The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-02-06
The Panama Canal;
Why It Has Succeeded.

More than any other undertaking ir
the worlds history perhaps, the Pan.
anna canal is due to the combined de.
velopment Of many elements of civ.
ilization. While the French engn.
GERS failed to complete the canal W.
must remember that no one could have
succeeded at that time and we must
give them credit for courage. engn.
eerng ability and "A creditable
achievement
Without Colonel Gorgas to first
eliminate the mosquito and make the
canal zone not only Iivable but com
Portable and even attractive the canal
would never have been built. With
out the modern developments Of ex-
cavating and of concrete the great
,cks at Gatun, Pedro Miguel and Mi
itflores and the nine-mie cut at Guile
bra would never have been completed
within a reasonable time. Without
he repair shops at Chistobal, Gorge
Ne Empire and Balboa to keep the
locomotives steam shovels and other
iachinery in operation the rapid pro-
lrsss would have been impossible.
is9id without the selection of proper
III sterial to stand the climate, not far
ting the too often overlooked item
&c betting, the cost In delays and IN
nal money might be difficult TO
compute.
The shops at Cristobal and Balboa
handle the repairs for the dredges and
other excavatlng machinery at the
atlantic and Pacific ends Of the canal
respectively This includes the barges
which carry the material away to be
called by their French name clap
pets" as we'll as tugs, launches. and
any sort Of sea going craft which may
be used
enlarged from the French shops at this
place and here all the locomotives and
cars for the excavation work as well
as for the Panama railroad are re-
ployed 1900 men. It is difficult to see
the necessity for such large shop
until we stop to consider that the
lsthmian canal commission railroad.
built solely In the Culebra cut and for
hauling the dirt Cor spoil" as it call
ed) away from it, is about the size of
the Boston & Albany railroad. There
are over 800 locomotives and 1000
cars. and most of the locomtives are
big ones, weighing over 100 tons each
They are very unlike the usual con-
tractors locomotives we usually think
Of In connection with excavation work.
At Empire the steam shoves are re-
paired and the shops employ about
700 men at times. II takes lot of
work to keep the dirt flying, but they
are kept at work with as little delay
as possible by thoroughly organized
plan Of action and a corps of inspect
ors and workmen.
The inspectors visit each shovel as
il works away and not only gets the
report of the shovel engineers but
look II over for weak spots and worn
parts. Any needed repairs are report
ed to Empire by telephone so that re-
pair parts and supplies can be pre-.
pared in advance. 1
After the dirt trains have stopped /
at p. m. the repair train
starts out from the Empire shops and
makes its rounds to the steam shovels
which are in need of it's services. This
repair train consists of heavy loco
motive. a large wrecking crane. box
,ar, which is fairly well equipped
machine shop and other box car filled
With supplies and parts ordinarily
ised SUCH as bolts and UNITS. packings
md similar pieces.
The train takes the small machine
hop directly to the shovel to be re-
,aired and In most cases does all that ;
$ needed without its leaving its po- ,
ition or losing a minute from the ;
york, an excellent example Of real ef- I,
cheney, Some times a whole new arm =
+ boom Is swung into place by the a
frecking crane and a trip to Empire q
18th it's attendant delay is avoided :,
nd these arms or booms weigh sew ;,
raj tons and are not easy to handle T.
nut the aim of everything is keep =
lings moving and push the job h
trough to completion .
AT Empire, too, is the main air COM q
ressing plant of the largest air COM :,
ressing system in the world. Three ),
Cascades, Empire and .,
10 Grande-pump into about IA miles :,
10-inch pipe line. which carries the u
air to drive the drills for
the rock for blasting. .,
Aside from the strictly repair work a,
the locomotives and cars the shops ~,
Gorgona can be called the manu- -
cturing shops Of the zone. A good q,
zed foundry equipment is provided u
r making iron, brass and steel cast a.,
SIS for all purposes needed in the A.
nal work. And while 1t is the in ",
ntion to buy as much material as :,
'ssble. it has been found necessary
make many repair parts which mr.
ould have been made in the United 10
'''e' VA "'eo''' VI wy siio' '''eo an
Icy of some manufacturers in ;s
arging exorbitant prices for repair a.
rts II has rpppaipdly hrer fnupH