The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-05

and other machinery necessary to the
digging work. Amy dirt taken out Of
the canal system from now on will be
removed with the steam dredges, which
| will be able to cruise from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, cropping with their iron
hands beneath the waters for any re-
naming distinctions.
When the waters are lot through to-
morrow the canal virtually can be de-
clared complete, for the remaining
work will be mere child Is play com
pared with the Herculean feats which
have already been performed. Thus
the Americans have finished in nine
years the task which baffled the
French after many years Of work. 1t
is interesting to read the accounts Of
the beginning of work in Culebra cut
by the French on February /, 1882.
1t was gala event. A huge banquet
was given amidst flowers, flags and
champagne, ending with a grand ball
in the evening. Even the motor boats
in which the enthusiastic Frenchmen
were going to cruise over tho canal
they intended building 30 quickly were
on hand, Those motor boats were never
used. After several years Of heart
breaking toll, the Frenchmen retired
and admitted their defeat.
Scoffers Silenced.
Was 1t strange, then, that when the
world should scoff7 But after the
American engineers had been on the
job for year or more the world be-
gan to lose its scornful smile and to
realize that the Americans meant busi-
ness. AS usual, many mistakes were
made. Twice as much earth has been
excavated as the plans originally called
for, and it has cost twice as much
money as was at first estimated.
The Americans started out with the
machinery left by the French This they
soon found to be hopelessly inadequate
and they now say that they could have
accomplished little more than did the
French with the same equipment.
In November Of 1904 the first steam
shovel made its appearance in the ca
nal zone, and by the following year ev-
cry bit of the antiquated machinery
used by the. French had been super.
seded by modern. equipment.
weas At 1T R' wos &c Of eaaa hi YsiF s es esEs
shovels of the latest type, ranging in
size from the twenty-six-ton model to
the 106-ton giants, capable Of scooping
up five cubic yards OF rock and earth,
weighing about nine tons, at time.
Also included in the list of equipment
were 307 locomotives, $50 drills, 4572
cars, 20 dredges, 26 spreaders, 9 track
shifters, 80 unloaders, IA pile drivers
and 1S4 other pieces Of equipment, in
all kinds.
This list is exclusive Of the equip
ment used by the Panama railroad,
which had SO locomotives, l49l cars,
cranes, pile drivers and 16 boats, in
cluding q tugboat, motorboats, a
steam ditcher and steel and iron light
ers.
This equipment is practically all new,
the old French machinery having been
rclegated to the junk heap. ~
To operate this equi pment force Of
over 10000. men was required. Most of
this force is still employed in putting
the finishing touches on the big ditch.
These men, together with their families,
total about $4,000 persons, all Of whom
are dependent upon the government.
The task of feeding, clothing and hous-
ing these people, who are scattered
along the entire length Of the canal,
department. Every morning at D. m.
a supply, train leaves Cristobal. 1t is
composed Of refrigerator cars contain
ing ice, meats and other perishable ar
tlcles, along with a number Of cars
containing other supplies. These are
delivered at the stations along the line |
and distributed by the quartermaster' g
department in the various settlements. |
The POPULATION of the canal zone, Of. |
ficial census, is 62,811; Of Panama City, !
35,36s; of Colon, 17,74o
In the construction of the canal most !
of the manual labor was performed by |
Spaniards, Italians, West Indians and |
natives Of the republic of Panama. To
them much credit is due, but the major |
part of the glory in such a remarka- |
BILE achievement must be given to the |
American engineers, and to the off
cials, clerical forco, construction men
and skilled artisans, who were practi |
cally all Americans The Panama ca
nal has been big. undertaking and has
them being Colonel G. W. Goethals,
who is known as "the man who made
fho 1irA