Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1913-10-17
WILSON'S TOUCH
BLOWS Up Dixie
Flashes Signal DJnamitIng Last
Barrier In the Canal
1000 NILES III q SECONDS

The Greater Part of Panama Water
way Is Now Ready For Lighs Draft
Vessels.
A little electric spark, which orlsi
mated when President Wilson pressed
the button in the White House In
Washington, was the silent aSent
which sped more than 1000 miles over
land and Under the water and igntted
the immense charges Of dynamite that
practically removed the last obstruc
ton in the Panama canal.
Electrical experts calculated that
within four seconds after President
Wilson pressed the button in Wash
ington the current threw small
switch On an apparatus at the Gamhoa
dixie, which in turn set in motion other
apparatus which furnished the current
for exploding the charges.
Just before sending the signal Presi-
dent Wilson dispatched this message
to Colonel George Goe;hals, chief en-,
gineer on the canal zone: MY warm
est congratulations.
Practically no ceremony accompan'
led the giving of the signal. The presi'
dent, Immediately after luncheon, went
to the Office Of the chief usher, I. H.
Hoover, in the executive mansion,
where the instrument was waiting. Tne
chief operator, K. w. Smi!heTs, tested
the line and sent four dots flashing
through to Panama, as the signal that
the president was ready.
Mr.. Wilson stepped forward just as
the hands Of the White Houae clock
touched the hour and pressed the but
ton. flashing to Panama the current
which was to send tons and tons OF
the Ganboa dixie flying heaTenward
and perform practically the last act IN
connecting the waters OF the two great
oceans.
well, that's all there is to It," said
the president with smile as he turn
ed away. "Gamboa IS busted"
Secretary McAdoo and Secretary Tu-
multy were the only other officials
present.
: The destruction Of this dixie per
mitted the waters Of Gatun lake to
Gow freely into the Culebra cut, which
after nine years Of the greatest dig
ging the world has ever seen is now
almost completed.
While Il was not an official holiday
n the canal zone, everyone who could
he spared from work j0urneyed to the
scene. The danger zone was guarded
by a strong gordon OF police. Fourteen
units of the Atlantic dredging 1"e:
we're successfully passed through the
Gatun locks on their way to the Gam
boa dixie and began operations as soon
as the barrier was shattered. The lock-
age took two houra and a half, some
line being lost through maneuverins
The vessela into position. The lock ME.
chanism worked perfectly.
The Atlantic and Pacific oceans wore
not actually united when the Gamboa
like was destroyed and the waters OF
Gatun lake were allowed to flow into
Culebra cut, az lake and cut are, al
The normal surface of the water,
eighty-fve feet above the level Of the
sea.
The destruction Of the G2mboa dixie,
however, removes the last obstruction
to the navigation OF the greater part
Of The canal by light draft vessels and
pnonS up direct connection between
the great Gatun lake. which already is
practically ready to discharge vessels
into the Atlantic through Gatun locks,
and the Pacific division. The waters of
the lake, rushing through the broken
dixie at Gamboa, sweep through the
greater locks at Pedro Miguel. which
mark the beginning Of the des' en-: from
the top level Of the canal to the Pa,
cific.
The first craft to enter will be the
great steam dredges, whose work Is 10
clear and deepen II. channel. The
presence of small craft in portions OF
the canal, however, does not as yet
mean ocean-to-ocean navigation.