Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-11-16
CHAPTERS
IN BUILDING Of
PANAMA CANAL
Governor George w. GoethaIs OF Canal
Zone Submits Annual Report TO Secre-
tary of War Showing Total Cost Now
stands at $3.50. $50. 0a9 90.
REPORT TELLS or BATTLES
AGAINST EARTH SLIDES
They Made Necessary the Removal OF
More than rs. 900 900 Cubic Yards Of
Earth-T0taI Amount Removed from
Culebra Cut II0.26I 1888 Cubic Yards.
(By Associated Press

by Associated Press.)
Washington. u a.. Nov. l6.-Conclud-
my chapter III the story ~ American
pluck aud perseverance that made possible
the construction of the Panama canal are
written by Colonel George W. Goethals,
governor of the zone. m hI~ annual re-
port submitted today ~ Secretary CARR
son. The report tells Nj the canal build
er~' battle against tricky earth slides, ~
the establishment of the permanent form
of government IN the zone. with Colonel
GOethal~ a. governor. ~ the beginning Of
the work on Qualifications a. guard the
great waterway against invasion. while i'm
posing rows of figures tell of the cost at
details IN the canals construction and
maintenance.
The report shows that the canals cost,
including the current appropriation. nuw
stands ut $3.50. 559.0l9.69. More than
S374 900 600 was appropriated. OF that
amount more than >l2.000.0U0 was for
Qualifications.
"Work was continued during the year
ON the Gun and mortar batteries" the re-
port states. sand by the close Of the year
the concrete work was practically com
plctrd. ~ well w. the greater portion III
the hack fiji. On July l. 1913. the con-
~taftti0n Of rcdoubts IN accordance with
] plan- prepared by - board appointed for
the purpose and approved ~ the secretary
ii war. wa- undertaken. and thcy were
completed. a. well a. the clearing nccc~-
>aty IN connection with them"
The continued earth slides that checked
the progress Of the canal builders was
described ~ length.
"Thc total amount ~ material removed
in the dry from Culebra Cut" the report
states, "from the beginning of American
operations ~ June 10. 1914. aggregated
llO.26l .SN3 cubic yards. M 4 division cost
81 40. IO6G per cubic yard ~ this amount
25.206. 100 cubic yards were removed he
cause of slides. or 22.s6 per cent"
Describing the demolition Of Gamboa
Dixie a. one ~ the final steps III the canals
completion. the report relates that "with
the exception Of q small pocket slide in the
vicinity of Cascades. the admission of wa
ter to the cut has thus far had no bad cf-
fleets; nor ha- there been any perccptihle
tendency for the presence ~ water to pro-
duce ~lidc~.'
Th canals giant locks and dams
~tauncily with~tood the earthquake shocks
which were more violent and numcrou,
during the lat year than " any since
American occupation. Eiehty-Seven dis
linct shocks were recorded at Aneon.
practically IN the shock" the report
stated. Seemed W originate IN the vicinity
M the lower coast of Los Santos province.
approximately lis miles southwest az An
con. The most violent shocks occurred
October ,. 1913. and May >. 1914. The
shock ~ May p resulted III slight dam
are ~ the new administration building
then IN course of erection al Balboa
Heights, bat with this exception the canal
works suffered NO damage from these
shocks"
a. the construction Nj the canal pro-
ccedcd To the point where \ date vas Sct
for the admission Of the first ,hip. the
population of the zone steadily decreased.
tine June 30. 1914. the force employed on
the canal was 3o.G73. compared with 43.
800 In the close ~ the previous fiscal
wear. accompanying the decrease" the
report states. ''thore was q large emigra-
tion from the l-lhmu~ and tor TIE first time
since the work Na> started there VA NV
excess ~ departures over arrivals III about
$1,000"
lnasmuch - the canal was not opened
70 traffic until August l5. the report does
not tell 81 the passage 81 the iir-t mer-
chant ships or III the financial aspect Of
operation.