Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-07-30
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Concrete EIGS~o HS0SS

criticism, yet every canal employee will
tell you that he has been able to sup
port his family on food just as pure
rs that sold in the United States and
at far less cost. The workmen were
well housed-far better than those
who are engaged in factory labor in
the United States OF course, once in
awhile disgruntled workman gave
out story of unfair treatment which
upon investigation was found to be
merely trfling disagreement between
tho foreman and himself. The wome n.
too, sometimes complaine -perhap :
because Mrs. Brown had better looking
dining-room furniture, OF the apart
ment of Mrs. Jones had larger rooms,
but on the whole even the women
agree that life on the Canal Zone is all
that could be wished for, and that
everybody was given fair deal.
Every act of the Commission was
made public, and each employee from
the chief engineer to the poorest la
borer was given a hearing If he felt
that he was not receiving his just
/ deserts. Colonel Goethals for several
/ years held open court every Sunday
morning for the purpose of hearing
.
gone down In history as one of the
most remarkable ways of dealing out
| justice. Each member Of the Commits
sion had a special duty--a duty which
was so well performed that one of its
members. Colonel d. D. Gaillard. gave
his life in that line--a martyr to the
greatest work ever undertaken by
man. When the Commission complet-
al hptr N eli oil e., Ia,
ready for small steamers and was
opened to them on the tenth day Of
May. Had it not been for the activity
Of the Cucuracha slide the canal as
far as the waterway was concerned.
would have been completed a year be-
fore its formal opening, which has
been set for January LIST, 1915. As it
is, barring accidents, 1t is believed that
It will be ready for the use Of all yes
sells in September.
Cucuracha Slide Troublesome.
The Cucuracha slide has been the
bette noir ever since the work began,
and even In the days of the French
it was the hoodoo OF progress. The
channel through Clucbra Cut Is at
present about two hundred feet wide.
one hundred feet less than It will be
when completed. The slides there
have already reached the enormous
total of 25.000,O00 cubic yards Of
earth and still the monster Curcuracha
resists control. Colonel Gaillard who
was the engineer in charge of the Cen
trail Division since 1908, believed tina,
the water would give stability to the
sides and stop its progress, and per-
haps II has In measure, but not as
completely as Colonel Gaillard had
hoped. The fight against Cucuracha
led to Colonel Gaillard's death. Day
and night he planned against its prog
ress. only to meet defeat. Finally.
nature could stand no more and the
faithful officer came North for rest
and medical treatment-a physical
and mental wreck, dying a few months
later.
"Gaillard Cut"
Recently President Finley, OF the
Southern Railroad, made the sugges-
ton to President Wilson that the
name Culebra Cut be changed to that
of "Gaillard Cut" as n memorial to the
dead officer. President Wilson was
pleased with the suggestion and II ia
more than likely that he will act upon
IL ldNOTdDly ana lHuS peTDeIuate the
name of the great engineer.
Gatun Locks Completed First.
The Gatun locks were completed
first. and have been so thoroughly
tested that early in June the CALI |
anca," one Of the passenger steamers
belonging to the Panama Railroad
fleet, made a round trip through the
locks. This experiment however, was
not as Interesting as the using of the
locks as dry dock for the fleet of
submarines. These little boats, five I'm
number, were completely submerged
while the filling process was going on.
They rested on specially constructed
cradles directly over the culvert open
ings in the lock floor The water came
in with considerable force but the well
hlled ballast tanks Of each vessel held
them In position. Tho water was aft
erwards let out aud tina work Of ys- |