The chronicle=news., 1914-11-16
REPORT SHOWS COST
OF PANAMA PROJECT

Washington. Nov. lG.-Con
Guiding chapters in the story OF
American pluck and perseverance
that made possible the construction
of the Panama canal are written by
Colonel George W. Goethals. COVER
nor of the zone. in his annual report
submitted today to Secretary Garri-
son. The report tells OF the canal
builders battle against tricky earth
slides, OF the establishment OF the
permanent form OF government In
the zone, with Colonel Goethals as
governor, of the beginning OF the
work on Qualifications to guard the
great waterway against invasion,
while imposing rows of figures tell
Of the cost of details in the canals
construction aad maintenanca.
The report lows fhst the canals
cost. includin slthe current appropri-
alton, now stands at 1888, ,559,0i9.
More than s374.OOO,00 was aopro-
priated. or that amount more than
$12.OO.0OO was for Qualifications.
Work was continued during the
year on the gun and mortar batter
les" the report states, and by the
close of the year the concrete work
wa specifically completed, as we'll
a. the greater portion of the back
fill. On July l. 1913. the construc-
tionof redoubts in accordance with
plans prepared by board appointed
for the purpose and approved by the
secretary of war, was undertaken,
and they were completed as well as
the clearing necessary in connection
with them
The continued earth slides that
checked the progress of the canal
! builders was described at length.
"The total amount Of material re-
moved in the dry from Culebra cut,
the report states. from the begin
( ming OF American operations to June
Ia. 1914, aggregated 0,26l $50
cubic yards. at n division cost of
s0.7066 per cnhi5 yard: of this
amount 25,20G. 100 cubiy ards were
removed becaNse of slides, or 22S6
per cent"
Desa ibinc tho demolition of Gam
boa lake a. 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. tho admission of water to
the cut has lllus far had no bad ef-
, fects: nor has there been any per-
cepi,oic tendency Tor the presence OF
water TO produce slides" ....
The canals giant locks and dams
ctaunc'!lv withstood the earthquake
shocks which We're more violent and
numerous during the last year than
IN any since American occupation.
Eighty s-seNon distinct shocks were re-
corded NJ neon
''Practica!ly all the Shocks" the
report stated seemed to originate
in The Vicinity of the lower coast
Of Los Santos Province, approximate
ly lo miles southwest of Anson. Tho
most violent shocks occurred Octo-
bcr ., 1913. and May IS. 1914
The shock of May IS resulted in
slight damage to the new administers
ticn building then in course OF cree
tion n; Balboa Heights, but with this
exception the canal works suffered
no damage from these shocks.
As the construction of the canal
proceeded to the point where date
was set for he admission of the first
shin. the population of the zone
steadily decreased. On June 80.
lai 1, tho rnrre employed on the cam
al was 2o.GI3. compared with 1880
IT The close of the previous fiscal
yc-r "hCrC m,nng ling the decrease,
the rcpori states. there was a large
emigration from tho isthmus, and for
the first time since the work was