El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-05
PANAMA CANAL
PRACTICALLY
COMPLETED
At Word From Col. Goeth-
ais, Waters of Two Oceans
Will Meet in Culebra Cut.
COST OF DITCH
rs $500, 600, 900

DION, Panama, Oct 4.-The Pan
ANA canal has been completed.
- Tomorrow at word from Col
Geo. W. Goethals, the waters Of the
Atlantic and Pacific will be Joined ex-
cept for the intervening locks Through
four 2s inch pipes inserted in the Gam
boa dixie, the waters Of Gatun lake
will flow into the Culebra cut. the
only portion OF the canal in which, at
present, there is no water.
On next Friday 1t is expected that
sufficient water will have filled the
nine mile cut to act as cushion when
the Gamboa. dixie is blown up work
men are now drilling 80 foot holes IN
the dixie to take the charge OF dyna-
mite. But these charges will not de-
mOIish the dixie; they will merely
loosen the material so that the water
will be able to trickle through and
cut its own channel The steam
dredges will complete the work OF
opening the channel, and once this is
done a clear passage from the Allan
tic to the Pacific will result
Deep Water IN Canal BY Deeember.
1t is expected that by December the
waters in Gatun Lake will have risen
high enough to bring the waters in the
entire canal up to the deep water level
when the large ships can be sent
through.
without the mighty Gatun Lake,
large artificial body Of water made By
impounding the waters OF the Chagres
river in the valley, the entire canal
system would be a failure Gatun
Lake is the feeder for the canal AT
one end is the Culebra cut leading
down through the Pedro Miguel locks
into the Miraflores lake and from there
through the Miraflores locks into the
inlet from the Bay of Panama At the
other end Of Gatun Lake the canal
leads through a series Of three pairs
of locks into the channel which has
been dug to Limon Bay. The water
level in Gatun Lake. when the full
supply is accumulated. viii be 81 feet
above sea level
The Work OF Month.
It was just a month ago that the
last bit Of rock was taken out Of Guile
bra cut with the steam shOyels- Since
that time the wOrkmen have been re-
moving the shOvels, railroad trackS
and other machinery necessary to the
digging work Any dirt taken out OF
the canal system from now on viii be
removed with the steam 6redges which
will be able to cruise from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, cropping with their iron
hands beneath the waters for any re-
naming distractions
When the waters are let through to-
morrow, the canal virtually can be de-
clared complete, for the remaining
work will be mere child's play COM
pared with the Herculean feats which
have already been performed Thus
the Americans have finished in nine
years the task which baffled the
French after as many years Of work
It is interesting to read the accounts
Of the beginning Of work in Culebra
cut BY the French, on February l, 1887
Il 6zn0uEL
was given amidst flowers, flags ana
champagne, ending with a grand Dali
IN the evening Even the motor DoatS
in which the enthusiastic Frenchmen
were going to cruise over the canal
they intended building 50 quickly were
on hand Those motor boats we're new
er used. After several years Of heart
breaking toll, the Frenchmen retired
and admitted their defeat
Many Mistakes, but Success Finally.
Was it strange then that when the
Americans began work in 1904 that thu
world should scoff2 But after the
American engineers had been on the
job for a year or more the world be-
realize that the Americans meant
business. AS usual many mistakes
were made. Twice as much earth has
been excavated as the plans originally
called for and it has cost twice as
much money as was at first estimated
machinery left by the French This
they soon found to be hopelessly in
adequate and they now say that they
could have accomplished little more
than did the French with the same
equipment.
French Equipment Thrown Aside.
In November Of 1904 the first steam
shovel made its. appearance in the
Canal zone, and by the following year
every bit OF the antiquated machinery
used by the French had been super
seeded by modern equipment
At the beginning of this year there
were at work on the canal. 1O1 steam
shovels of the latest type. ranging In
size from the % ton model to the los
ton giants. capable of scOoping up five
cubic yards of rock and earth weigh
ing about nine tons, at a time. Also
included in the list OF equipment were
500 locomotives, 553 drills, 4.572 cars,
20 dredges, 26 Spreaders, nine track
shutters, 80 unlOaders. Il pile drivers,
and 1S4 other pieces of equipment In
Guiding cranes, derricks and boats OF
all kinds.
This list is exclusive Of the equip
ment used by the Panama railroad.
which had 50 locomotives. 1.491 cars.
four cranes, two pile drivers. and 10
boats including a tug boat. two motor
boats. a steam ditcher and steel and
iron lighters
This equipment is practically all new,
the old French machinery having been
relocated to the junk heap.
Employs 10000 Men
To operate this equipment force OF
over 40. 900 men was required. Most CT
this force is still employed in putting
the finishing touches on the big ditch.
CONTINUED on page 7. this secticn.)