The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-05-12
STILL GIVING TROUBLE
ROCK AND DIRT CONTINUE NOV
ING INTO CULEBRA CUT.
However. Engineers Who Have Been
Fighting Treacherous Slides Are
at last Gaining On Nature.

at last Gaining On Nature.
pANANA.-Rock and dirt are still
,novirg down the Cucaracha Slide
into Cu1ebra cut. but the engineers
u,bo have been fighting the treacher-
ons slides in this vicinity are at last
Gaining upon nature. Fears that the
ononing of the canal, set for January,
1915, would have to be postponed
indefinitely have been growing less
each day for the dredges and steam
sboyeIs have been taking out the dirt
and rock much faster than it slides
into the canal.
The Cuiebra slide, just to the south
of the Cucaracha trouble, is entirely
at rest. and it is hoped it will remain
81. but the canal engineers will
watch this treacherous hillside with
some anxiety as the rainy season APP
nroaches. Breaks already are show
ing far back from the canal prism,
and these may indicate a movement
which might any day precipitate tons
of crushed rock and dirt into the ca
nal for the tireless dredges and
steam shoveIs to remove. The COM
ing wet season will be likely to loos-
en- anything ready to slide.
Dredging and hydraulic operations
in the cut continue day and night.
Back of Gold Hill the hydraulic
pumps are washing away vast guam
titles 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 dred 5es
have been busily engaged in remoV-
ing the dirt out of the channel itself,
while far up the side of the slide 9TH
err hydraulic operations are tearing
at the very heart of the hill.
Within a sort time two new large
dipper 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 operation. At the same time the
dredge Corozal will begin deepening
the channel, which now averages 20
feet. to the required As feet.
This deepening of the channel, the
engineers believe, will be tedious
operation, for the weight on the hill
sides at Gold, Culebra and Contract
ors hills is constantly forcing the
bottom of the canal upward. 1T is
anticipated that this will continue
until the weight on the hillsides has
been sufficiently lessened.
According to figures just compiled,
there have been removed from the
canal prism between GambOa and Pc
dro Miguel, which includes the entire
Culebra cut area, total of 27,0OO,-
600 cubic yards of dirt with proba-
Bile 100000 cubic yards remaining
to be excavated.
The recent announcement of Col.
George W. Goethals, governor of the
Panama canal zone, that there would
be no immediate reduction OF the
wage scale averted what threatened
to become a serious labor difficulty.
The unions represented on the 18TH
mus 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, how
ever is contemplated by the unions,
it is generally believed.
Work has begun on the landscape
gardening in the vicinity of Gatun
locks and dam. The top of the dam
is being graded for tropical plants.
1t is planned to beautify the grounds
surrounding all the locks just as fast
as the construction work has been
completed.
The navigable reaches of the canal
will be allowed to grow up in their
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