Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-03-01

MANP He re-
hearsed human en-
I(FAST0R RJSSHI)l gineering feats Of
N--------------' the past-the Tow
er Of Babel; the great city of Babylon;
the Great Pyramid Of Egypt, full of
scientific accuracy and symbols Of
Heavenly things. SolomOns Temple
and Herod's, the Cathedral Of St
Peters at Rome, and other great cathe
drals, each wonderful in its way, were
referred to as examples Of mans skill
in the past. All, he declared glorify
mans intellectual power, intelligence
and acumen, no less than do some Of
the legal statutes of the past-the Mo-
sale Law, the Laws Of Lycurgus, etc
All Of these achievements Of the past
refute the thought that our forefathers
were monkeys or only step or two
IN advance Of that condition.
However, in our day-practlcally
within the past half century-human
intelligence ems to have bounded for
ward in a most remarkable manner
The telegraph, the telephone, the wire
less, steam power, electric power and
light have given talents n wider scope
than ever before was known, aud have
forwarded the art Of printing, which,
in turn, has stimulated the education
of the masses. Intelligence has in
creased demand. utilized inventions,
and is making the world fabulously
rich. Millions everywhere are on the
alert to associate themselves with the
new things and with the financial pros
perity which they are bringing.
Tho Canal llIustarteS All This.
Our modern cities with their multi
Piled convenlences, palatial structures,
and Office buildings more than forty
stories up into the clouds, are fresh re-
mlnders OF our text what is Man"
Our tunnels, or subways, under cities
and all the conveniences they stand for
are well calculated to amaze us, AS
we look about us and realize that these
things have come suddenly within ff-
ty years, we repeat, what is MnnW
How wonderful the intelligence which
has been able to grapple with the af-
fairs of nature, its minerals, Its laws,
etc, and to master them! Is not man
n great king in all the earth?
Nowhere Is this power Of man to deal
with earthly conditions more strlklngly
manifest than here on this Canal Zone.
We have here an Illustration Of noun
tain-moving faith. Six tons Of Trojan
powder exploded at one instant crum-
bling an entire hill, is certainly won
derful record. These great steam
shovels moving with 80 great r0pldlty
these enormous masses Of loosoned
earth are marvellous. II only few
years ago some one had told us that
man, by moving lever, could lift six
tons OF earth transport II an eighth OF
mile and load II upon cars, all In
three minutes or less, we would have
thought him insane. Who would have
believed n short timeago, that an eighty
foot gate Weighing six hundred tons
would have been practicable or posslble
History tells rs that the deslrabillty
Of this canal was recorded by GnlvO0
In 1850 He had ambition, II no had
had our modern appliances and the
wealth Of our day to back them no
doubt he had the intelligence necessary
for the work. But the time was not
ripe. Forty years ago our Government
realized the deslrability Of this work,
but dared not undertake II, Thirty
years ago the work was started by
courageous Frenchman, but abandoned
because Of the tremendous difficulties
encountered. Ten years ago the Unit.
ed States Government undertook the
work, which Is now nearing successful
completion
Tells OF MeBsiah's pay.
Tho advance Of human Intelligence
in the power to overcome the obstacles
Of nature Ia shown thus What was
impossible In the hands Of skilrul men
thirty years ngo is possible Mt the hands
Of similar men today, because, In the
interim, human Intelligence In respect
10 the use Of steam aud electricity and
the application Of mechanical prlnci.
pies, has made rapid progress This
canal. therefore, not only honors Colo.
mel Goethals, whose genius has had 80
much to do with the wonderful accom-.
plIshment. but It honors mankind In
general; for here we find at work ma
Chlnery invented and manufactured In
all parts OF the world. The Scotch
suction dredge and the French ladder
dredges co.labor with American ma
chinery In drilling, boring, blasting,
digging, accomplishing.
Our hrst lesson from what we see