Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-05-02
WORKERS MAKING HEA0WAf
AGAINST Big SLIDE FOR
FIRST TIME.
FEAR OF DELAYED OPENING
BEING RAPIDLY DiSPELLED
AilIsides Being Watched
by Engineers as Rainy Season Ap.
proaches-Labor War Avertsd ~
Colonel Observation-Disclosures Canal
Machinery Being Sold.


still moving down the Cucaracha slide
into the Culcbra cut, but the engineers
who have been fighting the treacherouS
slides in this vicinity are at last gain
ing upon nature. Fears that the OPP
ening of the canal, set for January,
1915, would have to be postponed IN
definitely, have been growing less each
day, for the dredges and steam shovels
have been taking out the dirt and rock
much faster than it slid into the canal.
The Culebra slide. just to the south
Of the Cucaracha trouble, is entirely at
rest and it Is hoped it will remain so,
but the canal engineers will watch
this treacherous hillside with some an
xiety as the rainy season approaches.
from the canal prism and these may
Indicate a movement which might any
day preeipitate tons of crushed rock
and dirt into the canal for the tireless
dredges and steamsnovels to
remove. The coming wet season will
be likely to loosen anything ready to
slide.
Working Day and Night.
Dredging and hydraulic operations in
the cut continue day and night. Back
OF Gold Hill the hydraulic pumps are
washing away vast quantities OF loose
soil greatly relieving the pressure
which has forced so much of the art
into the cana prism. AT the toe OF
the slide the dredges have been buslly
engaged in removing the dirt out OF
the channel itself while far up the
side of the slide other hydraulic oper-
atoms are tearing at the very heart 81
the hill
Within short time two new large
dipper dredges will be engaged THESE
are the largest yet built of this type.
One already has been received on the
sthmus and is aim ost ready FOR oper-
alton. AT the same time the dredge
"Corozal" will begin deepening the
channel which now averages ABOUT
twenty FIVE feet. to the required forty
FIVE feet.
This deepening Of the channel. the
engineers believe. will be a tedious OPP
grafton. for the weight on the hiilsldes
at Cold, Culebra and Contractors mus
is constantly forcing the bottom OF the
canal upward 1t Is estimated that TINS
VIII continue until the weight on the
hillside has been sufficiently lesseneh.
According to figures just complieo
there have been removed from the
canal prism between Gamboa ana re-
dro Miguel, which includes the entlre
Culebra cut area, a total OF 2Iooo'ooo
cubic yards Of dirt with a pronanie
| G. 600, 900 cubic yards remaining 10 DC
excavated.
Labor War Averted.
| The recent announcement or eoi.
George w Goethals. governor OF the
Panama canal zone. that there "ouio
be no immediat reduction or the wage
scale averted what threatened TO pc
| come a serious labor dlHlcu'S. nv
unions represented on the istnmus me.
/ and formed the Metal Trades Iouhti'
! and obtained strike sanction from 'hei'
/ patent bodies TO be prepared ior any
emergency that might arise. No fur-
! Their action however, Is contefnp 'a.eu
t Nv the unions. il is generally believed.
Discarded canal machinery Is pelns
! sold 70 several private corporations IN
South and Central America .ehe-ue-
ia has had r. commission on the 18TH
| mus which purchased cohsiu.'
dredging machinery with "hlch w
deenen several harbors. NUMBER Oh
the large dredges that dug their way
thru Culebra cut have been sent u
! Porto Rico where they are soon 10 De
engaged in harbor work Many OF the
locomotives that hauled the spoil cars
out Of the cut have been sold 10 south
American concerns. Because or tie''
wide gauge they are not sultao'e io'