The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-12-28
REPORT ON PANAMA
CANAL SHOWS MUCH
USE UNTIL CLOSED
Complete Report of Traffic and
Progress In Work Is
Presented.

! Washington, Dec. 28.-A detailed &C
count of the operation and main
! tenance of the Panama Canal during
the first ten months and half after
it's opening to commerce in August
1914, is given in the annual report OF
Governor GoethaIs of the Canal Zone,
made public Monday. Final construc-
ton work just prior to the canals
opening also is described in the re-
port, which embraces the fiscal year
ending june 30 last prior to the earth
slide which blocked the channel.
Between August Is, 1914, and June
80, 1915, $50 vessels, representing a net
Panama Canal tonnage of /, 1874, 72S and
cargo tonnage of 2,125,735 were passed
through from Atlantic to Pacific and
b58 vessels, representing a Panama
Canal tonnage of 1,95S, 307 and a cargo
tonnage of 2,844, 057, from Pacific to
Atlantic, making a total of loss YES
sells with net tonnage of 3, S43, OBS and
a cargo tonnage of 4, 1853, 1872. During
this period three minor slides inter
rupted traffic, the channel being closed
from October II to 20 and October 81
to November A, 1914, and March to
10, 1915.
CONSTRUCTION of the Canal proper,
except for dredging excavation and
construction of the east breakwater at
Colon, virtually was completed prior
to this fiscal year. In the old Cu1ebra
Cut, renamed the GailIard Cut, there
were removed, in the process of con-
struction during the year, I, $50, 617 GU
bic yards at, an average cost Of APP
proximately AZ Ia cents a~yard. In
maintaining the misunderstanding re-
moval Of earth deposited by slides
there were taken from GaiI1ard Cut
4,710,566 cubic yards at cost of "a 2-3
cents a yard and from the channel at
the Atlantic entrance 1888, 301 cubic
yards at a cost of 10 Is cents a yard.
"Cucaracha s1ide,'' the report says,
was very active from July to Octo-l
Der, 1914, quiet during the dry season,
and active agtin with the beginning
of the rainy season in April. On the
west side at Cu1ebra the slide showed
little activity through the greater. part
of the year, but in June, 1915, the gen
eral movement of the bank was notice.
able, and it was estimated that {, GOO 900
cubic yards of material were in mo-
ton on June 30, 1915, on the west side.
It is estimated that about 1000, 900 GU
bic yards will have to be removed
from the east side.''
OF the 1894, 399, 149 appropriated by
Congress to June 80, last, the report
states that ,$14, $50 873 has been spent
on Qualifications; $3.50, 900 to cover three
annual payments to the Republic OF
Panama; sc, A0, coo for the operation of
the civil government of the canal zone
for the fiscal year 1916, 81, 289, 159 for
the operation and maintenance Of the
canal to the end of the fiscal year 1915,
while stock on hand aggregates 81
225, 600, leaving 1856, 999 116 appropriated
for the actual construction of the
canal and its adjuncts
Two million dollars of this was In
vested in ico1liers, and Sc, 1858, 067 was
returned to the Treasury Department
up to the close of the fiscal year 1915
as miscellaneous receipts, leaving $751;
436, o4e as the net amount expended for
the canal, including the amount avail
able for work still in progress. A dry
dock, two coaling stations and ter
mina1 piers, net included IN these dg-
ures.. are yet to be constructed
Health conditions in the canal zone
the report says, were very good dur
ing the year. The total death rate
from disease was reduced from Ia. 46 In
1914 to 11.77 in 1876 victinasi of rnala-
ria, the principal cause of disability,
were reduced 20 per cent in number
and the death rate 30 per cent in the
year. The admission rate to hospitals
from typhoid was reduced more than
rs per cent, from dysentery, so per
cent, and the death rate from pneu-
monia was reduced more than 80 per
cent.
Eabor conditions were excellent.
More than 5000 men were given trans
portation home because they could not
be used.