The Washington times., 1913-01-07
big Ditch" Nearly Com
pleted, According to Re-
port of Col. Goethals.

Union of the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans-the greatest marriage of waters
in history-by means of the Panama
canal, is to be the supreme American
achievement of 1913. The big ditch"
is almost ready. President Taft is pre-
pairing to announce the program for
as a result of his trip to the Isthmian
Canal Zone last month.
''Ninety-three per cent completed
was the report made to the President
regarding the progress of the giant
sluiceway by Col. George w. Goethals,
the engineering wizard of the tropics.
Completion of all excavation necessary
to open the canal by June l is the esti-
mate in the hands Of the President.
Flooding Culebra cut, the most stu
pendous task of the canal construction,
is planned on Julyl without celebration.
During July, August, and September 1t
is estimated, sufficient water will flow
into the lake reservoirs at the Gatun
and Minaflores locks to enable passage
of the first vessel-a Panama railroad
ship-through the entire canal on Octo-
Der 5. the 4O0th anniversary of the dis
covery of the Pacific by Balboa. The
canal viii not be thrown open to the
dedication. on January 1, 1915.
Accomplishments of 1914.
The accomplishments of 1912 on the
isthmus and his hopes for the future
were given as follows by Colonel Goe-
thals while the Presidential party were
at Culebra, on Christmas day:
: During the year 1872 the Gatun dam
was virtually completed, and at the
close of the rainy season Gatun lake
had risen TO a height of fifty-seven feet,
or within thirty feet of the maximum
which 1t will be allowed to attain. The
dam held back this volume of water
without leakage.
During the year about $1,000, 900 cubic
yards Of material were removed from
the keystone of the canal-Culebra. or
this 100000 yards were due to slides
in Culebra cut. But slides will cease
Mantle blasting discontinued.
There remains to be excavated about
"a, 4,50o,000 cubic yards. But only 5000, 900
need be excavated before the canal can
be opened. 1t is hoped that the last
the cut by July l. Then the dixie at
Bas Obispo, which holds the water of
Gatun lake out of the cut, can be re-
moved and the water will flow. Re-
naming excavation necessary can be
accomplished by steam dredges.
Nearly All Done.
Less than per cent of the total ex-
cavation and concrete work is unfin-
ished. At the present rate both will be
finished and all gates and machinery
for one set of locks will be installed by
September. Then. II the water in Gatun
lake is high enough. the first shi, can
be put through one complete set Of locks.
If one ship can go any number can"
Establishment of a civil government
in the Zone, to replace the military
regime incident to actual construction
work by the army and navy engineers,
will precede the formal and informal
opening ceremonies.
As the canal looks today-imagine
the waters of the Atlantic almost lap
ping the edges of the Gatun locks, 4
lake thirteen miles long-entirely artifi-
cial-to the Culebra Cut; then a stag
gering. dizzy abyss of the cut an
other lock at Pedro Miguel, another
lake a mile long. two more locks, a
muddy channel teeming with dredges
and steam shovels. and then four miles
OF completed canal filled with the
waters OF the Pacific.