El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-04-20

forces these bodies OF earth down into
the cut and at the same time presses II
upward from the bottom OF the cdAdL
BY the right slope this great press W =
viii be removed and when that is done
there seems to be no reason why lhe
ground should not be firm for all time
to come. Besides slides Of TINS klnu
move very slowly and the proDaDlltg
is that any that may occur can easlls
be handled by the dredges so as TO keen
the canal clear I would say also thar
we are strengthening the walls oy
earth binders in the shape OF various
grasses and plants. They viii soon De
covered with jungle and this will FUR
Their lessen the danger
No Fear OF Earthquakes.
But how about earthquakes 1
I've have also considered that posi-
bflity" reDIied col GOethals We
have seismographs here by which we
keep records Of the earth's tremors ana
we also have reports OF such macIliIles
the world over We have records or the
earthquake at san Francisco, and or
the shakes which occurred then ar -.
Louis and otherwheres. We find thar
we have here about the same trembling
OF the earth as occurs at such times IN
Washington City, and / have DECIDED
that IL is only when I hear that the Ma
tional Capitol has fallen that j shan
need to have any great arm ABOUT lHe
canal No. the earthquakes are not
frightening me at all.
But are you not in the earthquake
belt?'
I'VE have never had any great dis
turbance at Panama although the belt
seems very pronounced in Costa Rica
just north Of here As an evidence or
the stability of construction on me
fsthmus YOU must have seen the arch
in the old church at Panama It is
the widest, lowest and nearest noIl-
zOntal of any arch known TO arcnltec-
ture. 1t is. perhaps 40 feet long. and
consists Of one span without any sup
port except at the ends That arcn Is
200 years old and it is still firm not
Withstanding most OF the church Is IN
ruins. 1 would say, however that the
Panamans have tradition that that
arch fell twice during its construction,
and that at last I'm despair the monk
who was the architect got down on his
knees and prayed TO the Lord to help
him In his prayer he said that ne
would build the arch once more, and
he begged the. Lord 70 cause II TO stand
although the rest or the cnurcn might
crumble to atoms Many Of the natives
believe that prayer is the cause of the
stability Of the arch Some or our
Catholic friends are now erecting
church here on the zone. If that viii
make the earth more firm and
strengthen CuIebra should be glad TO
have them cover the hills Of the cut
with churches from one end TO the
other Seriously spea king, I do not
think there IS any danger from earth
Quakes."
The Great Dam and Lake Gatun.
But colonel are you sure as 10 the
Gatun DAMP VIII it be strong enough
TO hold back that 154 square miles or
water which will be stored Up in the
lake,
There is no doubt about the dam
said Col. Goethals. ct has been made
according to the regulations which pro-
vided that il should be barrier which
would convince beyond doubt bath leg
islatOrs and laymen OF its stability I
believe we could have made a dam or
less size for less money. which would
have satisfied the engineers. but the
designers considered this dam desirable
and il has been constructed. The fac
tor Of safety in fl is far beyond the alb
sOlute necessity. There has been a great
interest in the dam and IL has been
given more prominence among the en-
cheering features Of the work than is
warranted by its construction. It is