Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-19
PANAMA CANAL
NEARS Finish
in 10th YEAR
tBy Latest NALL

tenth year of work on the Panama ca,
nal finds approaching completion. The
property transfer from the French
took place on May 4. 1894 Three
years were devoted largely to prepar-
etion for actual constructive work.
Concrete work in the locks has ad-
yanced TO the point where its termina-
| tion can be prefigured: work is in pro-
sress on all Of the 46 lock gates and
their erection is over 80 per cent COM
pleted; installation OF the lock ma
chinery is well under way; the re-
moval of all original excavation from
the canal prism, both wet and dry, is
an operation of months: and plans for
most OF the auxiliary features con-
nected with the operation of the fin
ished canal have been decided upon,
and the work on some of them, as well
as on terminal facilities, has been be-
gun.
According to present plans. Gatun
lake, now practically stationary at
about - feet, will be allowed to fill
after July /, until II has reached its
normal level OF So feet, which event,
in case there is a season of average
rainfall, is expected to take place
about December /. The rise in the
lake level will probably flood Culebra
cut shortly after October 1, causing
q suspension of steam-shoyel opera.
tons near that date. The work of re-
moving the two remaining villages
that will be cut off by the filling of
Gatun lake Gorgona and Matachin-
will probably be completed early in
September.
The hydraulic fill OF Gatun dam, the
artificial barrier that, stretching
across the old valley of the Chagres
river, impounds the water of Gatun
lake, eventually 164 square miles in
extent. was begun in March, 1909, and
completed in September. 1912. The
dry fill of the. dam was begun in 1909
and has continued to the present
time, 11,3S5,362 cubic yards being in
place on May 1.
The work of paving the lake side
Of the dam for distance of 10 feet
above and below the normal level OF
the water, IS feet above sea level,
Is In progress About 175.000 cubic
yards will be required for this pur.
pose. Dumping of dry fill for the
west dams at Pedro Miguel and Mira
flores is practically completed, and
totals in place on May /, being 692,.
SIS, and 1,635,629 cubic yards, re.
| spectively.
The greater part of the material re.
manning to be excavated from the
canal in the dry is confined to a sec
ton of Culebra cut extending from
Cucaracha slide to point south of
the empire suspension bridge, a total
distance of about 5000 feet. OF the
6,633, 400 cubic yards remaining to be
removed in the entire Culebra cut
section on May /, only about 1900, 900
cubic yards come under the head of
original excavation. The remainder
was brought in by slides, which were
again active during the year.
Dry excavation in the canal prism
| outside Of the Culebra cut section,
is confined to S75,553 cubic yards in
the fifth division, principally between
Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks,
and south Of Miraflores locks to the
limit of dredging operations marked
by the north dixie.
The construction of the permanent
terminals at the Pacific end of the
canal was begun with the removal of
the commission village of Balboa,
and the remnants of the native vii
lage of La Boca, in June and July of
1912.
The work on the terminal facilities
at Cristobal has followed the plans
outlined in 1911, which were pursued
with only slight variations during the
year 1912. The mole from which the
| piers will jut has been extended $685.
feet from the shore line. The wharf
on the southwest size Of Cristobal
point was placed in use in January
1913. Columns for the shed are be
ing erected; 229.2S0 pounds of stee
superstructure are in place.
For the one authorized pier. No
II, iutting from the mole, 1882 line
al feet of six-foot concrete caissons
have been driven, and filed with
20,531 cubic yards Of concrete.
A coaling station was determined
upon during the past year, to be 10
Gated on the swampy island across
the French canal from Cristobal.
Il