The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-05-21

: Was Planned TO build it at
sea Level and at a cost of s240,o 900, 900.
The first company continued its work
Ior ten years, after which time it be-
came bankrupt. In that time it spent
sSo'ooo,Oo0 and excavated about &C.
ooo,o0o yards Of earth and rock. SO
mat the average cost of digging was
about 81 a yard.
Uncle Sam. with all his p%relirnina-
rles IN n way Of sanitation and GET
tlng ready for work has been on the
]oo less than eight years and at the
enc OF last February he had taken
out over 100000, 900 cubic yards of
earth and rock. He has been able to
use a little less than 3 $1,000, 900 yards
OF the French digging and has now a
total all told of a little
more than 200, 100000 cubic yards
with something like 20, 900, 900 vet TO
dig.
The French cost, as I have shown,
was 81 a yard. Uncle Sans cost was
at one time 81 a yard, but it has been
steadily cut until, on the Culebra di-
vision where it is almost solid rock
and the expense is the greatest, the
total average per cubic yard is less
than 64 cents. while the dredging cost
at the Atlantic end of the canal is less
than % cents. Does it not seem as
though Uncle Sam is getting the
W. VI his money
The Suez canal cost all told about
$500, 000.0 goo to build, and the orig
inal excavation was $4,000, 900 cubic
yards. The cost was about $1.25 per
yard or just twice what we are paying
now for taking the rock out here at
Culebra. This is so Notwithstanding
Suez was q ditch through a desert
without hill or hollow where the sand
could be shoveled out on the banks,
on1 -l0~~ =
furnished by the khedive to do the
work at practically nothing a day.
The Chicago drainage canal cost a
little over $35.000.00o, and it's excava-
tiop amounted to over AZ, 900, 900 Gu
bic yards, Of which. however, only
about twelve millions were rock. At
that rate the digging there cost an
average of 80 cents per cubic yard,
or 20 cents more than that we are
now paying at Panama.
Watching the Corners.
1t is only by watching the corner
that Uncle Sam has been able to cut
down the cost of the work to these
very low figures. You must remem
Der that he pays the best wages or
earth. and that he houses his mer
free Of charge. Nevertheless the cos
is about as low as it could be on any
great work of this kind almost any
~ III I1IO AAo IL
made by stopping every leah and by
: using every available bit Of material
; The French houses were repaired ano
t used. Two million dollars worth O.
, the French machinery was modern.
| lied and put to work, and every hi
of French scrap not in use was solo
t for what it would bring. The French
! buildings altogether saved us two mil
: lion dollars. and every old French
shack that has been torn down ha!
found a place in other buildings.
Indeed, I have never seen so mucf
care taken in saving the scraps any
3 where as right here at Panama. Lum'
Canal Zone. The windows and doors
S and even the galvanized roofs wer'
preserved.
r Right here at Culebra they are nov
! moving the buildings in advance Of
9 great slide. which is expected, taking
: in the ground where the penitentiar.
0 stands.
S It will all be bare by the time tn
slide comes. In doing sue work tn
: men save every hinge, nail and ever.
board and stick that can be used 70
d new construction. and then set tn
Jamaica negroes to cutting the scrap
v into kindling wood for the employees
n Uncle Sam furnishes free fuel to hi
t men. and kindling is quite expensive
i Millions Saved From Old Material.
Indeed it is wonderful how mucl
d Uncle Sam v by the sale Of oil
# machinery and various kinds Of vast
4 material. The moment he get
n through with a machine he dispose
k Of it. and at the close Of the Wor
there will be some mighty sales Q
# this kind. So far more than $4,000,
600 has been turned into the Treas
ury from the sale Of governmer
n property down here, and an add
tional 100000 has been receive
for services rendered aud materis
supplied to individuals and compa
% Mes
Everything is watched and there
nothing too small to be picked up an
a cared for. Going through the Guile
-tbra cut Sunday one may see a gan
Of men gathering up the old bits {
iron to be shipped off and sold, an
every piece Of old piping is straight