The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-18

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future. our plans propose . coal
dock loco feet long and fuel stations
On the hills 50 connected with this
by pipes hat the oil viii flow right
town into the We shall
have repair shops and, connected with
them, marine railroads Of large size.
SO that examinations and repairs OF
tugs, bargeS and similar small vessels
ma be made under water without
taking them into the large dry docks.
And the n as to the dry docks
continued Mr.. Rousseau. 1t is pro-
posed to build II at Balboa so big
that it will handle any vessel that can
lass through the locks. This dry
dock viii be near The end Of the auxil-
larry coaling station. and it Will be en-
tered from the canal channel through
i slip 400 feet long"
what, are the present arrange
ments for handling freight at Bal
goa?"
They are o sufficient for the traf
fic. The only facilities consist of a
steel wharf abou Il thousand feet
long which was built by the French
n a wooden extension much shorter
The latter was constructed since We
began our work here. These two
Wharyes IAN berth only five vessels al
Cnce, and at present the steamships
making Balboa a port Of call are Of
ten delayed. This condition is being
remtdied by the construction Of a con
crete wharf about 700 feet long
which will afford two aditiona.
berths. This is being made by the
Panama railroad with its own funds
but 1t has been so located that if Con
gress hould authorize the cOnstruc-
ton we have outlined it will fit into
1t and become a part thereof. Oul
plans are such that additional wharves
can be constructed from time to time
as needed.
Making the Canal Pay.
The conversation here turned again
to the repair shops proposed, anc
Admiral Rousseau said:
There is one thing that I thinl
should be clearly stated, and this i.
that We hope to put the docks
Wharves and repair facilities on {
strictly commercial basis. We wan
them to be self-supporting and .te
cover the first cost and also thei1
maintenance and operation. In ad-
dltion We hope that they will bring il
tomething to augment the revenue:
Of the canal. We want the best O
terminal facilities for the vessel:
which use the canal, but we also wan.
to make them sources Of revenue te
the canal. They viii, in no appre
RNAS Will tp1
and similar supplying agencies of tn
states, and it must be remembered
also that they will be available to h
government IN times >of military ne
cessity. They will be Of value to tn
navy and will give the same advan
tages that the government would have
from the establishment Of a nava
base here"
But have you room for these shop.
on the Pacific side Of the isthn1us?'
Yes. By the spoil from the Guile
bra cut we have built up about 35t
acres, some of which has been re
deemed from the sea, and we hav,
other ground on the mainland. w,
shall reserve an area Of about forty
five acres for shop yards and for tn,
storage of material and supplies, ant
we shall have ample room for all GU
necessities"
A Trip Through the Canal.
I here asked Admiral Rousseau t,
give me some idea Of what one woul,
see in making a trip through the cana
when completed. He replied:
We shall start n from the Atlantic
Let US suppose that the traveller i
!, standing on the deck Of the steame
from New York or New Orleans a
!, it approaches the coast. Nearing tn
: the canal entrance he sees the lov
: wooden buildings Of Colon on the left
the houses of Cristobal among thei
, cocoanut trees and the tall whit
lighthouse of zorro point away at tn
right. He passes by Colon and it
harbor and. going in by the break
water jutting out from Cristobal poinr
, enters the canal. He steams on u
through it to the foot of the Gatur
locks, a distance Of about seven miles
AS he comes in be can see tse oil
French canau, and crosses it nea
Mindi, about half way to Gatnr
The channel here is about 500 fee
K wide and the country is flat on ~
left, while on the right in the die
a lance may be seen grassy hills.
: Coming 70 Gatun the man sees n
. great green grass sod dam At -