Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-11-11
The Americans
In Panama
Story of the Panama Canal
From Start to Finish
By WILLIAM R. SCOTT
Published by the Statisr Publish
ing company. 6ot Fifth avenue.
New York city.
Copyright. 1912 and 1919, BY william
r. Scott.
By WILLIAM R. SCOTT
CHAPTER XII.
The CuIebra Cut.

ChAF Ell NIis
The CuIsbra Cut.
~ OPULAR interest always has
u centered chiefly in the eIcava.
ton phase OF canal construc.
ton. losing sight Of the fact
that the locks, dams and breakwaters
call for an expenditure Of 5.643, 900.
The Culebra cut has been exploited
more than any other feature of the
canal, yet 1t was estimated to cost
$50. 4S1 900. or $5.OO00O0 less than the
features Just enumerated. Even the
dredging of fifteen miles Of sea level
channel has received little publicity,
and this was to cost no less than $780,.
100000
The Culebra cut Is nine miles long.
with a curve for nearly every mile
At these curves the cut is widened to
permit the ships to pass easily. AL
ways the chief problem has been one
of transportation. or how to keep empty
cars In front of the steam shovels con-
stantly. in canyon only 300 feet wide.
In Il working day Of eight hours it has
been found possible to keep the steam
shovels working only about six hours
because Of this circumscribed field of
operations.
Naturally the seventy-flve miles Of
track in the Culebra cut must be
shifted constantly as the excavation
work carries the levels down. This
kept the track shifters and hundreds
of men ut work day and night During
the maximum operations in the cut
G.O0O men were employed In the day
time. while at night 400 men worked
to keep the steam shovels in repair. to
replenish their coal bins. blast more
material for the shovels and otherwise
to get the cut In shape for the next
days activities.
About 100000 cubic yards were to
be removed to complete this part OF
the canal. or practically half the total
excavation. On July 1. 1918. the begin
ming Of the last year Of work. there
were 100000 yards left to be re.
moved
For the whole length Of the cut the
average depth from the surface to the
proposed bottom Of the canal was about
100 feet. the highest point on the cen
ter line Of the canal being at Culebra.
between Gold and Contractors hills.
where excavation has gone down 2I2
feet. After the soil had been removed
for short depth solid rock was struck.
and to Jan. 1. 1913. 54.504, $50 pounds
of dynamite were used In blasting. or
the staggering total Of 27.252 tons
The lay mind thinks Of pound Of dy-
Mantle rs impressive, but its use In
the canal work has been bewilderinglr
heavy.
Most Of the explosive has been used
in the Culebra cut. 1t is estimated
that pound Of dynamite will break
up 2.14 cubic yards Of rock and earth.
and MS much as twenty-six tons have
been set Off in one blast In the canal.
Stringent rules have prevailed to pre-
vent accidents. and. while deaths from
this cause have run into the hundreds.
the handling Of this amount Of dyna-
mite has been distinguished for the
small number Of fatalities. The largest
single shipment of dynamite to Pan
anna was BAG tons. received on June q.
1911, without an accident in loading or
unloading from the steamer.
All through the day Drills operated
by compressed air bored into the rock
In the cut for twenty-four feet. A
small charge Of powder was set of Mt
the bottom Of these holes to enlarge
them for the real charge Of as much
as 200 pounds. Then after the men
had quit for the noon hour or after 5
o'clock In the afternoon the charges
were set Off by electric current. Many
persons have been killed by being
struck by rocks hurled long distances
In these blasts The next morning the
steam shovels found plenty Of food for
their hungry jaws. which bit of four
or FIVE cubic yards at a dip. swung
around and dropped the six or seven
tons upon the cars. Frequently they
lifted rocks so heavy that the cars
were broken.
From $50 to It's trains day loaded
with eIcavated materials left the Cule-
bra cut for the dumps. A great deal
went to build the mighty Gatun dam;
much has been used in reclaiming near
" 400 acres from the ocean at Balboa,
the Pacific terminal; the new Panama
railroad required millions Of yards III
making fills. and the breakwater at
l:uibou also took d considerable
amount. Whit could not be usefully
employed was wasted Oh dumps. The
average haul from the cut has been
twelve miles. but as much as thirty
miles was Travelled by some OF the dirt
| trains Twenty fiat cars constituted d
train, and one Cur could be loaded by
| u shovel In two and half minutes, OF
with seven scoopfuls Of earth and rock
When the trains got tO the dumps al
unloading plow was druwn by stee
cuble over the dat cars. sweeping the
materinl ofY the side which was open
Then spreaders were pushed over tht
| track to shove the material to one side
and down the embunkment. TracR
shifters later cume along and moved
the track over to the edge OF the Oil
Between 1.OOO.OOO and 100000 yards
went out of the Culebra cut ever!
month since December, 1907.
The employees were carried from
the various towns to their work in the
cut or OH the locks and dams by labol
trains. These truths took them to theil
homes or the hotels for the noon meal
consuming from ten minutes to hall
an hour In the Journey. But as tht
rest period mt noon was for two hour
In the canal zone ample time for eat
Ing was allowed.
In the month Of March, 1000, mort
dirt was taken out than In the hrs
twenty-five months Of operations. Th'
excavation In one month usually ex
ceeded an amount equal to the pyra
mid of Cheops. which Is 7b0 fee
square and 451 feet high. The cana
force of 1909. 1910 and 1911 woult
have dug and finished the Suez canal
March, 1911. retains the record for tn
ro.ko-t oxnovotion In fhe cut wheI