Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-10-10

ncers that their work is now practical
" finished.
Culebra Cut Caused Trouble.
The excavation OF the Culebra cut,
into which the water has just been
turned, has been one Of the engineer
ing feats connected with the building
OF the canal, and has caused the en-
glneers more trouble than any 9th
er portion Of the big ditch" To
Col. D. p. Gaillard. the engineer Of
the central division, Is given the
| credit for carrying this portion OF the
work through to a successful termina-
ton.
The disastrous slides in the cut
were discouraging to the engineers,
multiplying in a few hours the work OF
many weeks, but Colonel Gaillard and
his assistants have kept untiringly at
their work, and at last have conquer
cd the treacherous banks of the deep
cut.
A little more than a month ago the
giant steam shovels finished their
work in the Culebra cut. Since that
time the workmen have been busy
removing the shovels, the railroad
tracks and other machinery used in
the excavation work. There is still
some dirt to be removed from the cut
before the channel is finished, but
this work will be done by suction
dredges 1oated on the waters of the
canal, and will not interfere with nav
igation of the waterway by such boats
as may be allowed to pass through.
Immense Artificial Lake Created.
Gatun lake, the waters OF which are
now flowing into the Culebra cut, Is
the pivotal point about. which the en-
tire canal system revolves, and the
creation OF that lake, together with the
construction OF Gatun dam, consti-
tuted another great engineering feat
In the construction Of the canal.
Gatun lake Is an artificial body OF
water covering about 164 square miles
OF territory, and was created by the
building of the immense Gatun dam
and the impounding Of the wild wa
ters Of Chagres river. Beneath the
waters OF Gatun lake lies what a few
months ago was the valley of the
Chagres, dotted with native villages
and plantations. The channel OF the
canal passes through this lake for a
distance of % miles with a width vary
ing from 500 to 200 feet.
At the northern end Of the lake
is the Gatun dam, which is in reality
an artificial ridge more than a mile
t and a half long. Figures alone give
: an adequate idea Of the magnitude Of
: this dam. Nearly half a mile wide al
its base, about 400 feet wide at The
, water surface, and 100 feet wide a
. the top, the dixie which many engi
> neers predicted would never with
! stand the rush of the Chagres' wa
+ tiers. Is admitted now to be so stronl
o that nothing short Of an earthquake
q such as has never been known in tn,
. Central American region, can harm
Q II. The Gatun dam, Gatun lake an,
n the Culebra cut, so gigantic are tn
proportions of each, dwarf the othe
engineering works Of the canal tina
a in themselves have challenged the &C
miration Of the world.
World Gives GoethaIs Credit.
To Col. George Goethals, chairma
@ of the Isthmian canal commission
e chief engineer OF the commission an
i. governor of the canal zone, the worl
e will give the credit for the successf,
10 completion Of the Panama canal, Co
& onel Goethals could not have accom-
plished his task without the assis
is ance Of such men as Col. II,
is Hodges. Lieut.. Col. David Du B. Bal
Re lard and Lieut.. Col. William l.. Siber
army engineers. who have had chars
10 of various phases of the work, b,
lie Colonel Goethals is recognized as th
real builder Of the canal.
,e When Colonel Roosevelt, then pres
re- dent. first sought a chief engineer fl
lie the canal, he picked wallace, a civ
re ian. but Wallace soon resigned. 1t
ut said that he almost worried himse
RS into a decline because OF the fear TIL
lie the canal would finish him before !
I'd could finish the canal. John F. Ste
" ems. a noted engineer, also a civilia
IN succeeded Wallace, but he quit with
Il. a year.