Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-10-21
COCKTAILS ORDERS
MOUNTAINS REMOVED

IANAMA, Oct. ZI-IneSe nils ana
valleys and various other pieces OF
Panama geography that have been
numbering around and falling into the
canal so carelessly and getting il all
stuffed up have peeved Gov. Goethals
So today he pointed out a couple of
mountains that he said were causing
all the trouble and instructed his men
to lake 'em away"
What. the mountains?"
Yes. the mountains"
You mean you would like these
mountains removed"
Precisely. Move 'em-at once"
The mountains, be il added. began
moving today.
It's really small matter. Moving
a few mountains mo ,e or less is of
slight concern TO GoetIals. Chopping
hole in the face OF the earth and
building a young sea TO connect Il
couple OF others-that didn't dismay
him. Why stop al shunting mountains
around?
CONSTRUCTION days" are being re-
pcated in Gaillard Cut, formerly
known as Culebra Cut. a score of big
dredses and steam shovels and an
army of workmen are removing thous-
ands of cubic yards of earth from the
recent slides from Gold and Contrac-
tors Hills.
Gov. Goethals few days ago en-
pressed hope of reopening the canal
November l, but the date may be ex-
tended. Nearly 200 vessels. held up
by the slides since the latter part of
September. wait at the docks at Bal.
boa. the Pacific terminal and Colon
on the Atlantic.
when will the slides permanently
stop?"
That's as easy TO predict as the
end of the European war;" is the an
swer.
The removal, bodily, of the two
mountains Gold and Contractors, be-
ing blasted away and the earth sluiced
Gown TO fill hills and valleys a mile
distant, is expected to stop the
slides.
That the slides will sometime stop
forever-"some day"-is certain. This
is confidently stated by Gov. Goethals.
The worst slides, il is believed, are
now over. The last was the worst
since the big ditch" was opened
Snoring OFF" of the precipitous
mountains which form the giant
boundaries of Gaillard Cut is the grad
ual, slow process which will prevent
future slides.
The peculiar geological formation of
the Panamanian mountains makes this
feat difficult. Instead of firm rocks
or sandy subsoil, interlaced by heavy
forests, like the Rock Mountains, those
of Panama are shelving hills of red
and yellow clay. covered with tropi-
cal trees of small stature and under.
growth which does not knit" the
loose soil.
The slides" are not an avalanche
Of rock and earth from the top of
the mountain peaks, but a movement
from below. At the base of the slant.
ing earth cuts weaken throug seep.
age of rains and water in the canal,
the earth softens and is, pressed,
downward and outward, into the ca
nal channel by the heavier and more
! composite masses above.
The slide movement occurs compar-
atively slowly. II is detected by en-.
croachmcnts from the base of the
cliffs. Sometimes the movement is
so speedy that dredges and tracks are
covered. Generally the earth at the
base slowly mounts and is pushed un-
til IL cnCroaches into the channel.
When the upper part of the hills
are cut away to such an angle that
the pressure upon the earth beneath
is removed, the slides will stop. The
recent slides were expected.
AS an expedient minimizing slide
! danger, parts Of the towering hills
have been cut away, in sections, or
to prevent erosion and cave ms"
The same principle, on gigantic
scale, will stop the slides.
Gold hill has been known as the
Jonah of the cut" Contractors Hill,
another source of bad slides, ig almost
straight across. These are the only
two important slide danger points re.
naming in the Cut"
When construction was first begun,
the sides of Gold Hill we're almost
perpendicular. Now they have been
cut away to very slanting angle and
will soon be reduced to n point where
slide danger will be almost removed.