The Ely miner., 1913-07-18

lOrH uOWn very soon.
These slides used to make us rath-
er respondent, for it seemed as if theS
never would stop, but the progress
we are making this year has cheered
up the operating fFces again, and
we can see the end Of the task. The
slide and the break are quite differ
ent. In the former the earth slides
at an angle down a sloping face Of
rock, and in the latter the mass sinks
straight down and at the bottom
bulges out into the channel. Along
both sides of the cut you can see nu-
merous small slides and breaks. Those
are in pockets in the rock wall, and,
annoying as they are, they only need
cleaning out. The Cucaracha started
as a slide and now it is both a slide
and break.
incidentally, that cut should be
great place for geologists. l have
found in it every kind of rock except
granite, and many interesting fossils
and petrifcation have been discover
ed there. In one stratum through
which we cut there were found great
number of teeth of prehistoric varie-
ties of sharks
What is your opinion concerning
the date when the canal will be ready
for commerce." 1 asked.
"If 1 had my say said the colonel
eBphatically, mot commercial ves-
sci would be allowed in the canal un-
til it is absolutely complete down to
the smallest detail. In some of the
many safety devices were not in op-
Grafton and an accident should result,
the canal would get black eye from
which it might not recover for long
time Officially, the time for the COM
pletion of the canal is still January
1, 1915. 1t may be done before that
date, but in March of this year there
was still about $50,000,000 worth Of
work ahead of us.
I'VE who have been digging the
canal and are still here in positions of
responsibility-I mean the members
of the Isthmian canal commission
are rather fearful concerning that part
of the Adamson bill which permits
the president to dissolve the commits
sion whenever in his judgment the
canal is near enough to completion.
We feel that it would be extremely
unjust not to allow us to remain on
the job until after the grand formal
opening in January, 1915. 1t would be
much like permitting a boy to COM
plete his university course, and then
taking him home before he receives
his diploma"
And then Colonel Gaillard said come
things about Mr. Taft's efforts to put
into effect that clause last January,
which must have made the ex-presi-
dents ears tingle a bit
'The Culebra cut is like three-ring
circus. l don't know which way to
look" said one visitor to the zone.
1t is indeed a scene of wonderful &C
tivity. Giant steam shovels are scat
tered through it, scooping up enor-
nous masses of rock and earth; on
half a dozen tracks on as many diff
ferent levels snorting and putting loco
motives are swiftly drawing loaded or
empty dirt trains; along the ledges
are batteries of steam and COM
pressed air drills, making holes for
dynamite; suddenly there is a toot-
footing of steam whistle, hundred
men scurry to shelter, and dynamite
blast fills the air with sound and dirt
and rocks. These blasts during work
hours are known as "dobie Shots" and
are fired for the purpose of breaking
up boulders too big for the shovels to
handle, and to remove small masses
of earth. Though small blasts, they
are decidedly noisy ones. The larger
ones, which loosen great areas Ct ma
terial for the shovels, are fired only
when most of the workmen are out
of the cut, between II and 1 O'Clock
and after 5.
The amount Of dynamite used on
the canal is extraordinary. For sew
eral years the annual average has
bcon about 100000 pounds. Put in
another way, one pound Of dynamite
has been used to every ~ cubic yards
of material blasted. When the drill
holes have been loaded, they are con-
nected in parallel and fired by means
of current from an electric plants
Colonel Gaillard, when he took charge
Of the central division, found a differ
ent system Of firing in use in which
a considerable proportion of the
charges failed to explode. He changed
that, and at the same time Instituted
other reforms in the manner Of ham
ding dynamite. One result was a
marked decrease in the number of &C
cidents from premature explosions.
Watching the steam shovels is IA
vorite occupation of visitors who ven-
ture down into the Culebra cut. They
seem almost human, and do a vast
amount Of work. Their dippers hold
five cubic yards of material, weigh
ing on an average a little more than
three tons. This spoil is emptied into
cars of several kinds. Flat cars with
one high side are unloaded by plows
that are drawn the length Of the train
by cables upon winding drum. The
others are dump cars, the largest of
which are operated by compressed air
from the locomotive. The trains haul
the spoil from the cut to dumping
grounds, which on an average are
about IL miles distant. Some lS,aOO,-
900 cubic yards of this material was
used as filling for tn. long breakwa-
ter at the Pacific entrance
Records are fragile things; you
can't lower one without breaking it.