The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-18
C%Onquering C'uiebra.

C%onqueriug Culebea.
General GEORGE W. COCKTAILS IN
his exhaustive report Of November
ID, 1918. on the conditions which had
closed the Panama Canal and on the
measures thst had been adopted TO
overcome them, estimated thus the
material that must DC removed to in
sure the safety Of the channel:
THE length of the slides, which are
directly opposite each other. is approx
inately 1900 feet tthc channel through
which is navigsble with the exception
o. 500 :ee.) the banks are 400 TO $50
feet above sea level on the east and ex-
tend up TO $50 feet above sea level on
the west. The area OF the territory
affected on The east sidc covers 81 acres
and OH the vest side 7s.5 acreA
Assuming that ~ matcria, lying
above planes extending from the out
side limits Of tie bottom OF tho prism
up 10 the limits of the breaks Will move
into the cut. 1000 900 cubic cards vii.
have to be removed before the slides ar.
entirely stopped.
Mr.. CoMBER, resident engineer Of the
dredging division. assumed a surface
parallel TO the surface existing on Oc-
tober II. the date OF the last complete
snrvcv ana torty-nvc feet below It. OF
which basis $4,000. 600 cubic wards would
be the quantity TO he handled.
"iie thinks. move ever. that IA mean
between the two amounts may he more
nearly correct. which was the method
OF arriving "A; the 10000. 900 cubic yard
figure which has appeared IN the press.
II Is at best only u guess.
In this document General Coz
THAIs pointed out. however. that il
would not be necessary 10 remove all
this spoil in order to open the canal
TO traffic. lie wrote:
1T mus; not be inferred from this
h a the canal Will be closed until this
amour. is dredeed. FOR sucn IS rot the
case. IN the contrary. IL is the inten.
ton to pass SHIPS as scon Is a chan.
MI IS secured through the remaining
500 feat, and there arc reasonable
grounds Tor assuming that a channel
the obstrtcted area can 10
maintained"
u announcement made IN Wash.
This week. that the canal may
be open for traffic On April 10 does
hot therefore mean that the slides
been finally eliminated or that
The angle "f reIo>e has been attained
AZ the point where they occurred. II
" mean TINT sufficient progress has
been mad" III the control of matter
into the prism from below
and precipitated from above To justify
he authorities in belieyin. il possible
n keep tn" canal open while the work
II reducing the banks GOES forward.
] his undertaking In itself i not
simple. The designing must
continue in order that the channel
shall ie kept free. and the removal of
natter from the banks must be on.
inued until II condition of equilibrium
AS been established. General Coz.
'uAL, WAS confident that the means
I" clear the canal would
'N"ntunlly cure the difficulties:
at Is also certain tina nothing can
top the movements now IN progress
mil the angl. Of reposc Is reached for
he materials under the conditions that
MIST ana That this can be reached only
IS remoring the excess amount OF ina
eria!.
"if experience counts for ausht. then
hat gained in the handling OF the slides
nd the breaks that have occurred along
he line Of the canal leaves no doub,
the means adopted and now In lire
I'll eject a cure in the slides that nov
the canal Furthermore, that when
no further trouble need be antici-
from slides in this locality"
We may with reasonable assurance
Xpect hat when General COCKTAILS
the word to allow ships to pass
lrotlgh the canal no will have cause
D believe that the channel can he
ept free permanently aud that the
OF excess material can go
'rward until the balance has been
cached which will insure the unin-
'rrup'ed freedom of the prism. ,
What to CensOv. ,
IN ~ inst 50, 100. 49, '