Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-24

serted that 1t was far from impregnable
by land. Moro troops, they declared 20
DE necessary. and troops have been
pouring into tho Canal Zone In small
uetachments for nearly year. A few
weeks ago squadron OF tho Twelfth
cavalry reached tho Canal Zone, from
Galveston. They are tho first mounted
troops TO BIO stationed at tho canal Tho
Second Battalion Of the Fourth Field
Artillery soon followed them.
Garrison Now Strong Enough.
The canal garrison now includes I'll
or the three main branches OF the sor-
vice. ana Is generally conceded to be
strong enough for its purpose. Owing
70 the nature OF the country, and thu
strong coast defenses, the taking of tho
rahaIna Canal by land would DO dir
hcuit under any circumstances Their,
are. however, stretches of open coun
NY reaching north and west from tina
Home over which an invading army
coulo ADVANCE with great rapidItv ora
troops are needed to guard these
The canal has been restored IN wo-L
ing oroer' and Ia In better trim than
eHer before; but there Ia an immense
olil 20 be footed. While tho yater-u,ay
mas been closed to traffic, all the az.
pense OF maintaining the great estah.
iishinent on tho zone. as we'll ms that
or the dredging operations. has ron.
steadily forward. For the last ascaI
year the Panama Canal showed
hiisht proht on It's operations During
the nrst seven months of the current
Hscai year II was in working order
only two and one-half months, and for
that period the excess OF expenses over
toiis was S2.450.0o0. That is tho bin
which the American pcople must nay
Like many private investment that
promises large returns, the canal keeps
calling for the investment Of lust n
llttie more capital. Yet It's ultimate
financial success. aside from it's stra-
tegio Importance. has never been
doubted by tho men who know it's Dos
sibilities best.
VIII Earn big Money.
When tho European war is over and
the world commerce is resumed, moth
Ing can prevent tho great waterway
from developing a tremendous earning
capacity--nothing but another slide
And the men that arc lighting them
believe that they are conquered at last
There may he small movements, they
admit. but the backbone of Culebra
Mountain. they assert, is broken
The struggle with the treacherous
mountain which has finally restored
tho canal to usefulness has been hardly
less spectacular than the first dig
Ging OF the great ditch. Day and night
for months all the dredges that could
crowd into the cut have been laborin8
without moments break. The mon
in charge have slept with telephones
at their elbows. At any moment tho
riven mountain might strike another
OF It's mysterious blows and undo tho
work Of weeks.
That is the heartbreaking part Of tho
Job. TO the men who work in tho cut,
the mountain has become a personality.
and n dIabolical one at that. The ever
present possibility OF sudden and OVER
whelming discoura gement is harder
than the work itself.
Least coveted of all is the grave
yard watch" from midnight until in
the morning. 1t is very dark then.
despite the brilliant tropical stars. and
there Is chill in the air. Tho work.
ers cannot tell whether the slides arc
moving or not. They can only keep
the great dredges Iaborlng through tho
night. knowing that they cannot az
ford to lose a moment. These workers
are triumphant now. They believe
their labor, which has been undons
dozen times. Is permanent at last.