Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-10-16
WILSON SETS OFF
DYNAMITE CHARGE.
BLOWING UP Dixie

SAAS Sih Il AS
Wilson pressed the button in h White
House sped more than 1000 miles over
lend and under water ignited the i'm
mease charges of dynamite and practi-
cally cleared the Panama canal. Elec-
trical experts calculated that within
four seconds after the initial impulse,
h current threw a small switch at the
Gamboa dixie. which in turn, set In
motion other apparatus, furnishing the
current which exploded the charges.
Elaborate preparations had been made
by the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany and the Central and South Am
practically instantaneous transmission
Of the Presidents signal. From WASH
ington Galveston, Tex. 1856 miles, q
single wire carried the spark. There
1t was taken up instantaneously by
sensitive repeating instruments and
Of the gulf of Mexico to Coat~zacoalcos,
Mexico, 1893 miles further. From that
point 1t sped overland across the
Isthmus of TehauAtpec, 1888 miles to
another cable station at Salina Cruz, on
the Pacific ocean to a Juan Del Sur,
Nicaragua, a cable station. There other
delicate machines transferred 1t to still
another cable and shot it 766 miles
more TO Panama. When the spark
emerged from its long submarine
journey it took the overland telegraph
wires of the Panama Railroad COM
pany, n completed it's mission at
Gamhoa bikes.
Hours before the time set experts of
busy perfecting their arrangements SO
the telegraph and cable companies were
the presidents flash might have an
unobstructed passage.
The destruction of the Gamboa dixie,
however. removes the last obstruction
to the navigation of the greater part
OF. the canal by light draft vessels and
opens up direct connection between the
great Gatum lake. which already is
practically ready to discharge vessels
into the Atlantic.
The first craft to enter will be the
greet steam dredges. whose work is
to clear and deepen the channel. The
presence of small craft in portions of
OF the canal, however, does not as yet
mean ocean to ocean navigation. 1t
win be first possible when each link
In h canal has a sufficient depth of
water and all the locks are working.
In the intermediate stage, navigation
may be effected in local lengths Of
the cana and to some degree may be
extended from length to length along
the whole water way.
Today'S event served to demonstrate
the nearness of the canal to the OPP
Grating stage. 1t also formally brought
to a close the work of the central divis-
ion in the cut for the dredging opera
tons, which are to succeed the steam
shove work. will be under a different
organization.
Gamboa dixie was built in 1905 to hold
the Charges river in check during it's
turbulent periods and to prevent it's
waters from entering the nine-mile
section of Culebra cut and delaying the
work Of the steam shovels.
IT was important solely from the To-
y NO f1r rr,,,, " -
the mighty Gatum dam. which to the
uninitiated appears to be nothing more
than q low mountain range stretched
across the valley keeps the waters of
Gatun lake from escaping to the sea.
These two barriers, one the greatest
man-made dam in history, and the
other a low ridge of earth and rock
which would ordinarily pass unnoticed,
have kept in check the rising waters
of Gatun lake. Today there is only
one and the waters Of the lax now
extend from Pedro Miguel lock on the
south, to Gatun locks on the north,
a distance Of about 33 miles approxi-
mately two-thirds Of the canals length.
Drills We're at work on the dixie
nearly the whole month of September
and 1t was mined with over 1,20O holes
charged with dynamite. The barrier
contained about 80, 900 cubic yards of
material or the same number of two
horse wagon loads.
Only once since it was built had it
failed in its purpose. This was during
the big freshet on the Chagres river
Of November, 1909, when the water
came so close to. the top, then at II
feet above sea level, that it was deem
ed advisable to open the sluice gates
and fill the cut with water in order
to avoid danger of Heavy washing. This
was done and for several days all work
was suspended and only the tops OF
steamshovels We're sticking out Of the
water. Since that time the overtop-
ping OF the dix was never seriously
threatened.