Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
FLOODING Of CULEBRA
CUT MARKS END Of TASK
Ditch in Which Major Portion of Work in Zone
Has Been Done Will Be Flooded October 5.
Labor Worlds Most Remarkable Engineer
ing Feat.

The greatest diggers the world has
ever known have laid aside theil
shovels. The biggest ditch on this
earth of ours has been dug. Culebra
Cut is about to be filled with the
waters through which vessels in few
short months win be steaming on
voyages between the Atlantic and the
Pacific via the Panama Canal. Al
ready a test has been made of the
ability of the locks to stand the water
pressure. The experiment was sue
cessful.
The work of the army Of steam
shovels which for nine years have
been eating their way through the
vitals of the lsthmian mountains
came to an end week ago. Work
men are now engaged In taking out
Of the nine-mile Culebra Cut the
machinery, tracks and other equip
ment preparatory to the letting in OF
the waters. This will begin gradually
on October ;, and five days later the
sole barrier between the waters OF
the vast Gatun Lake and the cut Will
be demolished by dynamite. With the
blowing out of the Gamboa dixie there
win disappear the last obstruction
with the exception of the canal locks
themselves between the waters of the
two oceans.
To be sure there remain in Culebra
Cut a few million cubic yards of earth
and stone which must be taken out
before the lob can be declared com
plete. But what is this task COM
pared to the removal Of the 100000,
600 cubic yards of material already
taken out of the cut. especially wher
any one of the fleet of dredges which
are to do the work can get away witt
6S5 cubic yards of material an hour
The force which has to its credit
marvellous succession of world rec
ord breaking performances in Digging
can be counted upon to make shori
work of the finishing touches to tht
big job.
Biggest Job of Digging.
To the mind of the engineer thert
are many features of the work o.
building the Panama Canal which
presented much greater difficulties
much more intricate problems thar
the digging Of Culebra Cut. But tt
the lay mind the making of the cana
has always presented itself as Jol
of ditch digging biggest job o
it's kind ever known to be sure, ou
still essentially work for diggers. Ant
out all the niceties of the task of loci
construction are obliged to admit tina
the digging has been the Fundamental
Of the great canal now so near com
pletion; that 1t has been the body o
which locks and dams and other fea
tures have been but the limbs.
That is why the practical compile
ton of Culebra Cut is an event 81
thoroughly worthy of notice by thu
American people for whose benef1t !
has been dug, for It is in Culebra Gu
that the bulk of the canal digging ha'
been done 1t is also the cut Whlch Il
making the Panama Canal possible.
What is Culebra Cut? It's simple
enough when expressed in hgures
quickly spoken. 1t is a great dltch
nine miles long, averaging 40 feet II
depth, not less than 300 feet wide
the bottom. and from a quarter to {
half mile wide at the top. Its bot
tom lies As feet above the level o
the sea, and will soon be covered will
water to minimum depth of 40 feet
and thus will a great part of tn
work which has been done there b.
.bscured.
10000, 900 Yards Moved.
The cut represents the removal o
more tldn loUVUu,uuU NublN = a. -
of earth, counting what both IN.
French and the American diggers did
The Americans alone will have spen
about s90,OOO,OOO in the cut when /
S all finished.
Passing through the canal from tn
Atlantic side. Culebra Cut lies at IN
Instant end of Gatun Lake, mat aru
fetal body of water, "a miles long
with a surface area Of 1874 sqUar
miles, which has been created at Pan
anna. Gatun Lake will be 80 fee
shove the level Of the sea. and wit
The BLOWING out of the Gamboa DIX
, next month vessels will be afforded
continuous passage from Gatun Dan
scross the lake and through the eu'
without encountering any LOCKS.
The gast difference between IN
estimates Of the amount Of work nee
essary to make Culebra Cut and VIVA
actually has been done shows VII