The Alaska daily empire., 1916-07-03

slides will finally have to be solved by American mly Ing engineers who are contributing 50 much to lh wealth ol lhe world by improyre ,he systems Q mining and reducing tho cost Of mineral production and thus making commercial propositions opt at OF bodies that have been hitherto regarded a yalueles His theory was developed alter personal inyesiiga ton 0f the canal n company with his caiei enginee vho has been associated with him Tor 2S years n hi mixing ventures Senator Ke0rns believes that th trouble with the canai is afauls n me formation on der i, which he peleyes contains gases wncp are es capng on account Of the removal Oi the great caru weight over t ,hUs making the resiSlnce less He con tends that mining to permit the escape or the gase would De Che solution of the canal shaes
 Senator Hearus, writing Of his theory in the chi cago Herald says
 After llose personal iuyeItigaaou and careful ostUdy. in company with my engineer who has been in my employ for twenty-siN years aId who has solved many similar prob lens. though smaller Of course, am tuiy convinced that subterranean gases coming from below are causing tbe troube--and sott ma terial underlying the hiilsides not the weight of the banks is maintained ~ most of the eminent engineers and critics who have yentured Co give their opinion
 'It is q fact that Che army engineers have accepted the theory of che earths sliding by it's own weight into the canal and are pre- ceedng in accordance with this theory and until such time the S,000O00 cubic yards have been removed and the banks cut down to where the weight has been taken otf it would be useless to suggest any other remedy
 "As for as my investigation has gone and from all knowledge oau gather neither the French government nor our own government thought it worth while to determine the char acter Of the rock and sabsou through Which the canal runs
 'Io a practical geOlogist a great break in the formation af the place of the greatest disturbance is visible, crossing the canal itself almost at right angles This break should be carefully tested and followed and absolutely located at it's source which may be some five or six miles away, and there relieved Of It's constantly accumulatng gas pressure. which is now forcing ts way and carrying with t great quantities of eruptye material to the place Of least resistance--namely into the bot tom of the canal at the Cuebra cut
 "A trained, experienced and practical min. ing engineer who has encountered such diff oulties a smaller scale should be able 10 follow the rocky signs so potent with meaning to the trained eye which would enable him to follow the course Of this fault plane with certainty"
 Senator Kerns gives many illusions in support o lis theory, and adds;
 Should time prove that this theory has merit worthy of consideration and there is anything ! can do those in charge have but to command me My interest In this is mere ly patriotic, with sincre good wishes for the success of the isthmian canal. l have watched it cosey since the American government se cured ownership theroi from France. ] had the honor of sitting in the Senate Of the Unit ed States as a member from the State of Utah favored the building of the great enterprise when the purchase was made