The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1914-02-26
THREATEN
OPENING OF CANAL
Facts and Figures Given In
the Annual Report of
Colonel GoethaIS.
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the year was 4S3. of which 30 were
Americans. % whites Of other national
tiles and $50 negroes
The review of the work for an entire
year rs set forth i'm the report shows
In more striking manner than I'm the
current aud fragmentary reports pub
liShed from time TO time the enormous
difficulties which the canal builders
have to overcome. Speaking OF the
work In Culebra cut. where the heav-
Test slides have occurred, the report
says:
The estimated amount removed be-
cause OF slides was 5.S99.2OO cubic
yards. and of this amount $4,000 Gu
bic yards of material was taken from
the upper reaches of the banks to re-
duce the quantity TO be taken from the
bottom or as preventive measure
against slides and breaks-in other
words. 4GGT per cent removed from the
cut was due to slides as against $500
per cent during the previous fiscal
year
Big Increase Over Estimate.
The amount remaining to be re-
moved was again increased at the
close of the year and aggregates for the
Culebra cut 100000 cubic yards. In
other words. there will be an increase
for the central division of 0.2S0.23T
cubic yards over the estimate submit
ted in the last annual report. OF this
total remaining 1.324,9 cubic yards
were inside the canal prism lines and
a. nd
slides. which estimate includes the
amount for 5enching back of the banks
so MS to relieve the pressure which
crushing the underlying strata. may
either increase the extent of existing
slides or cause new ones
THE total amount of material due to
slides so far removed aggregates 22.-
$4,000 cubic yards or an increase OF
2.3042O0 cubic yards over that esti-
mated in the last annual report. Slides
and breaks increased as the cut was
dcepened. No treatment has proved
effective for slides when once devcl
oped except that of excavating and
hauling away material from the NOV
ing mass until the slide comes to rest
or until the angle of repoSe for the par
ticular material in motion Is reached
The prediction of the geologist i'm
the last annual report. with reference
TO the Cucaracha slide. that the end
of the activity of this slide Is now well
i'm sight. however, because all loose
surface stone and clay has almost slid
Off, exposing several large bikes ana
flows Of basalt which would maintain
i'm place most of the remaining ma
terial.' have not been realized The
bottom grade of the canal had been
reached and the widening cuts had
progressed satisfactorily until within
approximately sixty feet OF the line
Of the prism was reached on the east
side when on Jan. 90 the basalt rocks
broke and there slid into the cut APP
proXimately 100000 cubic yards OF
material. extending completely across
the cut. topping the tracks on the
siXty-seven foot level and completely
stopping the passage Of trains from the
north. Bottom grade was Subsequent
ly reached for sufficient width to put
in drainage pipes for handling the wa
ter from the north. but the rains
saturating the loosened material oc
casioncd Il fattening OF the slope. thus
causing another movement and the
weight OF the superimposed mass
broke the pipes.
Slide Covered Fifty Acres.
Work was continued on the slide
during the year. but principally for the
purpose of maintaining the tracks on
the siXty-seven foot level open for the
passage Of trains. This slide at the
close OF the fiscal year covered an
area of approximately fifty acres. The
total amount removed thus far since
July. 1905. when it began moving. is
3,S59.5OO cubic yards, leaving approx
mately 100000 cubic yards still to be
removed"
The financial operations of the canal
are told i'm big figures The disbursing
officer has paid out S2O,524 ,7O5 on pay
rolls alone. Congress so far has appro
priated $340,5OJ,223 for canal construc-
ton of which $1O,G7G0JO went for
Notifications.
In great detail Colonel Goethals tells
the story Of the engineers work during
the last year, and with particular salts
faction it is reported that the mechan-
ism Of the vast locks and dams was
tested with perfect success. The gates
at Gatun were swung I'm one minute
and fifty seconds for each leaf The
heavy iron chains which are depended
upon 10 prevent an unruly vessel from
crashing into the locks were raised and
lowered in ample time to meet any
emergency and demonstrated their abil-
ity TO chccl, or stop any vessel, unless
of very great size and moving at exces-
siye speed. The locomotives which tow
the vessels through the locks were
tried out and proved their ability to
handle the largest vessels. The cleo
trio Installation which will involve the
use Of a current Of 1900 volts pres
sure, was completely successful
Altogether the technical sections Of
the report seem to demonstrate the ac-
curacy Of Colonel Cocktails statement
that practically nothing but the great
slide at Cucaracho remains to prevent
the successful operation Of the canal
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