El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-26

7ASHINGTON. D. C., July 26.-
NJ It was in a little 10 by u room
w in the top of the Mills building
that I talked with Col George W
Goethals as to the completion of the
Panama canal.
The chief of the great work at Pan
ANA has had only a week to spend in
Washington, and every bit Of that time,
with the exception, perhaps, of six
hours at night for sleeping, has been
occupied with the president, the secre-
tary of war and anxiously inquiring
members Of the senate and house. Big
questions were discussed, and matters
involving millions were weighed in the
balance
VIII Be Opened In 1915.
It was during one of the intervals Of
such discussions that I got an appoint
ment for an interview. put my ques-
lions, and the answers promptly came.
Said I:
when viii the canal be done?'
Z don't know. 1t will be finally
opened in 1915. 1 expect to see it
done long in advance of that"
When will the water be let into
the Culebra cut2"
Early in October next"
But viii the cut be ready by that
timer
Cut Is Ready for the Water.
THE cut is ready for the water now
The difficulty is that we cannot get
the dreges in The situation is briefly
this: When / went back last Febru-
airy found that two slides had de-
TelOped and the engineers told me that
the cut could not be made ready for
the water until January / 1914. So
1 had to figure backward and see how
soon after that time we could raise
the level Of GatUn lake from the so
feet. which it is now, to the required
level of IS feet. This could be done
only during the rainy season, which
does not begin until July, and it would
have been far along in November Of
1914 before we could have the maxi
mum lake level The canal had to be
opened, thoroughly tested and ready
for work by 1915, and L could plainly
see that this was impossible if We re-
lied upon excavating the balance of
the Culebra cut in the dry and did
not finish it before January l. That
determined me upon letting the water
in during the coming rainy season and
completing the work with the dredges-
The rainy season is now at about
its beginning. 1t will rise to the level
of 70 feet by the first of October, when
the dixie which separates the lake from
the cut viii disappear and the waters
flow in"
How about the work then? What
kind of progress can you make IN
scOoping up the earth and rock OUT
of that mighty ditch of water 40 feet
Is Question of Slides.
''The progress is all a question of
slides" replied the engineerinchief.
I'VE expect to put in three dredges,
and Mr.. Comber, who is in charge OF the
Pacific division. tells me these three
dredges will take out half million
cubic yards in one month 1 believe
we can do the work cheaper and quick
er by the dredges than by the steam
shoveIs. The arrangements are such
that we will get the dredgeS in about
will finish one flight of locks through
out the canal by that time. We shall
then blow up the dixie and let the
suction dredges in from the Atlantic
end We will bring up the Coroza1 from
the Pacific end. and we will have three
great dredgeS carrying the material of
the Cucuracha slide and other ma
terial over the sides Of the cut into the
RIO Grande valley on the west have
also installed a sluicing plant which
will carry the top of the Cucuracha
slide back into the valley at the east"
THAT means that October I you will
have three great streams of earth and
rock flowing out of Culebra cut at
different places2" said L
~ es, that's it. and those streams will
keep moving day and night We shall
Keep lIt machinery SOluS LOT - LOuIS
of the day and for six days of the
week"
THE stopping of the dry excavation
viii greatly reduce the number of the
men employed, will it not2"
To Reduce Force in October.
Yes. We shall begin to make a
heavy reduction in the force by the
first of October"
How many men have you at. work
now?'
About 10000, including those under
the contractors as well as our own"
What viii become of them?"
''The natives will go back home and
the Americans will be scattered
What will become Of the skilled
fCrce2 I mean the thousands of en-
gineers and mechanics whom Uncle
Sam has trained2"