The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-18
at Panama Canal Looks as 1t Is Nearing Completion

floor space will cover almost two acres.
The cost OF the building will be $375.-
600, and 1t will be devoted entirely to
offices and for storage OF the records.
Not far from this building has boon
laid out town site whore the en-
ployes OF the canal Will i've They
VIII have houses of concrete formed NJ
ter the same style as the admlnistra-
tion building, and their uttle city will
DC modern and artistlcally planned. IT.
VIII have all the conveniences for trop-
lcal living. The houses Will hive wide
porches. and every opening be covered
with a mesh OF fine wire. The princi-
pal public buildings will face q central
avenue. and this will be covered by
continuous roof TO keep out the gun
and the rain. The town will have Its
tennis courts. baseball fields and band
stands. as we'll as it's clubhouses. con-
cert hall. hotel and schoolhouso.
There will be other settlements at
the Gatun locks, and also ut MirahoreB
and Pedro Miguel. Us we'll as at Cristo-
bal, at the Atlantic end OF tho canal.
The present structures at these points
will probably be left for some timo to
come. but they Will eventually be re-
placed by buildings of concrete Most
of the other towns along tho line OF
the channel win DO taken down, and
their building materials will BIO shipped
10 other places needed. AT present
tho towns along tho channel remind ono
or japanese village. Their houses
have the Same soubre black and white
character, and they are quite as airy
and roomy.
AS I came into the Bay OF Limon on
the steamer Tenadoros from the leland
| Oh jamaica last week, could see the
| great roro breakwnter. which has been
! extended out from the Atlantic end
or tho channel. This Is moro than two
| miles In length. and It has a lighthouse
| Mt the end. There will be another
break"ater on tho opposite side OF
| tho channel and the ships will sail into
| docks OF steel and concrete. so mado
that the railroad cars can come close
! to the ships. AS 1t Is now, we landed
at Cristobal. not far from the statue
or Columbus. and only few feet from
| the cars. and could see the men at
| YORK on tho new docks. At Balboa
| there Will be almost n half mile OF
uncovered docks In front OF the repair
shops. and at both terminals thcrs will
be electric cranes on the piers ana
hoating cranes In the water
Tho government has not yet beRur,
10 build It's great warehouses and the
depots for fuel and oil. 1t will prob
ably retain the cold storage plants now
In use. as 1t will carry on a great
. '''''''S' N''ii moro IN SUPPLYING
food and all sorts OF supplies to tho
steamers. Tho conling docks will be
enormous. The Navy Department.
wants 100000 tons kept on hand at tho
Atlantic terminus for Its own uee.
and there will be another great coal
ing station at Balboa TIL. CristobaI
coaling station Will hold 100000 tons,
and the ono at Balboa more than half
that amount. This coal will be stored
IT, basins OF concrete. and one-half of
II will be left under water and un-
touched except in time of war. The
other half Will be for tho steamers
which pass through the canal and for
our government vessels There will
elso be tanks for fuel oil at both ter
minals, and these will be connected by
great pine lines. which will run Acroes
the Isthmus. with pumping stations so
that the oil can be transferred from,
one TO the other.
AS TO the commercial aspects OF tho
case. the government Is .institutinr
these supply depots for the protection
of the ships which will go through the
canal and also for the force Uncle Sam
Will keep on the Isthmus. II has been
successfully carrying on a similar bust
ness during the construction. II has
run the big Tivoii Hotel at n profit
which amounted last year TO $4,000.
and II has served food to the men on
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