Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-11-26
Colonel GOethaIs Issues Az.
Dual Report on Work at
Panama
Vast Hills Must Re Removed
Bodily Before Task Is
Completed

port of Colonel George Cocktails,
chairman and chief engineer of the
canal commission, which has just
been submitted to Secretary CARR
son Neither is there any prediction
Of when ships may first pass from
ocean to ocean. The first day of the
canals actual operation still depends
upon the t%reacherous slides of Guile
bra Cut and how fast the dredges
can keep the channels open.
1T has been the general belief that
the effect Of the water in the cut
would tend to retard slides and expe-
rience below the Gatnn locks fully
justiies this belief" said Colonel
Goethals. "On the other hand, the
geologist is of the opinion, that the
water may, to some extent, develop
new slides. Again much ado was
made in 1909 over the seamy charac-
ter of rock on the Istlmus, through
which water flows quite rapidly, in
consequence OF which the question
was raised that the lake might leak
out through seams and crevices.
IF these things are liable to occur,
the sooner the better, il the official
opening f otle canal is to ecu Jan
uary /, 1915; for if water were not
admitted this fall, but were deferred
until May 1, 1914, the full height
could not be reached until October.
1914, leaving little time for the de-
termination of these questions. These
considerations led to the conclusion
that the water should not be turned
into the Cut at the earliest date prac-
ticable for getting the dredges to
work on the slides.
"The present plans, therefore, are
based upon the blowing up of Gam
boa dixie on October 10, it's removal
by dredges Immediately thereafter,
the transfer of two suction dradges
and a ladder dredge to the Cucaracha
slide, the smaller dipper dredges to
work on the other slides until the
full width of the channel is attained,
and the passage of vessels through
the canal as soon as channels Of full
depth and Of sufficient width Aave
been secured.
"Before boats can be passed it will
be necessary to remove the Gamboa
dixie by dredges and to remove the
slides as already outlined. The pas
sage of commercial vessels is depend
ent, therefore, upon the time when
proper channels a be dredged
through the slides; should additional
ones occur, they will necessarily ad-
vance the date when this will be ac-
complished."
The canal proper, exclusive Of the
approaches, the machine shops and
warehouses and great ocean docks at
either end, would have been complet-
ed during the last fiscal year, but
for the extensive slides in the Gu.
Zebra Cut. And to deal with the
great problems involved in the re-
moyal Of the slides no effective way
was found except the bodily displace-
ment of vast hills. The slides and
breaks increased as the cut was deep
ened.
mo treatment has proven effective
for slides when once developed ex-
cept that of excavating and hauling
away material from the moving mass
until the slide comes to rest or until
the angle of repose for the particular
material in. motion is reached" said
Colonel Goethals. y
Last year it was predicted by geol-
ogists that the slides had been con.
quered and that little more activity
could be expected, because all the
loose surface soil and stone had al.
most slid off, exposing great ridges
of solid basalt rock, which would act
as barriers to further earth move.
ments. Yet, when all was most prom
Using and the canal excavation had
gotten within 60 feet of the bottom
Of the cut on the east side, the rocks
broke under the tremendous pressure
and 2,00O,0 900 cubic yards of material
slid into and closed up the cut. Since
then, the canal workers have been
digging away that material and,
though there have been several.
slides, steady progress was made, for
not only did giant dredges work on.
the face OF the slides, but powerful
hydraulic monitors, such as were ex-
tensively used in hydraulic mining on
Tile { dClilC coast, were DFOuSuL lnIO
play to wash away the treacherous
hills from the rear, carrying the ma
terial into unused valleys distant
canal.
A great engineering problem was
involved in the solution OF the ques-
ton Of continuing the excavation Of
the canal by steam shoyels or by n.y.
draulic dredges, and Colonel Goeth-
ais, for the first time, makes an off
cial statement of the reasons which
impelled him to choose the wet meth
Cd.
In brief, these were based on the
apprehension that GambOa dixie would
not be strong, or high, enough to keep
the water out of the Cut as the CAT
i'm lake rose in the wet season. Also.
shovel operations would be re-
by the seasonal rains, which
would not affect the operation OF the
dredges. and finally, the measure was
Dne of economy. It would have been
possible. with the shoyels, to have
removed all of the slides by January
/, 1914, next, except the Cucaracha
hide, which could not haze been en-.