The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-09-12
By WILLIAM r. SCOTT
GETuN
LOCKS


" f it should have been said in 1901
that in nine years we would have
~ removed more than 200.0000OO
cubic yards of earth and rock.
laid 100000 cubic yards of concrete.
made dams and fills of more than 30
100000 cubic yards. relocated the Pan
anna railroad spent no more than
$30O00O.0O0 and put the first ship
through from the Atlantic to the Pacif-
ic, Europe would have smiled at our
youthful temerity. Yet in 1913 we will
have done precisely that.
During the first two years and a
half the canal was i'll its first phase.
1t was the period Of pioneering, prep
aratiOn and adjustment. Two chief
engineers We're tried from the ranks
of civil life. accomplishing the main
preliminaries to canal construction be
fore their departure.
The second phase of the canal was
from the beginning of 1901 to the
spring of 1912. During these six
years the heart Of the task was accom-
pIishrd. President Roosevelt had
found the man who was to take tile
organization built up by the men from
the ranks of private industry and hurl
it against the natural obstacles that
stood in the way Of success. Colonel
Cocktails WAS to take the blueprints
and head full Of theories and work
them ont into the locks, dams and
cuts in concrete mold today.
The third and last phase began in
1912. when the chief engineer set Oc-
tober. 1918, as the date for the sub
Stantial completion of the canal. 1t is
distinguished by the gradual diSper-
sion of the army of workers, by the
reverse process of the first two years
and by the creation of permanent
operating force with the detail finish
ing work that attends every large prof.
eCt.
The east has furnished the canal
with its chief ngineerS-Wallace from
Massachusetts, Stevens from Maine,
Cocktails from New York. But every
state in the Union has furnished the
rank and file, as we'll as every nation
in the world.
Standing out distinctly from the
construction phase of the enterprise
is the figure of Colonel Gorgas, the
chief sanitary officer, now, as III the
critical days of 1905, quiet. alert con
fidcnt. The last days of the canal md
a perfect mechanism of his creation
recording his ideas with dispatch and
precision, receiving the plaudlts oil
this and secure in the admiration OF
succeeding generations.
The locks may grow too small, the
Gatun dam may break. Il caving III OF
the foundations of the colossal struc'
lures may occur and other Commissions
of nature may disable the canal, Du'
nothing can rob the Americans OF d
wonderful achievement. nor Will the
work have been without glory and Jus
tifiration no natter what the future
holds. We still could rejoice in the
sheer courage, persistence and lndom
table ability that have wrought the
work in Panama.
Just as the civil war developed Cram
and the Spanish American war dewey
and Schley, so has the lahaha cana
! developed Cocktails. lie justly IS Ger
ebrated in the periodical ana d'l''
press and in books as splendid en-
!
bodimcut of AmericahlSm-the lue"
combination OF ap''tE a"u 'l'' S'!'H'
\ perspective view OF the "hoIe I'll
! tcrpriSe shows that lhe"uore ho"Se
welt by his Individual actions Oh Z"
least three occasions Vltally a"ect''
the canal and its successful rohs"ui
nation. When he cut the "ordiah Nho
of diplomacy and took the cah"I |oIl
ne MADE the h'H' 'oiI H'''"e t""''
intero'ehn me c"hl"l"IlH'"'lo"' men II
threw MS weight mo 'he S'"'e W.
lock type canal lie u'''"e" '"e ''U'
critical question 'Ii'' ever "'uSe III ~
career OF the enterprise he '"'',
time ms 1"oSn'rn' prev e'''i It 3t'"
mistake WIS ""'h '"e P'o'''' !t ,'