Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-06-08
SAYS
PANAMA CANAL
SOON IN Use

Everything points to an early COM
pletion of the dredging of material
from big slide In Panama canal and
the opening Of the waterway to traffic
within a very short time" is the dec
laration of Captain G. A Blackwell,
master of the American-Hawaftan
freighter Columbian, which reached
Honolulu yesterday morning, following
trip from Balboa to San Francisco
and thence to the islands.
Il made tour of the isthmus on
May 10, and noted the progress made
in the removal of earth and rock by
seven dredges. While there l watched
with interest the operation of the
new bucket dredge Christobal, which
has a capacity OF 10 tons of material
at each dip of the bucket"
Colonel Goethals has predicted
that the Panama canal would be avail
able for traffic about July /, and ]
believe that he will make good COM
.mented Captain Blackwell. with a
view of preventing other slides at the
spot now receiving attention from the
-dredges,s the hills have been sluieed,
much earth being removed from the
top and sides, in order to reduce the
pressure So. f.. i. - ..... s.s<.
The skipper of the Columbian scout
ed the report received here that the
bottom of the canal was coming to the
surface. He also nailed the story of
a shortage of water in the reservoirs.
In his opinion there is an abundant
rainfall in and adjacent to the canal
zone. The spillways are running to-
fullest capacity. - . - ~ :.
Captain Blackwell spent some days
at the isthmus, the Columbian being
detained there for six days awaiting
a berth where It's cargo of Hawaiian
sugar might be discharged. Much of
the product was shipped through the
canal by barges, these vessels having
a capacity of about 1000 tons each.
The transit through the waterway re-
uuired about 10 hours to complete
Facilities for handling freight are pro-
nounced better at Colon than at Bal
boa, where number of the old French
cranes are still in operation Great
congestion was noted along the line
Of the Panama railway. owing to the
mass of material to be moved from the
slides. The great need at the Panama
ports at the present time is addition
al wharf space. According to the YES
sci master who has Just returned from
the zone, Balboa has about $500 feet
of wharfage, and much delay must fol-
low in the assignment of berth.
The Columbian steamed from San
Francisco to Honolulu without cargo.
Th, will ~ g.
New York by the way of Magellan
straits on June II, taking about 500
tons of sugar.
The Columbian will depart for island
ports tomorrow evening. following the
loading of a considerable quantity of
sugar.
The American-Hawaiian steamer
Alaskan was at Balboa at the time the
Columbian prepared to sail for San
Francisco, In steaming to Honolulu
the Columbian made the passage in a
trifle under seven DAYS. In speaking
of the situation at Salina Cruz. the
mariner stated that citizens of the
United States who had lived in Mex
leo for years had only a few minutes
in which to gather up few of their
personal effects and. as no American
warship was then there to protect
them in the crisis. which was made
more serious because OF the belief of
the Mexicans that war had actually
being declared by this country. they
sought refuge on board the Columbian
and Nebraskan, After being detained
two days by Mexican officials who
threatened to seize it the Columbian.
with part of its cargo of sugar stil in
its hold. sailed for the north with
about so persons. mostly women and
children, who had fled from the city.