The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1913-10-07
WORK ON Panama
CANAL NEAR END
Waters of Gatun Lake Turned
Into the CuIebra Cut.
BIG Dixie is TO BE REMOVED
This VIII Mark the Practical Compile
ton of the Big Waterway After
Nine Years of Labor by an
Army Of Men.

Colon, Panama, Oct 1.-The Pan
ANA canal stands today virtually COM
plete.
The preliminary steps toward the
destruction of the Gamboa dixie, which
until the present time. has held the
waters of Gatun lake out of the Gu
Zebra cent. were taken today when the
valves in -four great 26-inch pipes
which pierce the dixie were opened
and the waters of the lake began
flowing into the Culebra cut. Within
a few days, it is expected, enough wa
ter will have flowed into the cut to
form a cushion and prevent the dam
age that might he done il tn, dixie
we're were blown UP and the waterA al
lowed to rush into the empty cut.
The final destruction of the big dixie
is scheduled for October 10, when
charges of dynamite placed In holes
already drilled lin the dixie will be ,ex-
ploded. The explosion of these
charges will not completely destroy
the dixie, but will weaken it and .loos-
,en the dirt so that the force of the
waters from 3Gatuan lake will carry it
away. Steam shovels will remove the
remnants eof the dixie, deaving an open
ipassageMay tfroIa ocean to ocean.
Canal Really Complete Now.
Although the canal will not be off,
'cially declared completed for some
time, and the formal opening :of the
waterway to the commerce of the
world more than "a year distant, the
canal cncinoarS Iool ,1pop tho do
structinn of the 'Gambna dixie as mark
ing the zeal completion of the canal.
The big engineering feats have all
been accomplished, the excavation
work practically has been completed,
and the great locks have been CON
structed. The work that remains to
be done is lapgaly detail, and lis tbut
child's play as compared with that
which has heen done. More dirt is
to be removed from the channel, hut
this viii he done with suction dredges
boating upon the MatersD of the canal.
There still nematn some finishing
touches to he plaoad upon the locks,
but this work will take comparatively
little time and presents mo engineer
ing diff culties such as have been en-
Gountered i'm the past.
The fact that the canal stands prae-
4icalIy complete more than a year be-
fore the time originally set as the
date for its completion is one of the
remarkable features OF the work.
When Count de Lesaeps. the great
French engineer, abandoned his eff
forts to build the Panama canal after
eight years of labor, he had scarcely
made beginning upon the gigantic
Gask. In nine years. the American en-
giReers, starting almost at the same
poiat az de Lesseps. for the latter's
work was of little value to the Amer
leans, hare virtually completed the
undertaking. When the work was
started the world sccffed at the idea
that it would be completed within the
time limit set, but hats are now of
to the American army engineers Who
have more than kept their word. de-
spite unforeseen difficulties that have
beset them at every hand.
Goethaie to Make Final Test,
The first vessel 10 pass through the
canal probably will be boat of the
Isthmian canal commission, Col.
George w. Goethals, chairman Of the
commission and chief engineer of the
canal, and his priuciDal assistants