Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-29

President simplided matters by COM
bining the duties Of chairman and
chief engineer In one person, and later
the secretary Of war vested the pow
ers Of the governor of the Canal Zone
In the same party, thus eliminating
the friction that had previously OK.
listed between these three function
aries. Authority was still further
in January, 1908. and ont of which
concentrated by an executive order
the final organization resulted
The chief engineers office was d.
vided into three divisions. The f1rst
had charge of designs OF masonry and
lock structures, including valves, lock
gates and protective devices, operat-
ing machinery, movable dams and
spillway. The second had charge OF
the designs and construction of dry
docks and coaling stations, of all
questions that arose concerning shops.
buildings, municipal improvements.
estimates, allotment of funds, rates of
pay and cost keeping The third had
charge of meteorology, river hydrau-
lies, general surveys not pertaining TO
any OF the construction divisions, and
special Investigations.
Reporting directly to the chairman
were the heads of the departments OF
sanitation, civil administration, law.
examination Of accounts, disburse-
ments, the quartermaster's and sub
sistence departments, and the pur.-
chasing department in the United
States.
Generally speaking, employees We're
selected on account of their special
fitness for the work in hand and were
then unhampered in their methods OF
Anil -
ing out to it's fullest extent individual
effort and brain power. AS q oonee-
quence, each man had q personal in
terest In the work and seemed i'm
bued with the idea that the success of
the enterprise depended on him. The
spirit of enthusiasm and of loyalty
among the canal workers strikes for
cibIy everyone who visits the Isthmus
and convinces the doubling how the
canal was built.
Tho time required for completing
the lock type of canal was estimated
by the board of 1905, which made Its
report in January, 1906, at nine years,
in accordance with which the work
1915, and this is still retained as the
date for the official opening.
Much has been said and predicted
as 10 the commercial value of the
canal to the United States. In this
connection 1t must be remembered
that the commercial shipping of this
country never required the canal. The
trip of the Oregon In 1898 settled the
question of the advisability of con-
structing an IsthrniAn canal, and had
the canal been built at that time,
thereby saving the trip around the
Horn, there is no question that 1t
would have been agreed generally
that the canal, even at an expenditure
Of 1915, 100000, was worth while.
With properly regulated tolls, and
with facilities for fully equipping,
supplying and repairing ships, the
Panama route would offer many ad-
and bring to 1t sufficiently
remunerative return to pay not only
for the operating expenses, but to
gradually absorb the debt which the
United States has incurred by it's con-
struction.
II has been asserted in many quar-
ters that the locks might be destroyed
by one or two men plac ng dynamite
or other high explosive In them. IT
order to accomplish the destruction OF
the locks 1t would be necessary tc
place the charge very carefully IN
them. To do that would take time
and what would our men be doing ir
the meantime? One man could not
carry a sufficient quantity to destroy
the locks You would have to locate
the charge behind a gate and In q
certain place behind the gate in order
to disable the canal, and you mus
destroy the gates to destroy the canal
| cannot imagine what people operat
ing the canal and the men having
Charge nf ita defense would be do.
ing in the meantime.