Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-05-14
FORCE IS
GAINING ON SLIDES
THAT MENACE CANAL
No Question Now That Great Water.
way Will Be Ready for Opening
january I, 1e15-Machin-
cry Being Sold.

Panama Special: Rock and dirt are
still moving down the Cucaracha slide
into the Culebra cut, but the engineers
who have been fighting the treacher-
Gus slides in this vicinity are at last
gaining upon nature. Fears that the
opening OF the canal, set for January,
l9lo, would have to be postponed in
definitely, have been growing less each
DAY Tor the dredges and steam shovels
TO remove The coming wet season will
pc likely to loosen anything ready to
slide.
Dredging and hydraulic operations in
the cut continue day and night. Back
OF Gold Hill the hydraulic pumps are
ash1ng away vast quantities Of loose
soil. greatly relieving the pressure
which has forced so much Of the dirt
Into the canal prism. At the toe Of the
slide the dredges have been busily en-
gagged IN removing the dirt out OF the
channel Itself while far up the side Of
the slide other hydraulic operations are
tearing at the very heart Of the hill.
Within q short time two new large
Upper dredges will be engaged. These
are the largest yet built Of this type.
One already has been received on the
[isthmus and is almost ready for opera
ton. At the same time the dredse
"CorozaI' Will begin deepening the
channel which now averages about rs
Ieel, TO the required 46 feet.
This deepening Of the channel, the en-
ton. for h weight on the hillsides at
Gold. Culebra and Contractors hills is
constantly forcing the bottom OF the
canal upward. 1t is anticipated that
this will continued until the weight on
the hillsides has been sufficiently les
sehed.
According to figures Just complied
there have been removed from the
canal prism between Gamboa and Pc
dro Migual, which includes the entire
Culebra Cut area, a total Of $4,000, 900
cubic yards Of dirt with a probable
100000 cubic yards remaining to be
Iexcayated.
The recent announcement Of Col.
George W. Goethais, governor OF the
Panama Canal zone, that there would
be no immediate reduction Of the wage
scale. averted what threatened to be-
come a serious labor difficulty. The
unions represented on the isthmus met
and formed the metal trades council
and obtained strike sanction from
their parent bodies to be prepared for
any emergency that might arise. No
further action. however, Ii contem-
plated by the unions. it Is generally be-
lieved.
Work has begun on landscape gard
ening In the vicinity OF Gatun locks
and dam. The top Of the dam 10 be-
ing graded for tropical plants. The
work II being done by II. II. Reed,
supervisor OF the fourth division. Il 1a
planned to beautify the grounds sur
rounding all the Jocks just an fast as
the construction work has been COM
pleted.
The navisable reaches Of the canal
VIII be allowed to ROY UP In their Ia
turnl tropical verdure, confined within
certain limits. Already In many places
the canal looks more like q natural
water-course than one constructed by
the hands OF man.
AtsCristobal 3it Ii proposed to build Z
tropical park along tho land ends Of che
wharvas OF The Panama railway.
Discarded canal machinery IL being
sold to several private corporations "A
South and Central America venezueia
has had Z commission on the isthmus
which purchAseds considerable dredging
machinery with which to deepen sew
eral harbors. a number % the large
dfSdees that dur their wa through
lCulebra cut have been eenf to Porto
Rico. whore they Are eoon 10 b en-
lgaged IN haEhor work. Many of the
Y XFtEl 49, k&A HFM 49,