The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-04-16

GEIncS@NJDc I1uI1tlytu SifoNViS
Which Equal Fifty Thousand Sam
sons-rhc LidgerwOOd Cars and
How steam PlOws Unload Them
The Rocks of the Cut and the
Slides-Dynamite or Uncle sans
observation-disclosures ic Descriptions
of Uncle Sans Biggest Job Made
Upon the Ground.
downright, 1912, by Frank 9. Car
penter.)
tuLERRA, Canal Zone, Panama
come with me this morning for a
t,lp through the Culebra cut, that
mighty nine-miie cash in the Andes
which is to bring the shipping of
IN. two oceans together. 1t pracu-
caIlv begins at Pedro Miguel, where
W. shall start. and it runs IN a WIND
,ue ranyon through the mountains
from there on until it is lost in the
great lakes of Gatun. The ships Will
come through the lake and steam on
II full speed through the cut, and
IN. water of the cut and the rake
wiIl be at the same level.
The culebra cut is at the lowest
PASS Of the Andes, those mighty
mountains which in South America
rise. more than four miles above the
sea. hut bow down hunbiy AS they
reach the is;hmus on their way norm
to ioin hands with the ROCKIES.
Right here at Panama the mountains
are on the average only about one
third Of a mile high, and at Culepfa
I'm. tauest peak. known AS Cold Hill,
il 500 feet above the sea. n low
est pass is only 500 feet, and we have
,ut this down SO that ships can san
throurh il and the surface OF the
canal waters be only eiShty-hNe rect
above the level Of the two oceans.
Through the Cut on Foot.
We shall start for our trip about
nine miles from the PACING right hn-
dc! the mighty lock OF leOrO lSnel,
INTO when the will come
wher they have passed through the
cut. This lock is as tall as a three
STORY house. and it will drop the ships
t. the level of the locks at Mlraf1ores,
where they have two more glgant
drops before they reach the level OF
the Pacific. !,
We crawl down INTO the locks and
90 carefully as We wlnd our way
about through the OF steer
wires and cables, so many IN mum
Der that they look like a thicket. we
dodge to keep out of the WAY of the
concrete which is falling into the net
work. and pick out our path along
the line Of the railroad.
We soon reach h beginning OF
the cut and there start on our Walk
&c tulebra. The average mar goes
through these works on "A motor car
or is shot by them on a special tram
which makes understanding lnlpos-
sihle. In this trip Of ours We shall
take oar feet in our hands and move
il and out among the machinery and
Vorkmen. lodging the spoil trains
which are carrying their rivers OF
earth and rock down to the great
dam 1T Gatun and TO the mighty ID
cItit ocean breakwater which IS con
Meeting Balboa with the Island OF
NaoS. Much of our way is on the
ties Of the railroads. some of it is
over the masses Of rocks cast up by
the explosions. and we shall have &c
climb from level to level and avoid
tripping over the electric wires which
run here and there. We must be
ever 81 guard to jump out Of the
way Of the trains and also to water
out for the explosions Of dynamite
which are preparing the rock for The
steam Shove1S.
Blasting Down the Andes.
There are steam shovels every.
where working. There are hundred:
Of Jamaican and Barbadian negrOe;
engaged in drilling. There are gang:
IF Italians moving the tracks. ant
other gangs of negroes and whites
~ water up to their waists, repair
ing the shovels. The drilling goes OF
everywhere and | venture YOU nav
never seen such drilling before. tn
drills have derricks above them. n
are. in fact ,Serricks on wheels. ant
YOU can see "A thicket of the derrick
~ clunps as YOU look up the cut
Each drill consists OF one OF theS
dtlrickS and a long steel shaft, which
rises and falls, making a dynamlt
mole rs hig around as our arm am
weIty-six feet deep for the blasting
The force which moves the drill i
compressed air sent through q pipe a
thl'k rs the waist of your S~Weethear1
which runs from one end of the CT
10 the other. There are altOEethe
more than thirteen miles Of sue
pipes, The air coming from compress
trS at Rio Grande, Empire and La
i:iSta DIES.
Here they are charging the drill
iDGS with dynamite. That long lin
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