The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-10-10

COlCU, GdudInd, OCI. l. no ana
ma canal was pronounced practically
finished today when preparations
were made for the removal OF the
Gamboa dixie, which has held the
waters of Gatun lake out of the Guile
bra cut, the only part of the canal In
which, up till the present time, there
has been no water.
The waters of Gatun lake were per
mitted today to run into the Culebra
cut through big pipes that had been
pushed through the Gamboa dixie
This is done as a preliminary to the
complete removal of the dixie in order
that the water may rise gradually in
the cut and eliminate the possibility
of damage.
The final destruction Of the big dixie
is scheduled for October 10, wheH
charges Of dynamite placed in holes
already drilled in the dixie will be
exploded The explosion OF these
charges will not completely destroy
the dixie, but will weaken 1t and loos-
en- the dirt so that the force of the
waters from Gatun lake will carry 1t
|
remnants of the dixie, leaving an open
passageway from ocean to ocean.
Canal Really Complete Now.
Although the canal will not be OFF,
cially declared completed for some
time, and the formal opening of the
waterway to the commerce Of the
world more than a year distant, the
canal engineers look upon the de-
struction Of the Gamboa dixie as mark
ing the real completion of the canal.
The big engineering feats have all
been accomplished, the excavation
work practically has been completed,
and the great locks have been con-
structed. The work that remains to
be done is largely detail, and Is but
child's play as compared with that
which has been done. More dirt is
to be removed from the channel, but
this will be done with suction dredges
floating upon the waters Of the canal
There still remains some finishing
touches to be placed upon the locks
but this work will take comparatively
little time and presents no engineer
Ing difficulties such as have been en-
countered in the past.
The fact that the canal stands prac
tically complete more than a year be
fore the time originally set as the
date for it's completion is one of the
remarkable features of the work
= When Count de Lesseps, the grea
+ French engineer, abandoned his eff
] forts to build the Panama canal after
eight years of labor, he had scarcely
] made a beginning upon the gigantic
task In nine years, the American en-
gineers starting almost at the SAM
point as de Lesseps, for the latter
work was of little value to the Ameri
D cans, have virtually completed thu
: undertaking. When the work wa
r started the world scoffed at the idei
that It could be completed within thu
D time limit set, but hats are now OF
g to the American army engineers whit
5 have more than kept their word, de
spite unforeseen difficulties that hav'
beset them at every hand.
/ ooethaIs to Make Final Test.
l. The first vessel to pass through tn
i canal probably will be boat Of tn
, Isthmian canal commission, Col
t George w. Cocktails, chairman of tn
e commission and chief engineer of tn
l. canal, and his principal assistants
S The final voyage through the canal 1
u scheduled for some time during thi
month. Within another month 1t 1
/ expected the waters in Gatun lax
o will have risen high enough to brin
6 the waters in the entire canal up t
2 the deep water level required for tn
passage of the largest ships.
It is said that as long ago as tn
early part Of August, assurances wer
given Washington officially that If tn
II emergency should arise, the entir
Atlantic battleship fleet could be pu
II through the canal into Pacific water
/ within 60 days from that date. TIL
work has been hurried with that en-
In view, II Is said, as no emergenc
has existed, but this assurance IL a
Indication Of the belief of the eng