Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1913-02-28

at the same time if necessary. Electri.
locomotives ahead, behind and on botl
sides will tow the vessels through the
locks, both to save time and to pre-
vent damage to the locks themselves
The overflow of the Gatun dam viii
provide electric power for the locomo
tives and probably for all the uses o.
power along the Canal zone.
The lock gates are steel structures
each leaf weighing about $50 tons. They
are about n feet high, 81 feet wild,
and Z feet thick. There are 92 leaves
for there are 46 pairs of gates. Al
idea of their bulk may be had by not
ing that if they were laid flat, one OF
top of the other, the pile would be
higher than the Singer tower. The
riveting problem is also interesting
Counting 300 rivets as good day.
work for single gang of riveters, il
would take them year to rivet up q
single leaf, or 92 years to complete the
lot.
The whole administration of the
shop and storehouses is under the army
in its various branches. The stores
come under the quartermaster g depart.
ment, and the storehouses are splen-
didly kept in every way. Employees
all have brass check or tag similar
to a baggage tag bearing their mum
Der. This tag is the open sesame to
all commission stores. Here the en-
ployes can buy anything at cost, usu
ally much cheaper than the same thing
can be secured in New York or any
northern city.
At Cristobal are the main store
houses, the government ice factory, ice
cream factory, bakery and laundry
early every morning the supply train
usually of 81 cars, starts out to supply
the smaller storehouses and distribut
ing points along the Isthmus. And
there are very few of the necessities
and even luxuries which cannot be Sc,
cured from the main stores and sent
to you at short notice.
These seem strange when we think
of canal digging, but show conclusively
that it is the attention to details that
brings success no matter how large the
enterprise. Men would not stay until
the surroundings were healthy and con
genial. This meant comfortable quar-
ters for their wives and children. This
in turn necessitated the adoption of q
complete school system, including 9
high school which ranks second tr
none as a preparatory school for col
llege. 1t also meant recreation centers
and Y. M. c. A. buildings for the mer
and women g clubs for the women. All
strangely out Of place and seeming
extravagance in tropical climate and
for temporary job, but all absolutely
necessary to the successful building o1
the canal in record time as has beer
done.
This same thing has been carried out
in the details of shop management and
the buying of proper materials to work
with. We go into large or small ma
chine shops and pay all our attention
to the machines and never see the belts
that drive them and without which
they would be of almost no use. Ani
the belt problem is one of the worst
that comes up, especially in shops il
tropical countries.
The ideas of heat in the Canal zone
are apt to be exaggerated, as the tenn
perature rarely goes over SO degrees
and sunstrokes are unknown. But heat
is not the only factor in these climates
Imagine sitting down at the table OF
a damp, rainy day and pressing with
your knife on the salt in the salt eel
lar and see moisture stand in drops
on the knife. Salt shakers are out Of
the question, and envelopes are made
without gum to prevent their being
accidentally sealed when not wanted
This gives you some idea of the damp
ness in the atmosphere.
1t is not so hot as you expect, but
you perspire at the slightest provoca
tion and sometimes without any provo
cation at all. Your clothes may be
damp in the morning, almost wet, il
fact, unless you put them in the tight
wordrobes usually provided. And youl
boots insist on getting mouldy unles:
they are wiped dry when put away
and even this is not sure preventive
i And then imagine what belt is uI
against. 1t must be dependable day
, after day. The season may be dry o.
wet, the atmosphere saturated or driei
} out by the close proximity to a boilel
or other heating apparatus, but the bel
J must go on doing its duty or the ma
J chimes cannot run and the shovels ant
locomotives cannot be repaired. Then
; too, there is oil around the machinery
: to contend with, all of which makes tn,
conditions especially trying.
Ordinary betting stretches with tn
moisture contracts when it dries out
| bit, opens at the laps and has to b
, cut constantly to keep the length SO i
. will pull the machine. Two or thre
s ply betting is very apt to part CON