The Washington herald., 1913-03-23
By WILLIAM L.. ALTD0RFER.

Much excitement and no little fear has
been caused recently by repeated press
dispatches from the Canal Zone concern.
ing the tremendous slides occurring in
Culebra Cut. Statements by persons IA
miliar with conditions on tn. canal have
given rise to grave apprehension on the
part of many that these gigantic slides
would ultimately come down in such tre-
mendous volume as to seriously impede
and possibly delay the completion of the
canal indefinitely. Again reports have
spread over the whole world that the
canal is threatened by a sleeping volcano,
dormant for many centuries, but now
threatening to wake up and blow the
canal to smithereens. In addition there
have come reports of earthquake disturb
ances in the vicinity of the canal, based
on the assumption that the Isthmus of
Panama is of volcanic origin, and that
the rumbling of the volcano is what
causes the seismic disturbances.
These reports continued to come so
thick and fast that the writer determined
to get at the facts and learn if there
was anI 2uth in them. First. he found
there was little or no truth regarding the
volcano. Second, he discovered that while
there had been earthquakes of a minor
character throughout Central America
hundreds of years ago, yet they were OF
so little consequence that an old stone
arch in one of the old Spanish buildings
IN Panama, built more than 800 years ago,
Is still standing in apparently as good
shape as II was aI the time OF cons;rIc-
ton.
Preventative Measures Taken.
Fear of volcanic trouble had its
origin in the fact that clouds of steam
anu blue smoke began to rise from
newiy turned ground in the Culebra
Cut short while ago. For some time
after this phenomenon appeared every
drilled hole was tested with Their
rnometer before dynamite was put in.
to prevent premature explosion. At
the time one of the canal engineers
made an examination Of the locality.
and found considerable Ignite of a
low grade and a thick cloud of white
steam or vapor CnTLIng up through this
lignIte. The entire mass was found to
be heated 10 a considerable degree.
Steam was escaping from numerous
small openings in the ground and from
four large vents. The sides OF two of
the vents were foUnd to be incrusted
with white and yellow powdered mate
rial; the yellow appeared to be sui
rhur. Then. within a period of five
days. big change took place. The
ground all around that locality became
very hot, and pale blue smoke took the
place or the steam. To give an idea
of the terrific heat emanating from
these vents. the engineer took small
piece of white pine and held it for
three minutes in the mouth of the
lal sest "ent, and ii was burned black. |
| pom more thorough examination by
the government geologist. ii was found |
that the steam and smoke was due to !
tn oxidation of pyrites. and had no |
N"Icanic significance whatever.
The volcano and the earthquake stories |
We're thus satisfactorily disposed of. But |
there yet remained and remains to-day !
the serious danger of great earth slides |
in Culebra Cut. Many slides have oc-
CURED in this locality since 1854 shortly
after the Fe.Ich began working on the
ranal. And these slides have continued
to increase in number since the Ameri-
ans undertook the work. The deeper
the cut is made the more serious be-
come the slides In fact the writer was