The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-09-25
CANAL WILL Be OPENED IN
THIRTEEN MONTHS
Latest Estimate BY Colonel Goethals
of the Panama Commission.

vi lllC NOuiiilSSlOhs
Washington, Sept. 24.-1n just
thirteen months a vessel will go from
the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean
through the Panama canal, according
to estimates made public last week
at the Panama canal commission.
October Is, 1913, is the tentative
date set for the passage of the first
vessel through the canal. The
christening" will be done by a naval
vessel.
President Taft has been advised of
the latest estimates of Colonel Goeth-
ais, in charge of the canal construc-
tion work. The presidents approval
of the new canal opening program is
awaited.
Formal opening of the canal will
occur on January /, 1915, it is an
nounCed. Commercial vessels will be
given its Unrestricted use in Decem-
Der, 1914.
That the canal will be completed
far below the estimated cost of
$4OO, 100000 is reported by Colonel
Goethals. 1t may run as low as
1875, 100000. About another mil
lion dollars will be saved, it is de-
clared in bond interest charges.
Revised estimates of the date of
completion of the canal were made
by 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,
is about PAP, 900 yards. \ recent
increase of over 100000 yards in
the estimates was caused by big
slides in the Obispo division. The
amount of excavation completed up
to September Is, was 2S,000,000
cubic yards, leaving approximately
100000 yards still to be dug. The
average rate Of excavation a month
is now about 100000 cubic yards,
a conservative estimate. At the
present rate of progress all the dig
ging should be finished before Sept.
10, 1913.
The big dam, locks and spillway
projects show stages of completion
varying from rs to 80 per cent. 1t is
estimated that the Gatun locks will
require about 100000 cubic yards
of concrete work. Up to September
10 well over 100000 cubic yards
have been put in place. The con-
crete work of the Pedro Miguel
locks is nearly S5 per cent. COM
pleted, and that of the Miraflores
locks over 92 per cent. The Gatun
spillway will probably be completed
within another month. Other en-
gineering features show an equally
advanced stage toward completion.
Opening for the canal for general
pnO1 m argia1 DnrnnSaE will nppUr J1,r-
ing December, 1914, it is stated. Nu-
merous tests of locks and gates will
be had before large commercial YES
sells and battleships are permitted to
go through.
When the canal is formally opened
January /, 1915, it is announced
that the navies of the world will be
invited to send representatives to
take part in an elaborate series of
ceremonies. The president of the
United States is also expected to at
tend. All United States vessels will
be modified there.
The estimated cost of the canal,
when completed, is between $375,-
100000 and S40O, 100000. The
total amount expended so far is
$3.50, $4,000 The Panama canal
law authorized the issuance of bonds
aggregating 1915, 100000. Owing to
the excellent condition of Uncle
Sans finances only about S13S,00O,-
600 worth of bonds have been sold,
the rest having been expended out Of
the general fund of the treasury. l..
is being freely predicted that the
canal will be built without further
issuance 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 elev-
alton of eighty-iiye feet above sea
level to be reached by a fight of
three locks, located at Gatun, on the
Atlantic side, and one lock at Pedro
Miguel and a fight of two at Mira
Diores, on the Pacific side. Each
lock will have a useable length at
1000 feet and a width of 10 feet,
which will be the minimum width of
the canal.
The canal is to be about fifty miles
long from deep water in the Carib-
bean sea to deep water in the Pacific
ocean. The channel will vary In
width from 1000 at a point jus.
south OF the Gatul locks, to 300 feet
at point near the Pedro Miguel
lock. There will be a number of
places where several boats can pass
abreast of each other, and the
minimum depth will be Al feet.
CALLS TAFT FRIEND OF WORK