
The president of the United States is
also expected to attend All United
States vessels will be mobolized
| there
| The estimated cost of the canal
when completed is between $3g5, 5,000,-
600 and s4oo,0OO,Ooo. The total
amount expended SO far is s2s3,874,-
600. The Panama canal law author
lied the issuance OF bonds aggregat-
ing s375,000,000. Owing to the excel
| lent condition of Uncle Sans finan-
ces only about s13s,O0o,00O worth OF
bonds have been sold, the rest hav-
ing been expended out of the general
fund of the treasury. 1t is being
freely predicted that the canal will
be built without further issue OF
bonds. In this case some hundreds
of thousands of dollars, which would
have been expended in interest and
premiums will have been saved to the
government.
The canal will have a summit ele-
walton of s5 feet above sea level, to
be reached by flight of three locks
located at Gatun, on the Atlantic
side, and one lock at Pedro Miguel