South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-03-24

SI.6S inches per annum. OF which
about so inches falls in the rainy
season OF about eight months.
Where nearly seven feet of water
fall upon the surface of the country
within eight months of the year. it
is not surprising that there is diff
cult IN controlling the underground
seepage Indeed. during these
months the ground water table is
practically at the surface, except
possibly on the sleeper slopes; and
the movement of the underground
water is so slow that even n the
dry season the water table is not far
from the surface in the level coun-
try. There is no evidence that any
Of the slides have been started or in
creased by earthquakes.
I'm addition 10 the danger Of the
slides, there is no danger that the
canal may be blocked by the fall Of
the hills Of Culebra district
The excavation of the canal. and
behring's in its bottom show that a
narrow belt between the two hills is
composed Of the soft Cucaraha beds;
yet to the present time there has
been no upheaval OF the bottom of
this part Of the canal, nor any other
sign TO indicate that the hills have
settled. It is believed, therefore.
that the great masses of gold and
contractors hills are self-supporting
and will remain so. There is no
occasion TO rae them.
In addition 10 the immediate
remedial measures suggested above,
there are certain observations and
protective measures which should
be undertaken with a view to the
future. A few slides are now in
motion. but many more are quies-
cent. \ slide is not necessarily
dead" because it has not moved
notably for a few years. It's stabil-
ity may hang on a delicate balance
which may be disturbed by some
slowly developing weakness. There
is also a bare possibility that gold
and contractors hills are not so
firmly supported as they are believed
TO be. Repeated surveys of proper
~ placed signals for number OF
years TO come should be made.
1.-TWO or three core borings
should be made on each side of the
canal, to study the nature of the
high hills. A mechanical testing Of
the strength of various rocks is
suggested since the future OF the
slides is largely dependent upon the
strength Of the rocks. Greater ia
cilitv for the study of earthquake
shocks in this region are also rec
commended.
"Culebra district is the chief area
Of danger. Slides may occur in
other parts Of the canal but they
will he relatively small. and infre-
quent; for the banks are not high,
and the unstable ground has al
ready slid down so that its surface
has approached the angle Of re-
pose. Should slides occur. they are
not likely 10 menace the operation
of the canal. Slides. great enough
seriously TO obstruct traffic in the
canal, could occur only i'm the Guile
bra district, which is but one mile
long.
In general. the committee be-
lieves that no great extension of
these slides is probable. because the
soft rock constituting a very large
part of the slides is quite limited i'm
extent. except east of the east Guile
bra slide. and conditions elsewhere
are unfaVorable for extensions.
The committee of investigators
consists Of.
William II. WEIGH. Charles r. Van
Hise. president OF the University OF
/ Wisconsin. Gen. II. l. Abbott, corps
of engineers United States army:
John G. Branner. geologist and for
mer president Of Stanford univer-
sity; Whitman Cross. geologist in the
United States geological survey; r.
c. Carpenter. professor OF mechani-
cal engineering in Cornell univer-
sity Arthur p. Davis. chief Of the
Reclamation service, Washington:
John r. Freeman. construction en-
gineer. Providence; J. F. Hayford.
dean OF the College OF Engineering.
Northwestern: Harry Fielding Reid.
professor of engineering. Johns Hop
kins university.
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