The Republican journal., 1916-05-18

uiU1tu az d COSl VI leSS tndU oU cents per
cubic yard. The cost of removing earth
near the same spot was IS cents per cubic
yard by the steam shovels.
In addition to the dredges the face of
the slide on Gold Hill was simply teeming
with men at work with steam drills and
sluicing hose. never have seen so many
men working so close together anywhere.
The sight suggested some of the descrip
lions of the hordes of troops we read of
as attacking fortress in the European
war, or metropolitan Fire Department
fighting confagration. All this con-
tinued night and day, with the exception
of twenty-four hours from IL O'Clock
midnight Saturday to IL o'clock Sunday
night, three shifts of men being employed.
The noise OF the escaping steam from the
steam drills, and of the clanking machin-
cry of the dredges, was incessant and
deafening, confined as it was in the mar
row canon-like cut. The effect of the
whole scene was most exhilarating, and
it left one with strong feelings Of pride
and respect for our government.
When will the canal be permanently
open for traffic? This question has been
constantly asked by the entire maritime
world since last October, and during my
stay over hundred letters were receiv-
ed daily at the canal Office from shippers
and steamship men asking it. 1t was,
of course, opened in April. AS matter
of fact, l saw a naval vessel drawing 20
feet of water pass through the canal in
February and over the very spot in the
cut where Cocktails Island stood last
October. l have not doubt that, at
that time, in case of war or other need,
any vessel of our fleet would have gotten
through the Cut. The reason the canal
was not thrown open to traffic earlier
was because such traffic would have de-
layed the work of excavation immensely,
and have postponed greatly the ultimate
and permanent use of the waterway. The
Cut was, as have said, filled from side
to side with dredges and scows placed as
close together as they could be, and sIill
work advantageolsly. To send even one
! ship through meant deranging all of
these and interrupting their operations
for some hours. Even for the passage
of one small boat, guy lines had to be
taken in or lowered to the bottom SO we
could pass over them, scows and dredges
moved, and the work of the tow boats
and hosting engines interrupted.
The whole work of excavation in the
Cut was going on splendidly during my
stay, and | inferred that the daily re-
suits were very satisfactory to those en-
gagged on it. The engineers thought the
canal would be opened in April, which
proved to be the case. They now feel
that their more serious troubles are at
an end, and that traffic will not again be
permanently interrupted.
The School System.
The school system which u"cle Sam
has established on the Canal Zone for
the children of the canal employees is an
interesting one, and few words in re-
gard to it may prove of interest. There
are at present 1146 white children and
143O colored children on the Zone. The
system which has been established for
these embraces eight grades, High
school and two branch High schools.
These are housed in fifteen buildings.
Separate schools are maintained for the
white and colored children, respectively,
and the curriculum is somewhat differ