Imperial Valley press., 1913-01-07
CANAL INSPECTION SHOWS
SO PER CENT COMPLETED
lCONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE]
tropical verdure, crocOdiles, monkeys

iCONTlNUED FROM PAGE ONEl
tropical verdure, crocodiles, monkeys
and parrots, are being washed under.
After passing through the Gatun
locks vessels will traverse the i3
miles Of lake under their own steam,
to the Culebra cut. A dixie, stretched
across the depths of the cut at its
northern extremity, now is the only
separation for the cut and the waters
of Gatun. This dixie, over which runs
a temporary railroad, is about quarter
of a mile wide.
Looking toward the Pacific are seen
! all army of steam shOvels, putting 10
comotives, trailing dirt cars, gasoline
drills, dynamite squads and dredges.
In the distance appears the pinnacle
OF the mountain through which the
deepest part Of the cut passes. The
cut is eight and One-haf miles in
length. Over five miles has been fin
ished, and the lowest level attained.
Out Of Culebra cut every day are
taken 1870 trains of earth. At present
the dirt is used to reclaim 100 acres
Of land at Balboa, the Pacific entrance,
and in building the Pacific breakwater,
linking the mainland and three large
islands on which the quarantine sta
tions and Notifications will be installed.
Fighting slides lends spice to the
blasting and the shovelling of Celebra.
Gold hill," the biggest slide, is now
vanquished. 1t has remained station
ary for two years. But at several
pouring into the canal. Excavations
of the dirt is the only remedy until
the sides Of the canal are leveled off
to an angle at which slides are impos
sible.
These avalanches of earth are eX-
pected to cause removal of 100000
cut. When dynamiting, which shakes
the mountain sides, ceases the slides
will also cease, according to the en-
gineers' estimates. Only one bad
slide is occurring today. This is below
the engineers headquarters at Cule-
bra
On the Pacific side of the cut is the
Pedro Miguel lock. President Taft
saw it almost completed. Range
lights are being installed and operating
machinery perfected. Steam shoveIs
are widening the north entrance. II
is the same size as each Of the Gatun
! and MaraflOreS locks. To the west
Of the Pedro Miguel lock another dam
| has been completed, similar to the
! Gatun dam, but smaller. It will back
up water to form Miraflores lake, ex-
| tending a mile between the Pedro
Miguel lake and the two locks at Mira
i flores. The channel between the two
is at the lowest level and practically
completed, except the final polish.
Greatest activity upon any part Of the
canal is at the Nfraflores locks. Four
teen steam shovels are operating there,
and train loads Of concrete are being
poured into forms. The locks them
selves are finished and the gates near
ly installed, but the machinery and
abuttment walls are not finished.
South Of MiraflOres The canal wild
ems. Its lowest depth has been al
most reached, however. A dixie two
miles south of the locks is the scanly
barrier remaining between the locks
and the last leg" Of the canal-a run
of about four miles to Balboa and the
Pacific. Water is in this reach Of four
miles. the canal being finished except
for final dredging Of sediment.
At Balboa the railroad terminal and
shops are being enlarged There a
large mountain Of solid rock. 1900
feet high, is being razed to secure
more material for. the breakwater
Three islands reaching into the Pacific
| are being joined by the breakwatcr
On two are being built concrete forts,
for mighty 12-inch guns. On another
is the quarantine station, and on the
fartheSt island, the sentinel of the canal
in the Pacific, is another fort, precipi-
tous and inaccessible except from the
preakwater. Powder magazines are
being built, hidden earthworks in
stalled and other fortification work be-
CUR.
President Taft was told while in
Panama that all working records are
being smashed to complete the canal
this year and also that the canal, be-
gun in 1904, would be presented COM