The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-11
President Wilson Ex-
plodes Charge, Uniting
Waters Of Oceans.
TELEGRAPHIC FEAT
is EXTRAORDINARY
Final Scenes at White House
and in Panama Are Happy
Ones-Colonel Gaillard, Who
Engineered Excavation, Is
Confined to Hospital
in Baltimore.

Washington, October Io-The mo-
mentary touch Of a key by the Presi-
dent of the United states to-day sent a
Hash OF electricity through continu- :
Gus telegraph and cable connection of
i."oo miles. setting off a gigantic bla st
or dynamite which exploded the Gam
boa pike, the last OF the great bar
t:ers 10 water communication in the
ianana Canal. 1t was an extraordi- :
nary feat of Telegram pity. especially
planned for the occasion. At precisely
CLOCK this afternoon President Will
SON simply closing a telegraph key at
me White House, sent the current over
land and under seas, and lust n few
SECONDS later came the message in
1 forming him that the explosion had
been made.
While celebrations on the Pacific
coast were numerous. there was no
ceremony in Washington, 1T being the
wish Of Colonel Cocktails that tho gov
ernmcnt await the actual opening Of
the canal Besides the wreckagc of
The Gamboa Dixie, there are two earth
slides TO be cleared away before boats
can pass from ocean to ocean.
Spccinl Circuit Set In.
The special circuit had been set up
early in the day \ few minutes be-
fore O'Clock Chief Operator l.: w
Smithcrs. at the White House, talked
TO Galveston, Tex. rs the cable
Yes" came the answer, and soon
Galveston announced that Pa" the
telegraph call of Panama City. was
heard. BY agreement. the operator at
the White House made four distinct
dots at twenty seconds before o'clock
This gave the signal for the engineers
nj the Gamboa Dixie 10 be in readiness
for the flash. They waited twenty sec
onds. and on the dot President Wilson
closed the key which sent the current
into the dynamite apparatus.
Gnmbon Is Busted.
! There, II is all over" smiled the
President. Gamboa is busted"
The President sent Colonel Goethals
brief message of congratulation and
turned to those about him happv in
the thrill OF the moment, for II
brought anticipation OF the final step
that will open 70 the world a short
waterway between the Atlantic and the
Pacific. the dream OF centuries
Engineer In Hospital
While the scene at the White House
was happy one. at Johns Hopkins
Hospital, forty miles away. there lay
At the point Of death the man who
would have given most to witness the
destruction Of Gamboa dixie. II was
Licutenant-CclonelD David Du H. Gail
lard. the engineer who directed the en-
cavation of Culebra Cut, one end OF
Wnicn was DioCkeU DE tnc tambO9
dixie Colonel Gaillard is suffering
from general breakdown as a re-
suit of his long labors in the Canal
Zone
Engineers now are looking forward
10 the final dredging OF the great ditch
with the hope that lighter draft YES
sells used by the diggers will be able
TO pass through the entire canal in a
few weeks
Dixie Rent in Twain.
The Gamboa dixie. the last artificial
barrier TO actual communication be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
by way 1f the Panama Canal. was rent
in twain by the hand of President
Woodrow Wilson at 2:02 o'clock this
afternoon
Between three and four thousand
persons from various sections of the
Canal Zone journeyed to the scene to
witness the destruction OF the barrier.
Complete demolition of the dixie to-day
Was not carried out because Of the
fear that the concussion might dam
age the railroad trestle crossing the
cut near san Miguel locks. The two
rema lining sections will be dynamited
later.
The spectators lined the banks OF the
cut, occupying every available vantage
President Wilson would press the but
ton TO explode the numerous charges
of dynamite in the dixie a hush of ex-
pectoncy icll over all Then suddenly
came the mufled roar Of the discharge
OF 10000 pounds of dynamite. which
sent a shower OF water. mud and rock
high into the air. 1t was considered
among local dynamite experts as a
remarkably clean explosion. y section
OF the dixie sixty feet wide was lifted
bodily from its bed and its component
parts scattered far and wide
As water began to pour through the
rent made by the explosion whistles
We're tied down and the crowd sent up
Il great cheer
Department Heads Present.
All the heads of the canal depart
mcnts were present for tho epoch
Continued on Third Pagc)