The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1913-09-27

Board Vessel on Regular Trip on 80
lantio Side When All Is Ready-oAy
sen TO Go Through Later.
Neither the battleship Oregon nor
the whaler Fran Is to be the first ship
to 20 through the ranama canal when
that waterway is ready for the pas
sage OF a vessel early next year. In
stead. a regular passenger boat OF the
Panama Railroad and Steamship CON-
pany leaving New York or a regular
trip will be scheduled TO go TO Pana
ma city and will 20 directly through
the canal. n
At Colon Colonel Goetbals aud other
officials will be taken aboard for the
FIRST trip. but otherwise there will he
no attempt to make a great display Of
the first passage.
Colonel Goethals himself has insisted
upon this plan being followed and has
put his foot down upon any sugges-
ton OF sending the Oregon througN
first. The Oregon may be the first OF
the battleships TO go through. and the
Fran may be the first foreign ship to
use the waterway. but Colonel Goe-
thaIs, never an advocate of pomp and
display. believes that whatever honor
is coming 10 any steamship belongs to
the Panama railroad boats.
No Decision as Yet.
AS a matter Of fact, the opening Of
the canal will be regulated by the ar
rival at Colon OF one OF the regular
boats. SO that there will be no delay
at the Atlantic end. 1t has not been
decided which boat will make the trip.
but the choice lies between two-the
Advance and the Alliance. Whichever
one is due In Colon about the time the
canal is ready will be selected for the
Journey to the Pacific.
There ia to be no official opening OF
the canal, 10 be followed 10y It's closing
for a period while more work Is being
done. or course work will 90 on all
the time, but when the Advance or the
Auianca makes the trip any other boat
can follow at once.
At the same time the harbors ana
docks at each end, the supply depots
where ships OF all nations can get coal
oil and food and the great repair
shops-greater than any navy yard or
shipyard I'm the world-wll be prac-
tically finished. so that once the wa
terway is thrown open everything will
be ready for any emergency, from
docking and supplying the requisites
of n thousand foot ship 10 the repair
Ing OF battieships 0f the navy.
The terminal facilities for the canal
now under construction. provide for a
system OF piers Mt both entrances 70
the waterway. with appliances. many
of them never before used. for the
rapid handling OF cargo.
II should be understood that a large
amount OF the trade by way Of the
canal will not be through traffic. That
is. ships from New York, New Orleans,
Liverpool and other ports will touch
at Cristobal. on the Atlantic side, un'
load part OF their cargo and then san
10 other ports on the Atlantic sea.
board. ships for the west coast OF the
Americas and for the orient will pick
up this freight and carry 1t TO its DIES.
tination.
Great Hsrbor Built.
At the Atlantic entrance. where
there was no natural harbor, a great
harbor has been built by the construc'
ton OF a mole. at right angles 10 the
canal channel. for a distance OF three
quarters OF a mile out into the sea
Projecting from this mole inland VIII
{ be the great terminal docks. A quay
wall and two piers are being built, and
space has been arranged for three
. more piers should the traffic demand
H. The piers are 1000 feet long ana
the ships between them 300 feet wide,
so that two 1000 foot ships can dock.
at one time without entering the canal
itself.
The piers and quay walls will TO
equipped with cranes and modern ma
chinery for rapid handling Of cargo.
The direction OF the mole is such with
relation 10 the canal and the immense
breakwater. which juts out from Toro
point. that Il will break the force OF
the heavy seas. which the violent
"northers'' OF winter pile up In Colon
harbor. IL Is now thought that this
method Of construction will make M
] necessary the building OF an eastern
= breakwater. originally provided for q
the plans Of the canal.