The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-16
cnliora. Canal Zone. Panama.

CuItbra. Canal Zone. Panama
Ia ny INVESTIGATIONS this week
lNI have been devoted to the ter
AVA minals OF our great canal at
Panama. What kind OF cities arc we
Ito have at the Atlantic and Pacific ends
Iof Uncle Sans famous waterway!
How shall we take care OF the ship
ping, and what will be the accommoda.
.tions for passengers going fran cns
lpart of the isthmus to- rne other?
These and other questions of ter.
iuunal facilities will soon bulk large
in the minds of the public The dig
ging is fast approaching completion.
and the endless river of earth which
Is flowing from Culebra down to Bai.
tboa will finally shrink and then stop.
II have already gone In from tic Pa
cinc end OF the canal almost 10 the
Mira flores locks. The dredgcs arc still
at work there. but within few
months the channel could he made
!ready for ships.
lis rapidly approaching completion. The
dan, which crossed tho canal al Mindi
has been cut through. and the salt
waters of the Caribbean Sea are now
against the locks and within stone S
throw of the Gatum dam.
The work of building up the foun-
dstions for the terminals of the future
brea kwaters are rising on both sides
OF tho isthmus. So far there Is much
yet 10 he decided. but the plans of the
engineers have been carefully made.
and as soon as Congress gives its
orders this part of the canal construc-
ltion will rapidly move.
"A Talk with Rear ADMIRAL Rousscnu.
The canal commissioner who has
special charge of the terminals is MIR.
II. II. Rosseau. one of the most exnert
engineers OF the United states Navy.
II Is stu n young man. but he has
had long experience in work OF this
kind and he was chief OF our great
naval bureau of yards AMI docks when
he was appointed one of the engineer
commissioners of the canal.
lie was a civil engineer by profcs-
sion AZ the time he passed a competi-
tive examination for similar work in
the navy. with the rank of lieutenant.
and ne did so we'll there that now.
at the age OF forty-two. he has be-
come a rear admiral, and under Com
missioner Goethals as chief has some
OF the most important branches of
the canal work under him.
1t was IN the administration build
Ing here at Culebra that l looked over
the maps OF the proposed terminals
and talked with Mr.. Rousseau about
them. Said he:
/
ais OF the canal are by no means com
plote We have made our plans, but
so far many of thel, nave not been
passed upon by Congress, and much will
ldepend upon the policy of the govern
ment ms to the treatment Of canal
traffic. Other matters have been def
nitely settlei, and we are already
working them out. You have seen the
Il great breal7waters which we are build
ING ~. nT ~ pn Nm, mn
Atlantic ships will PASS in by Toro
Point where tina lighthouse stands.
from that point we are putting In n
breakwater 1000 feet long TO shut
out the prevailing storms from the
western side Of the harhor. That
hreakwater has width of fifteen feet
at the top. and it will rise ten feet
above the mean level OF the sea. Ii
will contain altogether in the neigh
borhood OF 100000 cubic yards OF
rock, some of which is coming from
the quarries of Porto Bello.
AT the Pacific end" continued Ad-
miral Rosseau. I'VE arc making an
even greater brcakwutor. This is to
Join the port OF Balboa with Naos
Island n distance of more than three
miles. 1t Will run nearly parallel with
The axis Of the canal prism, and is TO
keep tho current which sweeps up
that shore from affecting tho. canal.
THAT breal11vater Will contain about
$4,000 600 cubic yards of earth and
rock. which Is equal to block 300
feet wide, 400 feet high ana more
than n mile IN length. The most of
rhis is already in place. and it CON
teists Of tho spoil which has been
brought down from the Culcbra cut.
I'VE began work upon II in MAY, 1908
DiE Docks on the Atlantic.
Tell me something more about your
Tplans for the Atlantic end OF the