Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-08-03

Gull Walls Pedro Miguel Lock.
form hdPr the constant dumping OF |
rock atl earth from the Culebra cut.
On sd. 20. 1908. a toe of the great !
dam spped where the dam interSect- !
ed theIld French canal channel, carry !
ing abut 200 feet Of the structure
away. 1.-THE hostile press and tiruse
who I'D consistently opposed a dam |
at Calm Immediately raised storm !
of criticism against the stability of the
prOpo4d artificial mountain. Fhe old /
wound caused from the battle OF the
levels WAS reopened. and so violent was
the otburst that President Roosevelt
took characteristic step to quiet the
issue. -
He sked President Elect Taft to 20
to thdisthmus. accompanied by Fred.
eric IfStearns. Arthur +. Davis, Henry
A. ARn. James ID. Schuyler. lSham
Randolph. John Il. Freeman and Allen
Hazel all eminent engineers. 10 make
an Investigation. The report made on
Feb. H. 1909. completely vindicated
the p n for a dam at Gatun with the
statebent that if any error had been
madaft was on the side of precautiQp.
Thed found the dam started along
lines 10 excessively stable that they
recommended that the height be cut
from IA feet above sea level to 10
feet, which would still leave the top OF
the dam thirty feet above the level Of
Gatun lake. IL, -sf-.
The six years from Jan. ]. 1907. to
Jan. /. 1913. constitute the main con-,
struetion period of the Panama canal.
Colonel Goethals has been chief engi-
neer all but three mO1ths OF that time.
Steadily. foot by foot. the walls OF the
locks crept up and the bottom Of the
Culebra cut went down. BY October.
1908, the preparatory work. suhstan-
TALLY accomplished 10y Mr.. Stevens.
passed its highest point. ard all eher.
gies were centered OH the wark Of ron-
struction. Quarters. municipal work.
roadmaking. Subsistence aud commits
sary were solved problems. and the
NO Help Wanted sign was Displayed.
the labor problem. too. being slIlrstan.
tally worked out. .. ..e- - 4 Etsat-&
Sixty three steam shOvels I'm fiD07
the canal zone was increased FROM 80
to about 500 miles for the Panama fsiil-
road and commission tracks: the mum
Der of unloaders. bank spreaders. track
shifters and pile drivers was increaspn
from third to three times the nuHlA
Der. left by Mr.. Stevens: -tYentyl
dredges were put in service. besides
much other machinery and equipment
not so noteworthy. Practically all re-
pairs and creative mechanical work
were concentrated In the Gorgena and
Empire shops. with capacities COM
mensurate with the equipment. The
date when the equipment reached a
maximum is fixed by Colonel GoethaIs
as July !, 1910. About $4,000 tons OF
coal and 100000 barrels Of oil have
been used annually. .@." .*''.
Dredging had progressed in the IA
cific entrance to point where five
miles of the canal could be opened to
navigation on Feb. | .. 1909 The New
port and San Jose Of the Pacific Mail
feet. of American register. Were the
first ships to go through. 49, -g~.e
Columbus had been hOnored by nam.
ing Colon and CristobaI for him at
the Atlantic entrance Of the canal. and
an executive order on April 30. 1909.
hOnOred the diScoyerer of the Pacific
by changing the name of the Pacific
terminal from La ROCa to Balboa. It
is at Balboa that the permanent ma
chine shops. drydocks. yards. wharyes.
warehouses and general equipment to
cost s20.0O0.0OO will he located.
In 1900 Colonel Goethals seems to
have had the idea of making the canal
zone habitable. but since then he
changed his views in favor Of making
the canal zone a military reservation.
the part not in use to he left to the
jungle and only canal employees allow
ed without special permission in the
ten mile, limits ~.
Work on the fortitica tons was begun
in l91 on Flamenco island. three miles
out in the bay at the Pacific entrance.
and on TOrO point. at the Atlantic en-
trance. The estimate for their cost. az
fixed by the officers appointed to de-
sign them. is $12.4I532S The latest
and largest disappearing rifles will b