East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-10-10

WASHINGTON. oct. l0!-( Especially
President Wilson pressed the but
ton at o'clock this afternoon which
was the signal for exploding the huge
charge of dynamite under the Gam
boa dyke.
PANAMA. oct 10.-(Special) -
With a roar that could be heard for
miles and jar that shook the earth
like an earthquake. 400 charges OF
dynamite were exploded this afternoon
Immediately followed by several
charges more, and the last dyke in
the Panama canal was swept away.
With the blowing up of the Gam
boa dyke the Panama canal was
technically completed. AT a signal
from President Wilson. who pressed
"A button In the White House, Colonel
.Goethals Immediately gave the signal
for exploding the first charge The
huge blast tore an immense hole in
the dyke and waiting dredges then
cleared away the debris. After this
had been done the second charge was
exploded. In this manner 1927
charges were exploded, the loosened
earth was cleared away by the dredg-
es and the dyke was gradually reduc-
ed until the waters of Gatun lake
flowed through freely.
While It is believed that small craft
will be passing through the canal
within a fortnight, It will be some
weeks before the big ditch viii be
open for larger ships. The canal bed
at the spot where the ditch formerly
was crossed by the Gamboa dyke
must be fully dredged out and Gu
caracha slide must be cut through In
the meantime. Water has. as mat
ter OF fact. been flowing through the
canal for the past two weeks by way
of "a inch pipe under the Gamboa
dyke.
Among the witnesses TO the blow
ing up of the dyke today were Col
onel Goethals and wife. Philip Bun
an Varrila Nicholas Longworth and
his wife. Captain Nelson or Captain
Amundsen's ship Fran, and all the
division chiefs of the canal except
Colonel Gulllard. who is in Balu-
more. In addition to this distinguish
ed group of spectators, throngs OF
residents from the canal zone ana
tourists from every part of the world
were present.
PANAMA. oct. 10.--The last twelve
hundred and twenty-sevrn charges 20
be exploded under the Gamboa dyke
thA trNl
tween the Atlantic and the Pacific
oceans, we're planted early today.
This last dyke was left to hold the
waters from Gatun lake from the IA
NOUS Culebra cut until everything
was ready for opening the canal. Col
onel Goethals reported this morning
that everything Is now complete Tor
the final blast. and this will be lioer-
ated as soon us President Wilson
nresses a button in the White House
in washington.
While II Is true that II will be ne
cessary for the spark to travel over
land on a wire to Galveston ana
thence under water on n cable be-
meath the Gulf of Mexico to the
isthmus. the time required for TINS
Journey will be so short that Colonel
Goethals expected the presidents
touch, practically speaking, would
liberate the blast.
Two o'clock this afternoon was the
hour set for blowing up the dyke
Panama and Washington time being
the same.
While Colonel Goethals would make
no predictions, It is the general opin-
ion among the engineers here that
light draft vessels will be passing
through the canal by the end OF an
other two weeks.
PANAMA CITY, Oct 10.--tspcoiaD
When the waters of the Atlah'lc
and those of the Pacific were Nedded
today and the breaking in two OF the
backbone of two continents finally
completed. the United States had
achieved what for two centuries had
been dreamed or, attempted and
ahlndoncd as too gigantic q feat Tor
human effort. Americas triumph In
tho building oc the canal will be writ
ten down in history as one of the
greatest hcnleVements OF Hiuhhihu ~
will stand up as Sphinx and the
Pyramids OF the modern era, and Just
as the ancient Egyptians overcame
what would seem to have been we'll
nigh insurmountable obstacles In
their task the United States has un-
dertaken and accomplished in less
than seven years what four other ma
tions of the world tried and de-
SPARED of from the early part of the
sixteenth century.
cost Nearly 500, 200, 900.
It has thrown across the isthmus
an army os men, and these men have
clawed the dreamed OF passageway
through mountains of rock 1t has
opened It's purse and poured Into the