El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-01-17

~ ~ d4ldAAldr JAN g. he 4 d1Ale14llc
canal is practically completed
The waist of the new world has been
sliced in two at the middle, and North
America and South America have been
changed from peninsulas to islands
With the exception of the gates of the
locks, there is now a clear stretch of
water from ocean to ocean, and with
in a month or so after this letter is
published the mighty steamers Of the
Atlantic and the Pacific viii be climb
ing up and down this waterway from
one great ocean to the other
1t is difficult to realize that the
great job is almost done. Still, this
conviction fills the air, and with II
comes the thought that the people OF
the future will never appreciate the
enormous labor and cost Of the work.
That for which we have spent hum
dreds of millions of dollars IS now
under the water.
ordinary river flowing between the
banks Of living green and Lake Gatun
seems to have been there since the SUD
siding of the waters OF Moan 1000,
The only real work going on in the
canal just now is the dredging Of the
channel at Culebra and the putting
on the frils at the locks
Balboa n Busy Place.
About the busiest part Of the 18TH
mus. compared to that of the past
is Balboa, the new port on the Pa
cific. Here they are eNcaYaung Ihe
mighty drydOck which viii hold the
largest ships that float the seas. They
are constructing fOundries and ma
chine shops, covering acres. ana are
putting Up mammoth plannB mus
that are already filled with IumDer
from Puget sound and our eastern
coast At this point there are tens
of thousands Of men working. trans
OF cars go flying along loaded Win
snof as they did in the days Of the
active excavation of Culebra- A large
force is erecting the framework OF
structural steel and glass, and GaTIner
out near the ocean they are pullolhs
piers and docks at which the steam ers
viii lie. These piers will be 1000 teer
long. and have slips 300 feet wide IN
which shiDs can anchor
New Railroad Completed.
The new railroad across the lsthmus
around the enlarged Lake Of Gatun ana
takes the passenger far away from Ine
line of the canal. 1t is now run Dy OIL
burning engines, and in passing from
one side Of the isthmus to the other
one travels through tropical gar
cen without cinders or dust FROM
fbe Pacific end of the railroad ABOUT
halfway across, the structural steer
arms Of a great transmlsslon me nd4e
been put M on both sides Of the track
These arms are, I Judge, 30 feet hlgh-
rvhev are bolted to cement columns,
9nd are Joined by bridges running
across the track from post to post Iar
overhead. On each end of these br1dgeS
are appliances for carrying the caDleS
OF copper wire that will convey the
current of electricity generated by the
overflow of the Gatun dam. The cleo
trio plant for this current Is now
being installed. and the buildings are
almost completed They are made of
concrete and steel
At this electric p1ant there viii he de-
veIoped by the water falling on turbines
force Of 5000 kilowatts, which viii be sent
by cables to the locks. TO the range towers
and to the other electric light plants
THE movement Of the vessels through the
locks viii be by electricity and they are
now putting UP buildings in the top Of the
center walls from where the current viii be
IN each OF these buildings one man can
sit and direct every operation, in the tax
ing of a vessel through from the ocean to
Gatum lake or from the lake down to the
sea He can open the gates OF close them
by throwing a switch ana can cause the
water to rise or fan by the press Of but
oi" Machinery Is in shape
The machinery Of the locks is now almost
all in shape and it viii take but a short !
time to polish the whole and leave it com
DIete The men viii soon be removing the I
Tnbrfs and within half a year these nam
,-,otb constructions of concrete will look
IKE monuments OF marble cut out with
cbfseL Today one can walk along the tops
Of the locks through an avenue lined with (
beauty They uphold the lights OF the locks. ]
which will make the whole structure S {
bright at midnight as it is at midday. On I
each side Of these columns are the cog
railroad tracks upon which the towing loco
motive viii run. and between them is an /
other railroad for moving machinery back /
and forth.
zach vessel viii have four locomotives to 4
move it from one lock 70 another Two will 4
20 ahead to pull and two behind to hold !
back so that the vessel may be steady, /
while moving. These towing locomotives
viii run on a level, except when passing
from lock 70 lock. at which time they climb (
heavy grades. In coming back they take /
rnothe~ track. made especially for the re-
urn Of the cars after fhe towing.
The most interesting thing just now Is
he work going on at the terminals have
written something Of that on the Pacific (
side one of the striking features there is
he red skeleton Of the administration build
ng that is now going up. This stands high
10. on the slope Of Ancon hill, looking out
,ver the Pacific ocean. The canal is i'm plain
-fcw at the right. At present the structure
s only a framework Of steel. but this win
,e clothed in concrete blocks and plastered
with stuccO. The roof viii be Of dark red
lies and the floor space viii cover almost
yvo acres The cost of the building will be
a75. 600, and it will be devoted entirely to
.frces and for storage Of the records
New Town Is Planned.
Not far from this building has been laid |
.1t towusite where the employees Of the !