The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-07-31
Br en- cXARD

10 see the canal opened to commerce
% soon as possible for 1t 10 revenue
I am after"
Another day I stood with Col. d. d.
Gaillard, the engineer Of the central
division, outside his ONCE in Empire,
and watched his army laboripg In the
cut, the completion of which has
been his biggest task and greatest
glory. Right at our fest = big area
had sunk down 10 feet in . night, and
II there had not been warnings Of the
break q wing of the colonel's once
building would have gone down with
It, I'VE had just time to remove that
wing" said he, "and my ONCE force is
rather nervous now, for there are
three big cracks under the main build
ing. I expect it, too, will have to be
torn down very soon.
These slides used to make us rath-
er Respondent, for it seemed as If they
never would stop, but the progress
we are making this year has cheered
up the operating forces again, and
we can see the end Of the task. The
slide and the break are quite differ
emit. In the former the earth slides
at an angle down sloping face OF
rock and in the latter the mass sinks
straight down and at the bottom
bulges out into the channel. Along
both sides of the cut you can see nu-
merous small slides and breaks Those
are in pockets in the rock wall, and,
annoying as they are, they only need
cleaning out. The Cucaracha started
as slide and now it Is both a slide
and a break.
incidentally, that cut should be
great place for biologists. l have
found in it every kind of rock except
granite, and many interesting fossils
and petrification have been discover
ed there. In one stratum through
which we cut there were found great
number Of teeth of prehistoric varie-
ties of sharks"
What is your opinion concerning
the date when the canal will be ready
for. commerce." l asked.
IF had my say" said the colonel
emphatically, mot commercial YES
| sci would be allowed in the canal un-
| til it is absolutely complete down to
! the smallest detail. In some Of the
many safety devices we're not in op-
Grafton and an accident should result,
the canal would get black eye from
| which it might not recover for long
time Officially, the time for the COM
pletion Of the canal Ia still January
| l, 1915 It may be done before that
date, but in March of this year there
was still about $5O,OOO,0O0 worth Of
work ahead of US.
I'VE who have been digging the
canal and are still here In positions of
responsibility mean the members
Of the Isthmian canal commission
are rather fearful concerning that part
Of the Adamson bill which permits
the president to dissolve the commits
sion whenever in his judgment the
canal is near enough to completion.
We feel that It would be extremely
unjust not to allow us to remain ON
the job until after the grand formal
opening in January, 1915. 1t would be
much like permitting boy to com.
plete his university course, and then
taking him home before he receives
his diploma"
And then Colonel Gaillard said some
things about Mr.. Taft's efforts to put
into effect that clause last January,
which must have made the ex-presi-
dents ears tingle q bit.
1.-The Culebra cut is like three-ring
circus don't know which way to
look" said one visitor to the zone.
1t is indeed a scene Of wonderful &C.
tivity. Giant steam shovels are scat
tered through 1t, scooping up enor-
nous masses Of rock and earth: on
half dozen tracks on 40 many DIFF
ferent levels snorting and pu1ang loco
motives are swiftly drawing loaded or
empty dirt trains; along the lodges
are batteries Of steam and COM
pressed air drills, making holes for
dynamite: suddenly there is . loot
footing of steam whistle, hundred
men scurry to shelter. and a dynamite
blast fills the air with sound and dirt
and rocks.
Watching tho steam shovels IL q f.
vorite occupation Of visitors who ven.
ture down into the Culebra cut. They
seem almost human, and do . vast
amount Of work. Their clippers hold
I'VE cubic yards Of material. weigh
ins on an average little more than
three tons. This spoil II emptied into
cars Of several kinds. Flat cars with
oas high side arc unloaded by plows
that are drawn the length Of the train
~ cables upon winding drum. The
others are dump cars. the largest Of
whach are operated BY compressed atr
fpom the locomotive. The trains haul
IL spell from the out to dumping
grounds, which on IN average are
shout IL miles distant. Some 1900.
900 cu1lo yards Of this material waa
useA - hlling for the long brsakwG
~ q the Pacific entrance.