The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-10-10

IcIb, IL AuIQllleu now 10 Dc So bIIOu8
that nothing short Of an earthquake
such as has never been known in the
Central American region can harm
1T. The Gatun dam, Gatun lake and
the Culebra cut, SO gigantic are the
proportions Of each, dwarf the other
engineering works of the canal that
In themselves have challenged the
admiration OF the world.
World Gives Goethals Credit.
To Col. George Goethals. chairman
Of the lsthmian canal commission,
chlef engineer Of the commission and
governor Of the canal zone, the world
will give the credit for the successful
completion Of the Panama canal. Col
onel Goethals could not have accom-
plished his task without the assist
ance Of such men as Col. Fl. r.
Hodges, Lieut.. Col. David Du B. Gail
lard and Lieut.. Col. William l.. Sibert,
army engineers, who have had charge
OF various phases Of the work, but
Colonel Goethals is recognized as the
real builder of the canal.
Under Colonel Goethals the greater
part of the 1915, 900, 900 which the
canal will have cost when it is COM
pleted has been spent. 1t has been by
far the costliest engineering project
IN the world. Nearly three-ffths OF a
billion dollars has been spent in dig
glng a f0-mile ditch" This means
that the Panama canal has cost the
United States SO 00, 900 a mile.
~ nunr ere G0n 0OO 80 +l~ xoA~J $500
spent has been used to make the canal
zone habitable and sanitary. 1t has
been suggested that this is an enor-
nous amount Of money to spend in
cleaning up a place in which few peo-
pie will reside permanently. but the
engineers say that the sanitation OF
the canal zone was the chief factor in
making the canal a reality. The tall
ure of the French has been attributed
to a large extent to the fact that
the workmen could not survive in the
fever and pest ridden country.
The building of the great locks
which raise a vessel to a height Of 81
feet above sea level at one end OF
the canal and lower it the same dis
eiA1S GU II oAlICI Sliu. has btcu Ill
charge Of two of Colonel Goethals'
assistants. Colonel Hodges and Lieu
tenant Colonel Sibert. Colonel Hodges
work in installing the immense lock-
gates that form SO important a part
or the operating machinery OF the
canal, II his ability TO overcome all
obstacles had led Colonel Goethals to
II call him a ppnilJS Tho htr;lIinp ,pic-
ing and operation Of the lock gates
constitute II of the delicate prob
lens of lock canal construction. and
the proper handling Of his problem
has been Colonel Hodges contribu-
ton to the work OF construction or
the canal
Lieutenant Colonel Sibert has had
charge of the building of the great
dam and locks at Gatun, in addition
to other duties. He saw long. ac-
tive service III the philippines. and
he is known in the army as a nght-
er as we'll as an engineer, His fight
ing qualities have enabled him to
carry through the great work OF
which he has had charge in the
canal zone.
Realize Dream Of Centuries.
Through the work Of these men-ail
Of them members of Uncle Sans
fighting hody-the United States has
been able to attain what has been in
truth the dream of centuries. In nine
years these men have carried through
an undertaking that was first thought
of several hundreds OF years ago.
There is evidence that the idea OF an
isthmian canal was born as early as
the sixteenth century, for history re-
cords the fact that the Inauisition
declared such a project to alter the
face Of the earth 70 be impious and
further discussion of the matter was
forbidden BY Philip II. Of Spain. whose
reign began in 1856. More thar a cen.
fury later q Scotchman named Patter-
son revived the scheme. established a
colony on the shores of the isthmus,
and made a crude surve of the route.
The United States government first
took definite action looking toward
the construction Of an isthmian cana,
in 1884, when the senate voted for
the building Of a Nicaraguan canal.
An expedition was sent to Nicaragua
to make an investigation. and report
ed that the canal could be construct
ed for s25, 000, 900. hardly one-twenti-
eth of the amount that the Panama
canal will have cost when completed.
De Lesseps First to Dig.
The matter rested until after the
Civil war, when negotiations for a
canal commission were entered into
by the United States government. Be-
fore anything had been accomplished
the concession for a Panama canal
had been given to Lucien Napoleon
Banaparte Wyse, a Frenchman. He
organized a company, which sold out
later to the financiers associated with
Ferdinand de Lesseps. The company
organized with de Lesseps at its head
was the first one to actually begin OBJ
erations on the isthmus. For eight
years de Lesseps struggled manfully
against the greatest odds that man
ever was called upon tc face.
Such was the history of the 18th.