The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-11-19
IN STORY OF
AMERICAN PLUCK
THAT MADE PANAMA CANAL
The Canals Cost, Including the
Current Appropriation, Stand
at $353,559,O4o.69.

Washington, Nov. 15.-Concluding
chapters in the story of American
pluck and perseverance that made
possible the construction of the Pan
anna canal are written by Col. Geo.
w. Goethals, governor of the zone, in
his annual report submitted today to
Secretary Garrison. The report tells
of the canal builders battle against
tricky earth slides, CT the establish
ment OF the permanent form of gov
ernment in the zone, with Colonel
Goethals as governor, of the begin
ming Of the work on Notifications to
guard the great waterway against inr
vasion, while imposing rows of figures
tell of the cost of details in the canals
construction and maintenance.
The report shows that tho canals
cost including the current aproprias
tion. now stands at $353,559, ,O4o.69.
More than $374,O0O,000 was appropli4
ated. OF that amount more than $12,-
100000 was for Notifications.
Work was continued during the
year on the gun and mortar batteries"
the report states, "and by tho close
of the year the concrete wIrk was
practically completed, as well as the
greater portion of the lack fill. On
July l, 1918, the construction Of re-
doubts in accordance with plans pre-
pared by board appo,ntod Tor the
purpose and approved by the secre-
tary of war, was undertaken, and they
were completed, as well as the clear
ing necessary in connection with
them"
The continued earth slides that
checked the progress OF the canal
builders was described at length.
1.-The total amount of material re-
moved in the dry form from Culebra
Cut" the report states, "from the he
ginning Of American ooerations 10
June Is, 1914, aggregated l10,36l,2S3
cubic yards, at a division cost of
s0.7066 per cubic yard; of this amount
25,206100 cubic yards were removed
because of slides, or 22.S6 per cent"
Describing the demolition of Gam
boa dixie as one of the final steps in
the canals completion, the report re-
lates that with the exception of a
small pocket slide in the vicinity of
Cascades, the admission of water to
the cut has thus f;,r had no effects:
nor has there been any perceptlblc
tendency for the presence of water
to produce slidec'
The canals giant locks and dams
have staunchly withstood the earth
lent and numerous dd ing the last
year than in any since American occu-
patton. Eighty-seven distinct shocks
were recorded at Ancon.
Practically all the shocks the re-
port stated" seemed to originate In
the vicinity of the lower coast of Los
Santos province, app" TX aatcly 1l5
miles southwest of Ancol. The most
violent shocks occurred October ,,
1913, AMI May 2S, 1914"
The shock of May % resulted in
slight damage to the new administra-
ton building, then in course of erec-
ton at Balboa heights, but with this
exception the canal works suffered
40 damage from these shocks.
AS the construction of the canal
to the point where a date
vas set for the admission of the first
ship, the population of the zone stead
ly decreased. On June 80, 1914, the
orce employed on the canal was 29,-
;73, compared with 43,350 at the close
If the previous fiscal year.
Accompanying the decrease" the
'eport states, there was large emil
grafton from the isthmus, and for the
irst time since the work was started
here was an excess of departures
'ver arrivals Of about 10000"
Inasmuch as the canal was not OPP
ned to traffic until August is, the
eport does not tell of the passage of
he first merchant ships or of the
y. 4