Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-10-08

Colon, Panama, Oct 1.-The Pana-
ma canal was pronounced practically
finished today when preparations
Gamboa dixie, which has held the
waters of Gatun lake out of the Guile
bra cut, the only part of the canal In
which, up till the present time, there
has been no water.
The waters of Gatun lake were per-
mitted today to run into the Culebra
cut through big pipes that had been
pushed through the Gamboa dixie.
This is done as preliminary to the
complete removal of the dixie in order
that the water may rise gradually In
the cut and eliminate the possibility
of damage.
The final destruction of the big dixie
is scheduled for October 10, whey
charges of dynamite placed in holes
already drilled in the dixie Will be
exploded The explosion OF these
charges will not completely destroy
the dixie, but will weaken it and zoos
en- the dirt so that the force of the
waters from Gatun lake will carry IT
away. Steam shovels will remove the
remnants Of the dixie. leaving an open
passageway from ocean to ocean.
Canal Really Complete Now.
Although the canal will not be Off
cialIy declared completed for some
time, and the formal opening OF the
waterway to the commerce of the
world more than year distant, the
canal engineers look upon the de-
struction Of the Gamboa dixie as mark
ing the real completion Of the canal
The big engineering feats have all
been accomplished, the excavation
work practically has been completed,
and the great locks have been con-
structed. The work that remains to
be done Is largely detail. and is but
child's play as compared with that
which has been done. More dirt Is
to be removed from the channel, but
this will be done with suction dredges
floating upon the waters Of the canal.
There still remains some finishing
touches to be placed upon the locks
but this work will take comparatively
little time and presents no engineer
ing difficulties such as have been en-
countered in the past.
The fact that the canal stands prac-
tically complete more than a year be-
fore the time originally set as the
date for it's completion is one of the
remarkable features of the work.
When Count dc Lesseps. the great
French engineer, abandoned his ef-
forts to build the Panama canal after
eight years Of labor, he had scarcely
made beginning upon the gigantic
task. In nine years, the American en-
gineers, starting almost at the same
point as de Lesseps. for the latter's
work was of little value to the Ameri-
cans. have virtually completed the
undertaking When the work was
started the world scoffed at the idea
that it could be completed within the
time limit set, but hats are now off
to the American army engineers who
have more than kept their word. de-
spite unforeseen difficulties that have
heset them at every hand
GoethaIs to Make Final Test.
The first vessel to pass through the
canal probably will be boat of the
Isthmian canal commission, Col
George w Goethals, chairman Of the
commission and chief engineer of the
canal. and his principal assistants
The final voyage through the canal is
scheduled for some time during this
month Within another month 1t is
expected the waters in Gatun lake
will have risen high enough to bring
the waters in the entire canal up to
the deep water level required for the
passage of the largest ships.
1t is said that as long ago as the
early part of August, assurances were
given Washington officially that If the
emergency should arise, the entire
Atlantic batt3eship fleet could be put
through the canal into Pacific waters
within so days from that date The
work has been hurried with that end
in view, it is said, as no emergency
has existed, but this assurance is an
indication OF the belief of the engi-