Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-26

who had consistently opposed q dam
at Gatun Immediately raised storm
of criticism against the stability of the
proposed artificial mountain, The old
wound. caused from the battle Of the
levels, was reopened. and 80 violent was
the outburst that President Roosevelt
took a characteristic step to quiet the
issue.
He asked President Elect Taft to 60
to the isthmus. accompanied by Fred
eric p. Stearns. Arthur p. Davis. Henry
A. Allen. James ID. Schuyler. Isham
Randolph, John r. Freeman and Allen
Hazen. all eminent engineers. to make
an investigation. The report made on
Feb. 16. 1909. completely yindlcated
the plan for dam at Gatun with the
statement that II any error had been
made 1t was on the side Of precaution.
They found the dam started along
lines so excessively stable that they
recommended that the height be cut
from 1876 feet above sea level to 115
feet, which would still leave the top Of
the dam thirty feet above the level Of
Gatun lake.
4 The six years from Jan. I. 1907. to
Jan. 1, 1913. constitute the main con.
struction period Of the Panama canal.
Colonel Goethals has been chief engi.
neer all but three months Of that time.
Steadily. foot by foot. the walls of the
locks crept mp and the bottom of the
.Culebra cut went down. By October.
1908, the preparatory work. substan.
tally accomplished by Mr.. Stevens.
passed its highest point. and all ener.
gies were centered ON the work of con-
struction. Quarters. municipal work.
,roadmaking. subsistence and commits.
sary were solved problems. and the
mo Help Wanted" sign was displayed.
the labor problem. too. being substan.
tally worked out.
!: Sixty-three steam shovels In 1907
were increased to 100: the mileage In
the canal zone was Increased from lS5
to about 5OO miles for the Panama rail-
road and commission tracks: the num-
Der Of unloaders. bank spreaders. track
shifters and pile drivers was increased
from a third to three times the num-
Der left by Mr.. Stevens; twenty
dredges were put In service. besides
much other machinery and equipment
not SO noteworthy. Practically all re-
pairs and creative mechanical work
were concentrated in the Gorgona and
Empire shops. with capacities COM
mensurate with the equipment The
date when the equipment reached a
maximum Is fixed by Colonel Goethals
as July /, 1910. About $4,000 tons of
coal and 100000 barrels of oil have
been used annually.
Dredging had progressed in the Pa
cifc entrance to point where Eve!
miles of the canal could be opened to
navigation on Feb. I. 1909. The New
port and San Jose of the Pacific Mall
feet. Of American register, were the
first ships to 60 through. -
Columbus had been honored by nam.
ing Colon and Cristobal for him at
the Atlantic entrance Of the canal. and
an executive order on April 30, 1909.
honored the discoverer of the Pacific
by changing the name, Of the Pacific
terminal from La Boca to Balboa. II
Is at Balboa that the permanent ma
chine shops, drydocks, yards, wharves,
warehouses and general equipment to
cost $50. 100000 will be located.
{ In 1909 Colonel Goethals seems to
have had the idea of making the canal
zone habitable, but since then he
changed his views in favor Of making
the canal zone a military reservation.
the part not in use to be left to the
jungle and only canal employees allow
ed without special permission in the
ten mile limits.
Work on the Notifications was begun
In 1911 on Flamenco island, three miles
out in the bay at the Pacific entrance.
and on Toro point. at the Atlantic en-
trance. The estimate for their cost. as
fixed by the officers appointed to de-
sign them. Is $12.475.328. The latest