The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-24

one-half hillion yards TO take out. II
no new slides should come we ought
to be able to complete that work before
January, 1914 IF. however the water
is turned into the canal in October. as is
anticipated, there viii remain stin two or
three million cubic yards which will have
to be removed by dredges.r
when do you really expect to see the
water flow into the cut?"
Prior TO my departure the chairman
and chief engineer said it was his inten-
tion to turn the water into the cut early
in October 1g13r
Does that mean that the canal will be
ready for use then?"
u do not like to prophesy as to that.
There are all kinds of estimates. I see
that one big steamship line Is advertis-,
ing that it will send tourists through on
a sixteen-thousand-to ship early in Feb
ruary. 1914. l will only say, however
that it seems certain that Il viii be pos
sble to pass ships through the canal
several months before the date of the Of
fetal opening that is, considerably in ad-
vance of January l. 1915"
What force have you now at Panama.
I suppose that the men will soon De leav-
ing to find other jobs?'
During the past year we, have had
more men at work than ever before. May
1, 1913, the number was 1900. That is
the largest in the history of the canal"
What can Uncle Sam do with the men
he has trained in this worlS?
Il know OF no large public undertake
ing now authorized where they could be
used. You understand that the great
mass of our employees there are COM
paratively unskiled That is so of the
tropics Our total number of Americans
is only about 5000. Some of them will
remain on the permanent operating force
of the shops and canal Others will
leave the government service. and find
work under contractors or with private
firms. A large number of steam shovel
men and locomotive engineers will be
ready for employment elsewhere"
Uncle Sans Old Machinery
What will Uncle Sam do with his ma
chinery?"
Some of 1t will be kept at Panama,
but a great deal viii have to be sold or
otherwise disposed of. Take the cars
and other rolling stock. We have so
much down there that II it were placed
as closely as possible on a single track
it would take up 20 miles The rolling
cludes the Culebra cut. would fill a track
10 miles long. This machinery win be
stored and sold as fast as possible Much
of 1t is in excellent condition"
Can you give me any idea cf its
value?"
No. The machinery which we have In
the central division cost us about sl200o.-
Oe0. but a comparatively small percentage
of that win be realized on rsnal sale
The shovels. cars and engines are in ex-
cellent shape"
Should moi the canal be tested before
ships are allowed to go through it?r
Il suppose that VIII be done It Is I'M
portant that the operating force should
be thoroughly trained, and all the ma
chinery brought up to the highest pitch
Of efficiency before commercial aud war
vessels are allowed to pass through This
may be done by experimenting with such
craft as belong to the canal commission
and are no longer needed for other work.
With these vessels we could train the
operating force, and try out the ma
chinery. The safety appliances shonld
also be tested, and doubt not they viii
be-"