The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-10-10


The final voyage through the canal is |
scheduled for some time during this
month. Within another month 1t is
expected the waters in Gatun lake
will have risen high enough to bring
the waters in the entire canal up to
the deep water level required for the
passage of the largest ships.
1t is said that as long ago as the
early part of August, assurances were
given Washington officials that If the
emergency should, arise, the entire
Atlantic battleship fleet could be put
through the canal into Pacific waters
within 60 days from that date. The
work has been hurried with that end
in view, it is said, as no emergency
has existed but this assurance is an
indication of the belief of the engi-
neers that their work Is now practi-
cally finished
cuIebra Cut Caused Trouble.
The excavation of the Culebra cut,
into which the water has just been
turned, has been one of the engineer
ing feats connected with the building
of the canal, and has caused the en-
gineers more trouble than any 9TH
er portion of the big ditch" To
Col. D. D. Gaillard, the engineer of
the central division, is given the
credit for carrying this portion of the
work through to successful termina-
ton.
The disastrous slides in the cut
were discouraging to the engineers,
multiplying in few hours the work of
many weeks, but Col. Gaillard and his
assistants have kept untiringly at,
their work, and at last have conquer
ed the treacherous banks of the deep
cut. The engineers believe that the
danger of slides will be eliminated
now that the water has been turned
into the cut.
A little more than month ago the
giant steam shoyels finished their
work in the Culebra cut. Since that
time the workmen have been busy
removing the shovels, the railroad
tracks and other machinery used in
the excavation work There is still
some dirt to be removed from the cut
before the channel is finished, but
this work will be done by suction
dredges floating on the waters of the
canal, and will not interfere with nav
igation Of the waterway by such boats
as may be allowed to pass through.
Immense Artificial Lake Created.
Gatun lake, the waters of which are
now flowing into the Culebra cut, is
the pivotal point about which the en-
tire canal system revolves, and the
creation Of this lake. together with the
construction of Gatun dam, consti-
tuted another great engineering feat
In the construction of the canal. Cat
un lake is an artificial body Of water
covering about 164 square miles OF
territory and was created by the
building of the immense Gatun dam
and the impounding of the wild wa
tiers of Chagres river. Beneath the
waters of Gatun lake lies what few
months ago was the valley OF the
Chagres, dotted with native villages
and plantations. The channel of the
canal passes through this lake for a
distance of "a miles with width vary.
ing from 500 to 1000 feet.
At the northern end of the lake
is the Gatun dam, which is in reality
an artificial ridge more than mile
and a half long. Figures alone give
an adequate idea of the magnitude OF
this dam. Nearly half mile wide at
its base, about 400 feet wide at the
water surface, and 100 feet wide at
the top, the dixie which many en-
gineers predicted would never with
stand the rush of the Chagres' wa
tiers. is admitted now to be so strong
that nothing short OF an earthquake
such as has never been known in the
Central American region can harm
It. The Oatun dam, Gatun lake and
the Culebra cut, so gigantic are the
proportions of each. dwarf the other
engineering works of the canal that
in themselves have challenged the ad
miration of the world.
World Gives Goethals Credit.
To Col. George Goethals. chairman
of the Isthmian canal commission
chief engineer of the commission and
governor of the canal zone, the world
will give the credit for the successful
completion of the Panama canal. Col
Goethals could not have accomplish