The Arvada enterprise., 1913-10-09
WORK ON PANAMA
CANAL NEAR END
Waters of Gatun Lake Turned
Into the Culebra Cut.
BIG Dixie IS TO BE REMOVED
This viii Mark the Practical Compile,
ton OF the Big Waterway After
Nine Years Of Labor by an
Army of Men.

Colon. Panama, Oct THE Pan
anna canal stands today virtually com
plete.
The preliminary steps toward the
destruction OF the Gamboa dixie, which
until the present time. has held the
waters OF Gatun lake out OF the Gu
Zebra cut, were taken today when the
valves In four great 2G-inCh pipes
which pierce the dixie were opened
and the waters of the lake began
flowing into the Culebra cut Within
few days. It is expected, enough wa
ter will have flowed into the cut to
form cushion and prevent the dam
age that might be done II the dixie
were were blown up and the waters al
lowed to rush into the empty cut.
The final destruction of the big dixie
is scheduled for October 10, when
charges OF dynamite placed in holes
already drilled in the dixie will be cx-
ploded The explosion OF these
charges viii not completely destroy
the dixie, but will weaken 1t and luos-
on the dirt 30 that the force OF the
waters from Gatuan lake will carry It
away. Steam shoyels will remove the
remnants OF the dixie, leaving an open
passagoway from ocean to ocean.
Canal Really Complete Now.
Although the canal will not be OH
cially declared completed for some
time, and tho formal opening Of the
waterway to the commerce OF the
world more than n 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 fcats have all
been accomplished. the excavation
work practically has been completed.
and the great locks have been con
structod The work that remains to
be done iB largely detail, and is but
Child's play as compared with that
which has been done. More dirt ID
60 be removed from the channel, but
this will be done with suction drudgcs
floating upon the waters OF tho canal
There sull remain somo 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-
countorod in tho past
Tho fact that the canal stands prnc-
tically complete more than q year be
fore the time originally set as the
date for It's completion is one or the
remarkable features OF the work.
When Count de Lessops. the great
French engineer abandoned his ef-
forts to buiId the Panama canal after
eight years Of labor. ho had scarcely
made beginning upon the gigantic
task. In nine years. the American on.
ginecrs, starting almost az the same
point an de Lusscps for the latlcr.s
work was OF little value 10 the Amer
leans. have virtually completed the
undertaking when tho work was
started tho world scoIcd ut the idea
that Il would be completed within the
time limit sot but hats are now on
70 the American army engineers who
have more than KEEP, their word. de
spite unforeseen difficulties that have
beset thom at every hand
Goethals 90 Make Final Test.
The first vessel 10 pass through IN,
canal probably will be q boat OF IN,
Isthmian canal commission. Col
George Vs. Goethals, chairman OF IN,
commission and chief engineer OF IN,
canal aud his principal assistants