The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-05-09
Water TO Be Used TO Wash
Away The Crust
Excavation Work Shows
Steady Progress Made


of the canal that the slope OF the earth |
at their outer edges is always from |
the channel. Separating these slides,
Gold hill rises to elevation 652 feet |
above sea level and presents sheer |
face Of dark, hard rock 482 feet above
the canal bottom; II is a mass Of brec. |
ella which intrusions of basaltic lava
pushed upward through several hun |
dred feet Of soft everything foundations. |
This mass stands as firm as Gibraltar,
while the soft material hanking 1t at
the crest Of the continental divide is |
involved in slides which, of all those
along Culebra cut, are exceeded In vol.
ume only by the slide diagonally oppo-
site. on the west bank at Culebra.
The height Of the tops and the out
ward slope Of the adjacent ground will
enable the use of hydraulic monitors in
the adopted practise of excavatipg at
the tops OF slides to relieve the pres
sure. Equipment used in the hydraul-
ic excavation south of Mirahores locks
is being installed for sluicing material
back into the valley toward which the
earth slopes on the two sides and at
the rear Of Gold hill.
Sluicing will begin at the top Of the
slide to the north of Gold hill Under
the original survey 1t was estimated
that 100000 cubic yards were to be
removed from this area, but later
break OF the earth. farther back, has
rendered estimates Of the extent Of op-
erations only approximate. II is esti-
mated that between 100000 and L.
5000 cubic yards can be removed
economically in the Cucaracha terri
tory, in addition to that which will be
sluiced down the slide into the canal.
to be removed by suction dredge.
Water will be supplied by damming
the upper Obispo and several OF It's
tributaries. draining a watershed with
a total area Of Al square miles. A
force Of about 200 men Is engaged In
the preparatory work of erecting the
| station, laying and riveting the pipe
line, constructing fumes, clearing and
drilling.
West Indian labOrers camp on Paci.
fic terminal work. and later, for the
shop and drydock forces. will be laid
out on the Balboa dump. south Of and
along the new Sosaa road. near the
new commission oil tanks.
First shipment. OF four cars for Pana'
ma Tramways were received here on
April 30 The remainder of the II cars
ordered will be shipped In lots of four,
or less, on each steamer Of the COM
pany sailing after this date, The cars
feet long, and each car will seat about
30 passengers. The canal commission
In building a transmission line to con-
meet the Mlraaores power plant with
the substation. A part Of the system
will be In operation as soon possible
after the arrival of the first cars
Under a contract between Messrs. r.
w. Hebard 4 Co. Inc, the tramway
builders and the Panama government,
dated March 25. 1918, a modern electric
light and power plant will be erected
on North avenue.
Total excavation to April | was 1885,
5s9,407 cubic Yards leaving to be exca-
waited 22.54S,S92 cubic yards,
The total excavation for March was
2.625,s3s cubic yards, as compared with
2,S03,0l5 cubic yards In the CORES.
ponding month last year, and s,s27,44S
cubic yards for March. 1911.
The dry excavation last month
amounted to 1.676.14l cubic yards, and
was entirely by steamshovels The
dredges and monitors removed 949.697
cubic yards.
In the Atlantic division. the total ex-
cavation was 4SS.757 cubic yards.
The total excavation In the central
division was 1.1sS.s00 a. compared
with sss.s0e cubic yards In the pre-
ceeding month. s
In the Pacific division. the total OK.
cavation was l.0Us.lai cubic yards.
Foundation for center guide wall at
Atlantic approach to 0atun locks has
been completed over Its length Of 1oi6
feet from the fender chains. For 200
feet, at the outer end. the concrete
base rests on piles. The completion Of
this foundation has important bearing
on the date of completion OF the canal.
Excavation for It's site had been car
ried TO 81 feet below sea level when,
on an. %, slide from the east bank
carried away tracks, overthrew ma.
chinery and covered tine site with q
layer Of mud averaging 10 feet thick.
In further deyslopments the aiding