New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-04
Vessels Cannot Pass from Ocean
to Ocean on October 10,
as Many Thought.
TWO MILES LEFT TO FINISH
Waters of the Atlantic and the
Pacific Will Never Be
Mingled in the
Big Ditch.
GFrom The Tribune Bureau. J

! Washington. Oct. 3.--Those who have
| been led to believe that the blowing up
Of the Gamboa Dixie on the Isthmus Of
Panama on October 10 will unite the At
| lantic and Pacific oceans entertain
wrong idea. according 10 a memorandum
issued by the canal authorities here to-
day, for nothing Of the sort will happen
The blowing up of the dixie will merely
/ loosen up lot of earth which will have
TO be dredged out and will probably not
! form any passage. The memorandum is +
sued to-day says:
/ 1t seems that there has arisen through
out the country a very incorrect idea Of
what will occur as the result OF the blow !
/ ing up Of tho Gamboa Dixie on the ielh-
/ mus. which is scheduled to take place on
or about october 10. This dixie is a mass
Of earth I'm the form Of dam which has
| been thrown across the canal prism to
separate the water Of the Gatun Lake
| from the Culebra Cut. 1t being essential
/ that the waters De kept out OF the cutl
! until the operations with steam shoyelsl
were closed out
Now that Il has been decided 10 COM
) plete the excavation In the cut by dredgssi
|
| The explosion on October 10 will merely
loosen up the earth in this dixie and VIII
probably not form any passage. rhsl
material after loosening Will have TO bel
dredged out.
In the mean time. and preparatory tot
| blowing up the dixie, the water will bel
permitted TO enter the cut through pipes
installed at Gamboa Dixie. this for tho
double purpose Of forming cushion to-
! prevent damage from the blasting and I
also TO allow the waters in the cut 10 rises
TO nearly the level OF the waters In tho
lake. in order that there will not be a.
rush from the lake which might cause
considerable damage.
Since IL was decided 10 finish the ex-l
cavation by dredging. the material which
has slid INTO the canal from the Cuca-
racha slide has not been taken out and
has formed an additional dixie across the
canal prism. which Will prevent the water
from Gatun Lake. after the removal OF
the Gamboa Dixie. from reaching all the
way through the cut
las n matter OF fact. there will prob
ably be about two miles of the cut which
will be damned of from the waters by
the Cucaracha slide. this portion being
between Cucaracha and Pedro Miguel
locks In brief. therefore, the blowing
UP OF the Gamboa Dixie will not permit
passage from one ocean 10 the other Tor
even shallow draft vessel or even
boat. and such connection @ll not
be established until the Cucaracha slide
has BEEN dredged out.
In this connection IL is noted mat
various people throughout the country arc
using an expression 10 indicate the union
OF the waters OF the Atlantic and tho
Pacific through the canal. To those VINO
know the engineering features this IS
rather amusing. as. so far as the canal
is concerned the waters OF the Atldhuc
and Pacific will never mingle. Gatun
| Lake. which is midway Of the canal. VIII
have an elevation OF elghty-nve feet
above the oceans. and water from TINS
lake will merely flow each way TO inc
two oceans. the water in the lake being
fresh and derived from the drainage OK
the area surrounding tho lake"